Sonia Ortega
Founder and Chief Executive Officer 
Sonia and her husband Luis brought their two young children to Australia from Argentina in 1979. When she arrived, she didn’t speak any English. Determined to build a better life for her family, she quickly adapted to Australian life and learned a new language.
She could empathize with newcomers to Australia, knowing both the difficult and joyous moments that migrants face. With an entrepreneurial mindset backed by her personal experience, Sonia created Global experience in 1999. She wanted to provide the right support for students to help them settle in and enjoy the beautiful country that Sonia had come to love. Before she embarked on the adventure that is now Global experience, she and her husband hosted international students in their own homes as well.
Now, after 40 years in Australia, Sonia is both a businesswoman and a proud grandmother. She’s even completed health and wellbeing courses in hypnosis, integrative nutrition, mind-body eating, and neuro-linguistic programming (the language of one’s own mind). She also mentors and inspires young women and migrants who want to open their own businesses.
In her spare time, Sonia enjoys traveling the globe, arts, writing, and spending time with her family, including 6 beautiful grandchildren.
Sonia’s favorite thing about Australia: The freedom to be oneself.
Agnes Ong
Chief Operating Officer 
Agnes came from Indonesia in 1996 to complete high school, followed by a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Wollongong and a master’s degree from the University of New South Wales. She speaks Indonesian and English.
Agnes's previous work experience was in event management, a field she thoroughly enjoyed until she met Sonia (our CEO) and decided to change her career to be involved with international students.
She always treasures how she crossed paths with Sonia and is forever grateful to be part of the Global Experience family. Agnes enjoys her role as it allows her to do different things and challenge herself—there is never a dull moment in this industry as there’s always something new to learn!
In her spare time, Agnes tries to stay healthy by going to the gym and taking long walks. She also enjoys challenging herself to cook dishes from different parts of the world for family and friends. She has a son whom she adores, and he is currently learning three languages. Agnes has travelled to many different parts of the world, where she can learn and discover more about other cultures while making new friends. Cities that impressed her the most are New York, Seoul, and Dubai.
Agnes’s favourite thing about Australia is the diversity the country offers in terms of cultures and food, plus the wonderful beaches!
Stone Du
Chief Financial Controller 
Stone is from Harbin City in northeast China. He’s been in Australia since 2005. He has a beautiful family with his wife Amelia and their two darling children Han and Abby. He originally studied Animal Science but came to Australia to complete two master’s degrees in business and accounting. When Stone first arrived in Australia, he stayed in a homestay, and unfortunately, his experience wasn’t that great. Stone speaks Mandarin and English.
Now, he’s one of Global experience’s veteran employees; he’s been with us since 2009. When he’s not managing the accounts for students, hosts, and clients, he enjoys playing video games, outdoor activities with his wife and children, and watching movies.
Stone’s favorite thing about Australia: There are so many cultures living together and the great weather.
Carolina Coimbra
Senior Liaison Officer 
Carolina is originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil. She left her home country in 2011 and felt in love with Australia. She speaks Portuguese and English.
She is passionate about working with people, building community, and helping others to achieve their goals. Carolina has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and started working with international education from the year 2013 as a Student Agent in Sydney. She has also worked as a Student Services Officer at an ELICOS provider and has previously worked with Global experience in 2016-2017 as a Liaison Manager. In 2017, Carolina had to leave Global experience as she moved to New Zealand and has been living there happily with her beautiful young daughter.
She worked with different tertiary education organisations as a Homestay Placement Coordinator in New Zealand, and in 2023, she decided to return once again to work for Global experience given there is an opportunity for her to work remotely.
During her spare times, she loves spending time with family and friends, being in contact with nature, travelling and yoga.
Carolina’s favourite thing about Australia is how the country makes her feel as it is a happy place to live. She would love to return to Australia one day!
Jessica Puebla
Liaison Officer 
Jessica's early life was a tale of dual cultures, born in Australia but raised in Santiago, Chile. It wasn't until the age of twelve that she returned to Sydney, Australia for the first time.
Upon her return, she studied English at Intensive English Centre before transitioning to high school. Following her education, Jessica pursued her degree and obtained a Travel and Tourism Certificate. She took this degree as she has great interest in travelling and adventure.
Fluent in both Spanish and English, Jessica's linguistic abilities reflect her multicultural experiences.
