Leaders in Value Chain

#04: Roxane Desmicht Head of Supply Chain at Infineon Technologies Part 2

September 11, 2017 Radu Palamariu Season 1 Episode 4
Leaders in Value Chain
#04: Roxane Desmicht Head of Supply Chain at Infineon Technologies Part 2
Show Notes Transcript

Roxane Desmicht is the Head of Asia Pacific Supply Chain Infineon Technologies. Roxane Desmicht is a Senior executive and global leader with 15+ years in high tech industries. She is well-versed product development to manufacturing as well as business development and account management. She is an active promoter and driver of Industry 4.0 initiatives as well as gender diversity leadership projects. And she is passionate about leading teams in a diverse and multi-cultural environment.

Discover more details here.

Some of the highlights of the episode:

  • Global Production Networks and Supply chain transformation
  • Supply Chain 4.0 and IoT solutions in Infineon
  • If she would be an investor – where would she put her money?
  • How does an engineer lead a global Supply Chain Network
  • How to groom future supply chain leaders
  • How to be a passionate leader in a male-dominated industry

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Speaker 1:

[inaudible]. Let's move on to the next segment. Let's have about people. Um, first question, how does the Infinian attract and retain talent around supply chain in supply chain?

Speaker 2:

Um, all right. So in terms of, uh, talents, attraction, um, we have a very strong engagement with universities. Um, be it in Singapore or in Munich. So in Munich we have a lot of working students. Uh, in Singapore we offer a lot of, uh, internship. Uh, we offer, uh, system development project, uh, find on your project and things like this. Uh, so that we can, uh, see could a new talents. Uh, we do participate to forum as well, uh, to also picture out, um, what supply chain us to give, uh, doing career talk in university. Uh, and definitely we also rely on our internal network. Uh, so his, uh, colleagues who moved to another company who might be interested to come back or colleagues who want to recommend the colleagues, um, so that we minimize the risk of, uh, ironing somebody who might not fit into the organization. So this is for the attraction part, uh, fuzzy retention. Um, I think what is important is to offer challenging task, um, exposure to global project, uh, offering a sense of ownership, um, too that people are very motivated to come to work. Uh, we have a very, uh, open door, uh, and feedback culture. Uh, and that was very proud. So last year we did a departments of eight, uh, to gauge along the line of, uh, how people feel about having opportunity, being recognized for what they do, uh, teamwork, understandings of goal of the organization. And, uh, at the end of the day is the results was 95% of our employee. We are proud to be part of supply chain. So that's fantastic. That's so fun. Yeah. That's a fantastic result. So, um, uh, yeah, I was very proud with this, um, because yeah, as a site, uh, we have of course have to find our way of existence, uh, versus quarter. Uh, and, uh, I think sexual results, particularly in the opportunity to drive projects. Um, yeah,

Speaker 1:

that's a result to be proud of. For sure. 95% is, yeah. Um, so definitely must be doing a lot of things right. Um, and, and, and I mean to, to move on to the, to the next question and it's, um, cause it also kind of connected to the attraction part, but the challenges that typically supply chain is not seen as something necessarily sexy or career is pledges as listen, there's something sexy. Um, maybe for students is more interesting to go to a bank or to go to a tech company and to Google or that's supposed to be more interesting typically. Um, what are your thoughts? I mean how can we, and it's, it's also some, some challenge that we had Morgan included, was facing sometimes, uh, to convince people from similar industries maybe to join, uh, from a different angle, the supply chain, uh, career. But how, um, what's your thoughts upon it and have you made anything to, you know, around the, the area that you deal with schools? How do you make it?

