Redefining Success for a successful career

Join us in the latest episode of ‘Rewrite The Rules‘ as we dive into an inspiring conversation with Fanny Huang, VP of Strategic Deals and Head of ESG APAC at DHL Supply Chain. In this interview, Fanny shares her career journey that defied expectations – from studying chemical engineering to becoming a driving force in supply chain innovation. Discover how she navigated challenges like finding her voice in an assertive environment and balancing a demanding career with family. She also shares her insights into networking, self-awareness, and crafting a unique leadership path, all from a remarkable woman reshaping the norms of success. Tune in now!

Discussion Topics: Redefining Success for a successful career

• Twists and turns in her career journey
• Working in a new culture
• Struggling to speak up amongst an assertive team of consultants 
• Rewriting what it means to speak up 
• Rewriting what it means to be networking 
• Rewriting the ways of finding balance 
• Rewriting the role of planning in one’s career
• The role of organisations in supporting women leaders 
• Taking a risk despite being happy in her comfort zone 
• Skills to focus on when you’re early career

Transcript: Redefining Success for a successful career

Ritu Mehrish: Thank you so much for agreeing to be part of this interview series and I’m really excited to welcome you here. And before I start off, I do want to briefly introduce you, Fanny Huang, vice President, Strategic Deals head of ESG APAC, DHL Supply Chain in the supply chain division of DHL.

Fanny’s role involves managing transformational business opportunities for Asia Pacific. And overseeing the sustainability agenda for the region. She’s also the D E I B sponsor for DHL Supply Chain APAC.

So I’m gonna ask you questions on how you started your career. What were some of the twists, some of the risks that you took, and what have been some of the biggest challenges? What are some of the insights? If you were to look back, what would your advice be to your younger self?

Fanny Huang: Sounds good.

Twists and turns in her career journey

Ritu Mehrish: Great. So let’s start with when you started your career, Did you think you would end up where you are now? Did you really plan it that way?

Fanny Huang: No, not at all too. Given that I studied chemical engineering with my bachelor’s and master’s degree, and started my career with a government agency in Singapore, I never imagined I’d be doing what I do today. So clearly life has had its sort of surprises.

Ritu Mehrish: Wow. So chemical engineer, how did you land where you are right now? So walk us through the journey of it.

Fanny Huang: So I studied engineering cuz I wanted a technical degree. I like maths, I like chemistry. I put ’em together and say, okay, let’s just do chemical engineering. Probably a youth useful degree to have. But I was given a scholarship, so I went back to the government for a couple of years.

I guess the surprising twist in terms of the speaker probably happened at two points in my life. In 2014 I decided to relocate to London to join my then-fiance and her husband. And so therefore I had to change.

My job right from changing geography first from Singapore to London, and then at the same time changing sort of my career path from the public sector to the private sector at the same time. The second twist or turn probably happened in 2017 when I then decided, or we then decided to move back to Singapore. For personal family reasons, and then again, I switched and I ended up joining DHL where I am right now.

Working in a new culture

Ritu Mehrish: Wow. Okay. So I’m gonna ask you two follow-up questions on that. 2014 firstly the geographical shift right from Singapore to London and working there. Was that your first overseas assignment in terms of working?

Fanny Huang: No, I was actually based in London before that for about three years with the Singapore Government Agency. And that was where I met my husband at the time. So it wasn’t, but the working environment context was different. Being working for a London branch, so to speak, of a Singapore organisation versus then going back the second time and ingraining myself in a very British, but also very European or international working culture and an organisation in London. So that was quite different really from an experience

Ritu Mehrish: What were two or three things that came to your mind that were different between the two?

Struggling to speak up amongst an assertive team of consultants 

Fanny Huang: The first note of the difference probably. I’m not by any means, so to speak, a quiet person, but I think being an Asian in a very international working culture overseas, I quite quickly realised that it was hard to speak up. It was really hard to speak up.