Her first full-time job in Australia was at Global experience when she was twenty years old. At that time, she took the role as a receptionist and administrative assistant before deciding to travel for a long time. In 2023, she reconnected with Global experience team once again and decided to take the Liaison Officer role which was available then. Obviously, she made the right choice!
In her spare time, Jessica loves spending quality time with her partner and their two beloved children. She is keen to explore new places and one of her pastimes is putting complicated puzzles together! It brings her joy!
Jessica’s favourite thing about Australia: It’s a multicultural country and it offers variety of wonderful places to visit within the country.
Kathleen Mae
Liaison Officer 
Kathleen, a dedicated professional from the Philippines, cherishes family time and enjoys activities like reading, watching movies, and cooking. With nearly a decade of experience as an executive assistant, she has worked in property management, real estate, and supervised contact services. Kathleen speaks Tagalog and English.
Kathleen excels in diverse roles, seamlessly managing tasks in marketing, HR, customer service, and more. Her previous work holds personal significance, as she contributes to rebuilding positive family relationships in challenging situations.
Now, as a Liaison Officer, Kathleen channels her empathy and diverse background to make a meaningful impact on students and families.
During her spare times, she loves spending time with family and friends, being in contact with nature, travelling and yoga.
Kathleen’s favourite thing about Australia is its stunning natural beauty, from famous landmarks like the Sydney Opera House to the beautiful beaches and vast outback.
Margaret Jones
Liaison Officer 
Margaret migrated from singapore with her husband and two young children in 1998.
She started working in international student admissions at RMIT University and then joined Victoria University's international sponsered student divison. She then worked at the University of Melbourne Study Abroad. With over 15 years of working with international students, she enjoys helping international students to settle in a new city.
Over the years,Margaret has been a homestay provider to international students from Malaysia,Hong Kong and singapore. She speaks Malay and Cantonese.
Margaret volunteers at her local neighbourhood house and joins the committee as a Board member.She had recently joined visual art classes and enjoys lino printing. Her other interests are walking her dog and hitting the gym when she can.
Margaret's favourite thing about Australia: visiting the regional towns and discovering the charm of each city.
Kathleen Ford
Liaison Officer 
Kathleen has many years' experiences in the Health and Wellness industry. She also has a bachelor's degree in counselling and have worked for many years helping individuals and families.
She loves being able to work closely with the families at Global experience and to match the students with the perfect family for their needs.
Kathleen spends her spare time at the gorgeous beaches on the peninsula and enjoying time with her family.
What she loves most about Australia is that there is always something fun to do and interesting to discover. It is a beautiful country with amazing food and experiences.
Matthew Towle
Liaison Officer 
Matthew was born in Australia and grew up in Sydney. His heritage includes Italian, Greek, Anatolian and Irish. He completed his bachelor’s degree in business (Management and Psychology) and has always had a keen interest in international cultures. Matthew speaks English and Portuguese (although his Portuguese is very ‘’enferrujado’’ (meaning rusty) these days).
He lived and worked in Italy for a year after completing his studies and travelled Europe extensively. He then worked for Global experience for a few years as a part-time Homestay Coordinator before pursuing a career in Community and Stakeholder Relations for Sydney’s Metro projects. Some ten years later, he reconnected with Globa experience once again. He also hosted students in the past and found it very enriching and rewarding.
Matthew loves keeping active and adventurous and enjoys travelling, gym and yoga as well as enjoying delicious food from different cultures! He also loves flamenco music.
Matthew’s favourite thing about Australia is the rich mix of cultures, the opportunities to enrich our lives and the honesty, integrity, and willingness to lend a helping hand to people in need.
Helen Basilan
Administrative Assistant 
Helen is an Ilocana who lives in the Philippines, in the beautiful province of Isabela, known as the land of the golden grains. Helen speaks Tagalog and English.
After completing her bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, she worked in factories, got married to Ben, a native of the Cordilleras, and they are blessed with a son who loves to play guitar, with whom they sing along.
Though Helen was not born at the dawn of computers, this did not limit her from learning technology. These challenges led her to the world of working remotely since 2014, until she became a part of Global experience, where she shares her honed skills and traits.
Helen loves capturing family moments and sceneries whenever she can. She enjoys walking in the park and listening to great teachers. She also teaches kids in Sunday School to help them develop moral values.
Helen’s favourite thing about Australia is its cultural diversity.
