The Australian Women's Register

In 1976 Arlene Chai completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at Maryknoll College, Manila, and soon after began work as a copywriter for an advertising agency. Eventually Arlene became a creative director at the Ted Bates agency in Manila.

Arlene migrated to Australia with her family in 1982. Three years later she joined George Patterson Advertising in Sydney where she remained for seven years. Encouraged to write by former work colleague Bryce Courtney, Arlene published her first book in 1995.