Speaker 2:

Um, I think, yeah, traditionally, maybe not sexy, but maybe I also to understand that very often there is a confusion between logistic and supply chain. So I think the first thing is really to illustrate that logistic is part of supply chain, but suppression is broader than this. Um, and I would also hope that by now, uh, fresh graduates or people with my experience, um, I've recognized that um, industry, which might be sexy today may definitely not be so sexy tomorrow. So let's, uh, things, okay, so online gas I was discussing with my friend and we are talking about my goddaughters and what kind of industry I should encourage them to go. And maybe a couple of years ago I would have said, yeah, on end guests signed for it, uh, with the challenge phase by the industry. Uh, definitely I would reverse my question, my answer today. So I think there is also now a bit more awareness and zoos traditionally, um, maybe more sexy industry have had some challenges. You see it in Singapore. I think in the past everybody wanted to go to banking. Um, I think by now, uh, you can see more interest in manufacturing, more interest in supply chain, uh, people because people document themselves and read around. Uh, but besides this, I think it's all about how you position it. So, uh, if I take the case of Infinian, we are a technology company. We compete on product primarily. So a couple of years ago might not have a lot of board attention. Um, but when product and technology becomes, um, maybe a bit more challenging because we are already stretched to the maximum, that's where, how you deliver the product, how you bring the product to the market, which makes a difference. And that's how finally by now we have bought attention. So we present our project, our should play Chen roadmaps, uh, on a yearly basis as he started with having a vision and the mission follower supply chain, uh, building up the competence as well. Um, so if I illustrate this, when I joined she pay chain, uh, actually I started in uh, when in my position in Shanghai, uh, in more customer facing type of organization. So we call it customer logistic management. Uh, and when I joined the, as a statement was from the consumer logistic manager team was we are the sales assistant. Yeah. This might not be went through at that time. Uh, in the meantime, we built a competence. We built a knowledge, we built the expertise in offering supply chain, uh, services to our customer. And, uh, if you would ask sales today, uh, they see this team as their partner. Um, this is this team as an exam for all of the demand fulfillment activity. Uh, why does they can focus more on the demand creation. Um, so that's all step by step. Uh, you also change the perception, again, coming with competence, coming with strengthening your supply chain, um, making sure it's, it's robust, it's transparent, um, then that definitely helps. Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Um, and what's the hardest skills that you, I mean, for you, when you need to hire people, you need to have people in your team. Uh, what's the hardest hard skill? So, I mean, I mean the hardest is in supply chain right now.

Speaker 2:

Well, maybe you might want the, I'm an engineer. I'll do a ended up in supply chain and our, how I feel about that. Um, I feel I might not be so effective and efficient in my job if I would not be an engineer. Um, because you play chain is not about, uh, talking, talking, talking. It's also about analytics. It's mostly about analytics, uh, but just not traditionally is a picture of people have. And so there's, that's analytical skills is definitely one of the challenging skills to, to find. Uh, we tend to, I are people who have more background in the business administrations and mathematics. Um, but when you come to a understanding system, uh, optimizing business processes, uh, you definitely not need strong analytical skills. So as this is, this is definitely the hardest, then of course you would have the pocket of a very expert knowledge. Uh, typically in the region tread compliance would be one, uh, which is also very scarce resources. Um,

Speaker 1:

and I'm in Asia is very, I mean even inside the city there's so many rules, regulations.

Speaker 2:

Now some of the rules, regulations or many different practices, even when you talk about product classification, they trace codes, different countries that are differently. So that will be more on the pockets. Expert knowledge tread compliance is also one of, uh, one of those skills.

Speaker 1:

We almost

Speaker 2:

need the prejudice. I mean, even more food, make a lot of money placing those. Um, and what are some of the skills that their supply chain professionals of the future supply chain 4.0 freshman needs to have? Well, we talk about digitalization. So I think digital safety is one. Um, if I take my case, I'm currently doing a online course on, uh, business analytics, um, because I also need to understand the new technology which are coming up a bit of our programming, a bit of machine learning. So digital CVS one, uh, but then, uh, all the other aspect, which are most of the soft skill side of it. Uh, digitalization industry 4.0 means a lot of in this industry transformation, workforce transformation. So it's going to be a lot of skills around change management, a long communication, still long, uh, emotional intelligence. Um, and since also supply chain is becoming more and more global. Um, I think it's important for the industry 4.0 professional supply chain 4.0 professional to have really a cosmopolitan cosmopolitan exposure. Uh, so a knowledge about a country, a various country, he or she is operating. Um, because we work in more virtual teams with people with different background, a different way to deal with projects and you can only be successful if you can manage these diversities.