And this was in my younger days everywhere, and this was a management consulting room, so everyone had something to say and it was really difficult to find my voice to speak in a crowd where everyone was dying to say something. So I think that was one where I really had to force myself and get out of my comfort zone to say something.

Because as a management consultant, if you don’t get to say something, you’re very quickly out of a job learning. That was probably one, one big. Shift for me.

The second difference was, that my first time in London, it was still very Asia-centric. So to speak, the nature of the job where I was looking at foreign direct investment into Singapore. So I took a more Singapore Asia-centric view of the world. But the second time when I went back to London, I was obviously rooting myself in a UK organisation working on European supply chain jobs, so projects and therefore a very different perspective from a business. Environment as well as the sort of topics and discussion. So there are probably the two main differences.

Rewriting what it means to speak up 

Ritu Mehrish: Okay. Which kind of leads me to my next question, especially the part about finding it hard to speak up, finding your voice. How did you navigate that? Because that is one of the challenges that we see. Quite prevalent even today in the Asian context, especially women leaders, since the interview is focused on women leaders. How did you navigate that?

Fanny Huang: So I think it starts with self-awareness. So I knew that my personality trait is what we call cool blue. So I’m analytical by nature, so I often listen to what the others have to say, and then somewhere in the middle or even towards the end, I come in either to express a different view or I try to frame the different points of view and to guide the session along so it doesn’t.

You have to find your space where it’s not necessarily coming up with a new idea, a sexy idea, per se, that no one else has thought of. Some people are good at that, but my strength is in framing ideas and framing thoughts. So that’s where I tie myself. That’s where I listen. Active listening works, to gather that, and then you find that opportunity to then speak up. So I think that’s just some tips and tricks in terms of self-awareness and how to navigate.

Ritu Mehrish: I love that because you said self-awareness and also really finding what’s your strength. So you don’t need to become that vocal person right from tomorrow, but at least you know what your strengths are. In your case, you said you could synthesise the conversation and analyse it and maybe come in between. That’s a great tool for building self-awareness. So thank you for sharing that.

Rewriting what it means to be networking 

Ritu Mehrish: As you look back at your career, what have been the top two or three challenges? Because we’ve all faced challenges in our long careers. What have been your top two, or three challenges?

Fanny Huang: One of the challenges and remains the case is networking. I’m not a natural networker. Some people and what I mean is, I’m friendly, I like to chat with people, but I’m not very intentional and deliberate in the way of forming connections, and professional relationships, with that mutual interest in mind. Because you hear that a lot, oh, women, you need to network with women or men in your professional network.

But when you are not naturally comfortable with it you could overdo it. You come across as not authentic and any shows. It shows. So I think for me, what I focus on then is just Like I said, focus on people, not the opportunity. So I’m just generally interested in people. I focus on people, active lessons, language I talk about and just keeping a tighter group of people that I’m more comfortable with. And that’s okay. And it’s not about casting the net very wide. So I found a place where I’m comfortable. And I think that’s where I work.

Ritu Mehrish: But do you think, looking at your career, you think networking is. That important? Or do we give it too much importance? What’s your view on that?

Fanny Huang: For me personally, I may be a little bit controversial. I don’t think that networking has been that important from a personal self-driven perspective.

I think what did balance it off is, Recognizing that the networking, so networking, is self-initiated, building connections. But the balance to that is I’ve also come to appreciate, what I’m grateful for over the years, right?

For ex-bosses, bosses today, stakeholders, et cetera, there are people out there who want us to succeed, who want, who want me to be successful. Who’s willing to invest in me? And sometimes they are the ones who initiate and create. That network, if that makes sense.

So when I wanted a mentor, I asked for it and they said, okay, how about this person or that person? They said, Fanny, you should get to know me and so there’s some of these nudges and prodding that has come about that I’m grateful for. That I think has helped a lot without me having to do too much personally from an intentional networking perspective. Not everyone is fortunate to have that, but I do appreciate that I’ve had those opportunities and I’m grateful for that.

