Catherine lived and worked in Europe before coming to Nanjing. She passed her Cambridge University certificate for English language teaching in 2000 and has been teaching English for 17 years. She taught business English and IELTS preparation for 10 years to international students at a French business school. She has also taught English and business skills to corporate clients in France, Italy and Portugal. Before starting her teaching career she was a buyer for Marks & Spencer, based in London and Hong Kong.