Speaker 1:

Um, and that brings me to very important question. So the diversity, the diversity, gender diversity and obviously you are of great example of an excellent, uh, leader in supply chain. Um, the how do we, how do we balance it a little bit more? Because again, traditionally it's at, I mean we have to, uh, look at the fact that the male dominated the traditionally, how can we get even more, uh, or how do we balance it a bit?[inaudible]

Speaker 2:

well, as a question for you, which area is not traditionally male dominant?

Speaker 1:

Very good, very good. Come back.[inaudible]

Speaker 2:

I joined a SME comm forum, a technical forum in Hong Kong. It's male dominant. I joined the supply chain for arm is male dominant. If I take the case off Infinian uh, within, Oop, I think we have maybe two or three females out of 100 top leaders.

Speaker 1:

[inaudible] um,

Speaker 2:

but yeah, again, something I'm quite proud because my HR organization across all level, we are 50-50, and not only on the customer logistic management but also in manufacturing IT, we have quite a lot of female looking at software development. And in management it's about 30-70, so actually not too bad, Infineon as a target as well. So we have, uh, from uh, from the or direction as of how we want to push for gender diversity. So for Asia I've expanded a bit, not only gender diversity but also control level since in terms of gender, we are quite good. I think we can look at, u h, control, for my organization if we stay in gender. U m, u h, I did form a couple of years ago a female network, and th ey c a ll t h em s e lf W OW woman of willpower.

Speaker 1:

Great. Amen.

Speaker 2:

And the purpose was really multifold. So first for them to understand what is a key skills for a male leader? A key skills from a different skills from a female leaders, how to address those differences. So that was it. That's why they started with a bit or so they things their peers. Yeah. Boss. Yeah. I suppose in some cases to come up with a couple of item and to try to drive some, uh, training or sharing activity. Uh, the purpose is also to build resilience in a, in female leaders, give them a safe environment where they can make change debates on the challenge they are facing, um, as roses. Um, also gives them a chance to network with, uh, in phenol management. So whenever my colleagues, my peers from unique and joining up, uh, I make sure as you have a informal discussion to uh, bring up their queries, how, uh, hours they are seen in the organization. Also that creates a network and maybe get some future job opportunity. Uh, so it's, it requires quite a nurturing. So it requires, um, strong desire to make a change, not on the, uh, glossy paper commitment. Yeah. That diversity bring, um, uh, bringing innovation. But let's keep like it is today. If you don't genuinely believe in it, then nothing will happen. Um, but it, it shows that maybe female tends to be a bit less assertive. So I strongly believe the statement that a male will apply for position. If you feel 60% qualified a female and apply for the simple issue and if it feels whether and 20% or quantified, that's where the resilience and the encouragement comes about.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, no. Great, great, great example. Um, how do you see the role of HR as a business partner to you as a supply chain leader and how, where do you see HRF sitting in the whole scheme of things? Do you have an HR business?[inaudible]

Speaker 2:

so we do have a HR business partner. Um, I think it's important for this setup to be effective and efficient. That's a business matter. Understand clearly your challenges of today and of tomorrow, uh, as the needs of your organization. Uh, also coming up with some recommendation as of how to build resilience, um, how to look at your pyramid of, uh, roles and see whether there are some gaps. Uh, very important that they help in all the sourcing of candidate activities. Um, because we are all very busy with, uh, the task operation topic. Um, and it's important that whenever you have openings that come some shortlisting with some key argumentation, where is this candidate that's can only be possible if the business partner[inaudible] really is a business. Um, and of course as and when we need to transform, uh, easily because of digitalization or because some tasks are transfer and here and there, uh, we always need to have some sort of organization development, uh, and discussion. And that's where our business partner can also play a very important role of moderator, uh, of maybe sometimes acting as a neutral party or the, the person who will be challenges that the school, uh, since we are, we tend to be a bit conservative or being believing that what we do is the best. It's the best we can do. And so when you are the external views, as also helps to open your eyes.