Ritu Mehrish: No, I think you make a really good point because networking and connections, as for me, I think networking is the broader term, but building connections is really the sense of it. And as you said, maybe you built connections with these people, with your ex-bosses, your current bosses, stakeholders.

They, in turn, nudged you to maybe, or they in turn opened their network. And that actually is a good way. But very often we don’t. Think of that when we think of a network, we just think of going to these big conferences. 

Fanny Huang: Exactly.

Ritu Mehrish: Really good point

Rewriting the ways of finding balance 

Fanny Huang: The second challenge is finding balance. So in recent years, I found my group. I’m very comfortable, but that was not the case a couple of years ago.

So one of the reasons why I went to London and then came back to Singapore three years later was precisely because I couldn’t find a balance. So at the time, I was doing a management consulting role. I had one, one young child born in London and I was really struggling as an employee and as a mother because at the nature of the job, man, I, four days a week I would be, living outta a suitcase somewhere in Europe on a client project.

I had a young child, no family support, no childminding, and a strong childminding network. And then I was really stuck and I was unhappy at home and I started at work. So that was a real challenge for me. And the solution was a big move, but an easy one. I just changed my job. I had one of those Christmas New Year resolutions, difficult conversations with my husband.

He said to find something that will make you happy, whether in London or in Singapore. In February 2017, two months later, I got a job offer from DHL, a bit of surrendering there, and then might mainly relocate. So all in nine months, I just, Shifted and then I found the balances right? So I think do something about it, that, that, that’s always one solution to, to get around it.

Ritu Mehrish: Now on a lighter side, I’m also finding the routes right? Spouse, the fact that your husband was willing to relocate with you, right?

Fanny Huang: What Sheryl Sandberg says, was it one of the biggest decisions you made in your career? What is it about who you marry? I, and I’m paraphrasing that, but, That wasn’t part of my decision-making when I married years ago. But all in hindsight, it really made a lot of difference. He’s been an extremely supportive partner, and that made a big difference for sure.

Ritu Mehrish: Finding a great, supporting spouse is key. But apart from that, what are some of the things that as women leaders, we can do more or better off in terms of creating a little bit of that system around us?

Fanny Huang: I think finding a routine definitely helps. I think we, we all know this, being as women have to be a little bit militaristic. I think that’s inevitable. I think secondly, setting some boundaries comes to work.

How much I can travel and when I don’t travel, be more present to focus on some of the other things I need to take care of. It’s just little things like that.

And I think when that balance is not in place, have that confidence also to speak up. I think we all like to compartmentalise, work and personal, but the reality is that the line fuzz us. I know. Maybe again, take a sort of Asian work ethic and mindset, right?

Sort of our long hours. I’ve got to give and work very hard for the job. It’s about. But I think that mindset philosophy has changed in Singapore in a lot of ways and not in all depends on obviously the employee you work for, organisational culture, et cetera. But I am fortunate that I think in DHL we talk a lot about a culture of

Results and respect. There are results, yes, of course, as an organisation or as a business, but the respect for boundaries, family first, and all this. So finding the right organisation that partners you to do that and achieve that and listening. I think that helps. Yeah.

Ritu Mehrish: Yeah, I think you’ve really made, again, a great point about finding the right organisation and also speaking up. Sometimes I guess we don’t give or we give less credit to our managers our peers or whoever we are working with. In terms of that, they won’t understand what we are going through, but if we share, there are chances they might, they’ll support us.

Fanny Huang: And it’s one of those reflections for myself as I progress. I never thought too much about it but we are all in a way role models for the others around us.

And unless we seek to find a balance and role model that it’s gonna be very hard for others to follow. to find their voice, especially younger ones in the journey. So I think that’s just one of those reminders to ourselves.

Ritu Mehrish: Yes, exactly. Because you’re right, because a lot of younger women, sometimes I speak with them and they’re like, oh yeah, I do want to do this, but then I have to make a choice. Then maybe I delay doing this, delay doing that on the personal front. But if they find enough role models, successful women leaders are successful on their own terms. so that they think it’s not necessarily one or the other. It can be, and this and that, right?

