Judy Wang

How long have you worked for Visottica Comotec China?

I joined the company in July 2006, so this is the 15th year I am with Visottica Comotec China.

Tell us about your journey.

My first role within the company was assistant to the manufacturing manager. Luckily, company management noticed my enthusiasm and gave me great support. They encouraged me to make proposals, to try, fail and learn. These experiences really helped me grow fast. Later, I got promoted to assistant to the General Manager and started having even more amazing experiences, such as the on-site conversion of previous processing factories into wholly owned foreign companies, the involvement in the joint-venture project with our owner’s other plant, customer audits, relocation to our existing new plant, and so on. On top of these fantastic experiences, the company also provided me with precious training on HR, Management. In 2018, the company promoted me to take charge of HR & EHS activities.

What is your role in Visottica Comotec China and what are your main responsibilities?

I am the head of HR & EHS. My daily responsibilities therefore cover the traditional aspects of HR, Environment, Health, Safety, as well as liaisons with local authorities and customer audits.

What do you love most about your job and about the company?

Sometimes I feel like the company is a gigantic machine and each individual is just a small part of it. In order to guarantee daily smooth running, the machine requires all parts and components to perform at the expected speed and direction. This means to avoid taking an excessively personal approach. On the other hand, every person is unique, driven by different motivations and expectations, and with their own visions. For this reason, the most interesting part of my job would be the chance to approach each employee as an individual, and not as a small cog in the machine, while promoting the global picture of the company at the same time. As for the company, the most precious aspect is transparency and respect for different opinions. Confucius once said, “Gentle people go harmonious but different”. I think Visottica Comotec is a gentle and respectful company.

What is the most challenging aspect of your job?

Practically, the challenge remains how to find the right balance between the Company Approach (common speed and direction), the Department Approach (usually measured by results in a specific area) and the Single Individual Approach (usually driven by individual motivations and expectations). Many times, it seems to me there is no absolute right or wrong.

What skills are fundamental to your role?

I would say the capability to learn and continuously grow. The term “VUCA age”, which describes the key features of today’s global environment as Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity, impressed me a lot. I can’t agree more, especially after the COVID-19 outbreak of 2020. Many things change very fast. In my opinion, it is important to be able to recognize critical changes, especially those representing a new trend, while it is also fundamental to be able to discover the “unchangeable part” among the changes.

What do you think about the multicultural aspect of Visottica Comotec?

I am not sure if I have the right answer, but I think one of the most interesting multicultural parts of the company is the combination of Chinese Collectivism and European Individualism. While the company manages the common direction, different opinions are also heard and evaluated. People understand they are unique, but also understand the need to collaborate for the company to guarantee a global result, which eventually impacts all of us on different levels.

Tell us about your team.

I love my team. They are trustable and dedicated to their daily job, and give me a lot of support. We work in a transparent way and, from time to time, I am able to see what they are better than me at, and learn from them. Out of office hours, we also chat about personal life and experience. I am really happy about my team and cherish our cooperation.

What is, in your opinion, the biggest challenge in China in the coming years?

I would say labour costs for foreign companies in traditional manufacturing, and this is why:

1. The 5G technology and fast-growing e-commerce network, in addition to China’s great investment on infrastructure (highways, high-speed trains, etc.) over the past years, as well as the industries starting in mid-west China, have allowed many new job opportunities. The young generation of migrant workers have much more job choice and flexibility.
2. China has witnessed a historically low birth rate, and after the Seventh census this year issued very fast the three children policy, as well as a series of supportive measures aiming at boosting the birth rate.
3. The strategy of the central government to seek a higher quality domestic circulation economy, as well as to encourage and develop high-quality manufacturing, could both be achieved only with a better paid population with better technical skills.

In one word, the advantage of cheap and abundant labour supply in China, which attracted many foreign investors in the past 15~20 years, no longer exists today. However, China still remains competitive in manufacturing because of its stable supply chain and fast-reacting supportive facilities, as well as its big domestic market.

What is your motto at the end of the day?

Zengzi, a very famous scholar in ancient China, once said: “I reflect on myself three times every day. Am I honest when working for others? Am I trustworthy when making friends? Did I put what I learned into practice? “For sure I am very far from Zengzi, yet most of the times, before sleeping at the end of the day, I think about his words.