About Us

Out of the Box is all about learning through experiences and applying these new skills to life!

The Team

Julian Hyde (Director)

Julian is British, but has been living overseas since 1992. He is a scientist by training, with a degree in biochemistry. He worked for several years as a management consultant, including five years in Russia managing a variety of environmental consulting programmes. He moved to Malaysia seven years ago, initially working as an environmental consultant in KL before moving to Tioman Island to pursue his dream of running his own dive centre which he did with his wife.

An avid reader on subjects as diverse as environmental activism, social issues and philosophy, he has developed an interest in personal development. His experience as a diving instructor have given him insights into how people react to novel situations and problems. He has now brought that experience to a broader range of opportunities, including Work & Travel USA.

In 2006, Julian is part of a team in establishing Reef Check Malaysia, a non-profit coral reef conservation organization which Julian now runs.

Lee Siew Yeen (Director)

Yeen is Malaysian, and a graduate in Australia. She held a number of positions in retail and distribution companies in KL, before moving to Tioman with Julian, where she worked as dive guide and company admistrator for 4 years. The experience had given her opportunities to meet people from all over the world and from different background, hence, started her interest in people.

With several years experience in Malaysian companies, Yeen has seen first hand the problems with recruiting new graduates. While academically gifted, she says, they often lack self confidence and the ability to "think" to find solutions to business problems. She believes that Work & Travel USA is made for Malaysian university students."

Yeen is also active in volunteering for Reef Check Malaysia. She is a trainer in Reef Check Eco Diver course, a coral reef monitoring method which tracks the health of coral reefs around the world.

Paul Jambunathan (Consultant)

Paul is a clinical psychologist, and a Lecturer in Monash University, Sunway Campus.

After studying at Sheffield University in the UK, Paul further trained at Murdoch University in Perth, Australia. He initially specialised in two areas of Applied Clinical Psychology: adult stress and anxiety problems; and children's behaviour and developmental problems.

He has over 25 years of experience in applied psychology in the UK, Australia and Malaysia and has extensive experience of a wide spectrum of emotional and behavioural problems. His applied and clinical skills cover issues such as interpersonal effectiveness, personal development, parenting and much more. He runs numerous workshops and seminars for the general public and specialised groups including companies, colleges and parents.

Paul is often a guest on radio and TV and regularly writes in the national papers and local magazines. He used to run Malaysia's first weekly live counseling programme on Astro Talk-Radio and later with Radio 4. He also hosted Asia's first internet radio programme called Asian-family.com.

Currently a member of the Board of Directors of the National Population and Family Development Board, he is a firm believer in emotional intelligence and is active in advancing the practice of emotional intelligence in applied settings and in interpersonal effectiveness.

An avid scuba diver, he is very passionate about conservation. He organises a variety of outdoor programmes and workshops that bring personal development and nature together. He is currently researching and promoting the area of Ecopsychology.