Fanny Huang: Exactly, a bit of the analogy I like to use. I do enjoy driving. It’s stepping on the accelerator, right? There will be seasons in life where you step a little bit harder and you like to, speed and raise a bit, and then at times when you let go too,

So I think what’s most important is that when you are in control when you need to step, and when you release, then that’s all right. The balance is there. It’s when you feel you can’t, obviously also, but, there’s nothing wrong with going faster and slower at different times and seasons in your life.

Rewriting the role of planning in one’s career

Fanny Huang: Has there been a time where you thought you were gonna get support from this quarter and you did not get it, or where you thought you might not get support here but you ended up getting really good support?

Ritu Mehrish: Could be organised outside anything, but were there any surprises like that?

Fanny Huang: I think the many women leaders you speak to where they would tell you that they have very deliberately maybe navigated their career. And so I was the complete opposite. I’m driven to do well in whatever I do, but I’ve never been particularly ambitious or very clear in terms of how to navigate my career.

I’ve always been a blank slate. So if I may, the biggest surprise to me always has been that I’ve moved because of life decisions and people who offered me the roles in what I do, the move, the moves I’ve done. They have trusted me more than I really know what I wanted if that sort of makes sense.

So when I joined a management consultancy, I wasn’t a management consultant before, but something they saw in me, I. Felt that I could do that role. So I went over and then when I joined DHL, where I am right now, I was in a log logistician where I was offered a role and I joined. That’s been a lot of yeah.

So is Serenity my career. And it’s okay. And I sort of wanna say for some of you there’s, I’m figuring it out and it’s okay. And surprises have happened and I think people have seen in me and given me the opportunities, and I’ve just made sure that I reciprocated that. And I’ve done well in what I do. I try my best to do what I do and that makes it work.

Ritu Mehrish: You’re saying it’s all about people. Seeing that potential in you and, and giving you those opportunities.

The role of organisations in supporting women leaders 

Ritu Mehrish: What would you say is the role of an organisation in supporting its women leaders? What, or maybe is there more of a role they can play or to what extent do they play a role in helping women leaders flourish and succeed?

Fanny Huang: So I like this because. I think you previously introduced me as the diversity equity inclusion belonging sponsor for the supply chain division in APAC as well as, in DHL. So I think what I need to set Asim first is that it does take time to change it. It is an evolution. I think we need to recognize that.

The awareness and the discussion are quite critical from a culture change perspective. When there are more males than females, unconscious bias naturally happens. And I think just raising an unconscious bias is important. So for us, all the leaders have to go through unconscious bias training as a start, right?

And that helps. So you can go, ah, there’s unconscious bias and there everyone gets it. The language people, when you call it out, they recognize, oh, that’s true. I didn’t think of it that way. So some of these things will start to progress.

Secondly in my many conversations with men, and women, I do recognize that the imposter syndrome is very real.

It’s scientific, right? A basis behind it, is the lack of confidence. So I think there needs to be an even more deliberate attempt. Or efforts from an organisation to support women recognizing that they are wired differently from men. It is not tokenism, but it’s just recognizing the different environment.

So whether is it mentorship programs, whatever works, right? Whether it is coaching programs, whether it is senior leadership, or stakeholder buy-in. There are various levers and two ends. It’s all out there, there’s no silver bullet, but a couple of little smaller things, so to speak, or pieces together that can help create a culture change for female leaders to rise through the ranks.

Taking a risk despite being happy in her comfort zone 

Ritu Mehrish: Okay Fanny, as you look at your career, what were some of the key risks that you took?

Fanny Huang: It was really about being willing to change geography, and change jobs. I’m someone who is happy to stay in my comfort zone. There really was never a real reason for me to leave the organisations that I was in previously.

