“Never give up. Don’t be afraid of making a mistake. Trust is built among us.” We interviewed Glow Yang, Director of Channel Development and Sales, about her inspiring career path and the open culture that Neles has.
What does your job entail? What’s your area of responsibility?
I oversee channel sales development for the Asia Pacific market area. My job requires me to support the regional/country managers to expand the channel sales footprint, and to develop the required management tools. In addition, I am responsible for growing both the MRO and VCA product business through distribution, including B2B e-commerce sales, in China.
What has your career path been like? And can you tell us about your educational background?
After completing my master’s program in Engineering (my major was in automobile engines) from Beijing Institute of Technology, I joined China Aerospace as an R&D engineer. In 2009, I joined Neles (back then Metso). Before my current position, I had various positions in application engineering, marketing, and distribution development.
What kind of challenge have you been particularly pleased with to improve or solve here at Neles?
Distribution sales development in China has many challenges. It was very new to us when we first started. The market in China is flooded with many small trading houses, from which there are not many established companies to choose from, and most of the established ones are already representing competitors. We went through a long search and a comprehensive selection and elimination process before we were able to startup the distribution sales business.
Along the way, we have developed distribution management processes and tools, and the continuous distribution footprint expansion and elimination continues. Although there is still a lot of improvement work to be done, the most pleasing outcome is that the distribution sales are growing every year. We are still in the development phase for channel sales, but the growth potential is very promising.
What was your dream profession when you were little?
When I was young, I wanted to be a captain on a cruise ship that sails around the world. Why a cruise ship? I enjoy working and travelling at the same time with a group of people who can sail with me.
Do you have any nice memory or experience from working at Neles that you would like to share?
Don’t be afraid of making a mistake. Even if you miss your target, it’s the lessons learned in the process of trying to achieve the targets that are the more important ones.
I have met many good friends from different countries around the world; I have traveled to many places and learned about the local culture and customs. Neles has an open working culture as well. You can learn a lot from your colleagues, and it is not difficult to accomplish tasks together.
What is the best career lesson that you would like to share with others?
What I want to share with everyone is: “Never give up.” Don’t be afraid of making a mistake. Even if you miss your target, it’s the lessons learned in the process of trying to achieve the targets that are the more important ones. You will eventually get there, and the outcome may be better than initially expected, as the experiences you gained along the way make each step more solid. After that, your next learning curve to a new target will be shorter because you know how to get there faster.
What do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time, I like trekking. I also like the view of the sea and appreciate the infinite beauty of nature. These things help me relax. I like to keep fit so that I can stay at the peak of performance. I also read a lot of books. You can find a lot of ideas from reading.
How would you describe your colleagues and the Neles culture?
I have a lot of good friends and colleagues at Neles, and we are proud of the company. Many of the people I know have worked in the company for a long time. They continue to be passionate about their work and have a strong sense of responsibility. Neles has an open culture, and I can see that our colleagues respect each other. Trust is built among us. We share the same passion of ensuring customer success.
This or that?
Morning meetings or evening meetings?
Morning meetings. Energetic in the morning, ready for the day’s work. The evening is to review today’s work and thinking.
City or countryside?
City. The city is more convenient, and the suburbs are suitable for weekends.
Dine in or dine out?
Dine in. The family atmosphere is more warm when eating at home.
Books or movies?
Books. Most movies are adapted from books, and some movies aren’t good at showing the inner thoughts of the characters.
Neles has an open culture, and I can see that our colleagues respect each other. Trust is built among us. We share the same passion of ensuring customer success.
Please note: this text was published prior to Neles' merger to Valmet.