Speaker 1:

Yeah. And a final, final question in this segment a, and you've touched upon it briefly, but if there's any other thoughts that you can add to the, how do you groom future supply chain leaders in[inaudible]?

Speaker 2:

Um, so I think we have a several track. Um, and I think your previous speaker from DHL E-commrce, any comments Scott mentioned about it, uh, the 70, 2010 principle. So it's not only unique to DHL and so we really look at, uh, experience and project exposure or job exposure at our level coaching and mentoring and then formal training. Um, we, if we look at our different populations. So for young talent,, we in fact start quite early. So, uh, I started a couple of years ago to offer scholarship, industrial scholarship, which gives us the advantage of following from a starting of the university up to graduation candidate. U h, the p resident comes to us for all internships while the four y ears horizon. U h, then through the internship we can rotate the person i n t wo different area o f supply c hains, so that w here t he person graduates, she or he as a well rounded view. And maybe a clear perspective as of area, he or she wants to go. We do offer a, what we call, uh, international graduate program, which is more mend for fresh graduates or people with two or three years experience and preferably with a master degree. Uh, and again, so principle is the same, uh, rotating around different function. But here for international graduate program, we also look at different sites, so expanding of its exposure. So a beta exposure in manufacturing, a bit exposure, so going to sites a bit exposure to headquarter. Um, so that person also can build a network because supply chain or supply network like we call it today. Really also rely on, uh, getting your job done through your network. So that's, um, that's definitely for the, maybe the most freshest than pro IEM. Uh, if we look at the most, uh, experienced talent, uh, this we go definitely most through project assignments as well as coaching, mentoring, um, formal training from time to time. But, um, I'm, I'm strong believer that you learn better by doings and just by being very passive in a classroom. Nevertheless, uh, four zoos wants to go a bit deeper, a bit in a mathematical model, be it in, um, uh, in process mapping a bit in score model because we[inaudible] manage our suspension according to score. Uh, we do have our own supply chain Academy, uh, which is a partnership with a university in Ireland where we offer two more to two sessions. So Liza bachelor module in the bachelor degree or master degree. And so our employee will engage too far the bachelor degrees, uh, two years program, uh, a lot of, uh, online evening class plus two, a resident module in, uh, in Ireland. Uh, the master is about one year, uh, some principal. Um,

Speaker 1:

my not, not very, I mean, not a lot of women. So that's interesting.

Speaker 2:

So this was a, we recognize, we do studies, supply chain trends. So every year we discuss about the trend. Talent was one which was identify a couple of years back and that's how we search. Okay. I think our own chip lecture in academia would help in building up our Thailand pipeline. Um, in Singapore I have a little bit branched out. Uh, so my dream was for the Irish university to find a partner in Singapore so that we could also[inaudible] content. Uh, it didn't work out. Um, but if some of our employee are interested to follow, uh, to pursue a master degree, uh, we will definitely support it. So I have one of my girls doing a master's should be like train master

Speaker 1:

at NTU. Currently you're most recognized that's from different, from academic to job related. Um, so I mean, again, it's, it's to be, and I mean, uh, this, this sheds for the light into perhaps wine and 5% of the people in your organization so that they are happy there because I think you do a actually a lot of things to help them keep developing, learning, empowering them and giving them a lot of exposure and that all as human beings. I think that typically people like that. So good job. We share, this is the end of part two. Stay tuned for part three where we dig deeper in personal habits and success stories.