But taking that risk to step out and change a company to change a role. It’s always a big risk because you are new to everything, right? And you don’t really know if you do well. So I think that, for me personally, it hasn’t been easy and it was a risk, but I’m thankful each time I did because I think colleagues have been welcoming. Organisational culture has been greater. I’ve enjoyed and gotten to where I did because of the risk of moving.

Ritu Mehrish: There you go. Yes, because I think it’s an important lesson for, again, for women leaders, actually all leaders, but sometimes taking risks, calculated risks that you’ve thought through. They pay off in the long run, and in the short run. You may not see them as that, but they do. I guess in your case, they did pay off quite well to land you where you are, so it worked.

Fanny Huang: Yep. It did. All in hindsight, sometimes but like you, But yeah, they all worked out very well.

Skills to focus on when you’re early career

Ritu Mehrish: If you were to look back, what advice would you have to your younger self? Something that’s actionable and at, something that’s tactical, actionable. What is one piece of advice you could give your younger self?

Fanny Huang: I still feel very young. I’m joking but I feel young. No. Joking,

Ritu Mehrish: No, it’s fine.

Fanny Huang: I’m just joking. Younger self. I think for sure to be kinder to yourself. I think a lot of us felt that way when I was younger. There’s always a feeling and need to do more, a lot more expectations I could have done better. And I don’t think it’s a female-male thing, it’s just,

Ritu Mehrish: Yeah.

Fanny Huang: When you’re younger, that’s that feeling.

And so looking back, then you go on, maybe you should have been kinder to yourself. The second thing is, that some of the roles I did, the softer skills that I picked up in my younger days, I think were extremely useful.

Parker aside from the technical skills and the competencies, right in each of the jobs, but things like communication skills, framing your ideas, active listening, I’ve said this many times now. All of these soft skills I think have good presentation skills, for example. 

All these soft skills have really put me in a good state across the various years because I guess that’s part of building the executive presence and engaging senior stakeholders and all those starting from a young age, I think just helps you to grow that along and that will help you quite a bit in your journey. These are just all useful life skills to have.

Ritu Mehrish: And you call them life skills and I know a lot of people used to, or still call them soft skills, and I actually like to call them power skills because if you start them all off early they become part of you as you said. They come as handy as you keep continuing as you continue to grow in your career and add to your executive presence. So well said. And I think that is what I can say to our emerging women leaders is that don’t look at any of these skills as, oh, they’re just nice to have a soft skill. They actually have power skills that’ll take you along.

Great. So it has been really great speaking to you. Fanny, thank you again for your time. I took away a lot and some of the things that stood out for me. One of them was to stay in control. There will be seasons where you’ll press the accelerator, you’ll press the gas, but sometimes you might have to let go of it.

So select where you know, which season you’re going fast, which season you’re going slow, but stay in control. I think that’s so powerful because it’s when we feel we are not in control when we feel powerless, and that’s when it starts to show in everything we do. So that was one of the key takeaways.

My second key takeaway was, That, organisations have a big role to play. There is no silver bullet and things are changing, but it’s gonna take time. Consistent efforts from an organisation perspective and patience are required, from the women leader side to see the change because it’s gonna take time.

We have a lot of work to do. And my favourite was networking, because, what you said, really resonated with me that networking is not about just going out and meeting lots of people. It’s about finding that small group of people who in turn can help you help open the doors for you

So it’s not about the quantity. It’s about the quality of people. So those were the three key takeaways for me from this conversation. Again, there’s so much to learn and it’s always a pleasure to talk to you. Fanny, thank you so much for your time again.

Fanny Huang: Thank you. Thank you for inviting me here.

Our Guests: Fanny Huang

Fanny Huang holds the position of Vice President of Strategic Deals and Head of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) for the Asia Pacific region at DHL Supply Chain. Her responsibilities encompass orchestrating impactful business transformations across the region and spearheading sustainability initiatives. Additionally, Fanny plays a pivotal role as the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) sponsor for DHL Supply Chain APAC.