PEOPLE

How has Thai Union supported your development?

I work in the Engineering Department in one of our factories in Samut Sakhon (approximately 50km from Bangkok). The company has helped open up new opportunities for me to learn new skills outside of my day to day work. If one is open-minded, one can increase their skills immensely within Thai Union.

What are some areas that you want to develop in, and how would that make a difference for you? (this can be related to both your work and outside of work)

I want to develop my leadership skills in order to help my team to work more efficiently. This will help align the team towards the same goals, as I believe that having them would increase motivation and team spirit. In addition, it will drive through momentum for one to develop their own individual skills.

What do you want to achieve in the next year in Thai Union? How will you make that happen?

As my manager provides me continuous opportunities to grow, I want to continue to expand my role and take on different tasks that are available for me. This can be made possible through my manager coaching me to improve my ways of working, and through me being open to take on new opportunities when they arise.

What do you like most about working for Thai Union?

I have been working in Thai Union for 3 years and I like that the culture promotes continuous learning and employee empowerment. My background is in operations, therefore I am glad to that I can apply my skillset in “Six Sigma” and “Lean” to make an impact in helping improve operations efficiency across our Thai Union factories. In addition, I have met and learnt from many professionals within the company, who are energized and eager to succeed. All of these factors mentioned makes for a motivating and exciting working environment.

How do you feel the company is taking care of you?

Thai Union provides a great platform to further my career, which is an important contributor to my growth. Since I started with the company, I had the opportunity to work with many colleagues across multiple countries, enabling me to learn various technical skills, as well as apply leadership skills. In addition, I am able to develop myself through training and development programs available through our online learning system. During the past 2 years whilst we navigate the Covid-19 pandemic, having such online tools available has helped reinforce that learning and development continues in Thai Union, no matter what happens externally.

Outside of learning, I feel empowered to lead and take charge of my career direction as my results will dictate my growth trajectory.

Thai Union fosters an environment where everybody can contribute ideas. Please give an example of situation where an idea of yours made a direct impact. How did that make you feel?

Our company is strongly committed to sustainability, with one key focus area being carbon emission reduction. Ever since I joined this initiative as a project member, I shared many ideas in regards to how alternative energy can reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our factories. Though still early days, our feasibility studies indicates that we are on the right track, especially since the initiative is supported by many professionals with the backing of our senior management.

I am proud to contribute to the company’s key strategy, and helping to create a sustainable environment for generations to come.

What do you like most about working for Thai Union?

There are many though ultimately I like the remarkable culture at Thai Union, which creates a very pleasant working environment. The company takes pride in their values by championing attitudes such as passion, respect and humbleness as well as encouraging a responsible, collaborative, and innovative approach to our work, which in turn really brings out the best in people. Thai Union’s commitment to these values has embedded such a positive culture across the group, it’s for sure motivating to get up of a morning and go to work!

How do you feel the company is taking care of you?

The company is extremely invested in my development and my future. Once I became a Thai Union employee, I felt like a valued member of the organization, and this is evident by the commitment to my growth. I have opportunities to move around within business units in the group to leverage my strengths but also to challenge and help me develop on a personal and professional level. These sorts of opportunities, together with the support and encouragement provided to help us learn new skills and undertake new experiences assures me that Thai Union take care of their staff.

Please give an example of situation where an idea of yours made a direct impact. How did that make you feel?

Since joining Thai Union, I have been involved with and led many projects. All of which I feel I’ve made a positive contribution to. For example, I have been directly involved in the successful implementation of recipe development, and provided suggestions on how to optimize this for some of the products in our portfolio. Once approved by senior stakeholders in the business, this provided a tremendous level of confidence to me as I’d achieved something incredibly tangible, and something which can be shared and enjoyed with those at the heart of everything we do: our customers.

How has Thai Union supported your development?

Thai Union has given me a chance to learn, whilst providing an environment to apply those learnings and to think outside the box. I feel that my voice is heard and our ways of working has been improved due to these reasons. Since my work involves colleagues in other departments, the culture of continuously learning and application increases cross-functional collaboration, helping us create and implement joint goals.

What are some areas that you want to develop in, and how would that make a difference for you? (this can be related to both your work and outside of work)

I want to further develop myself in the areas of people management. This will help me better manage the workload of our teams, bringing in more flexibility whilst improving engagement. As a result, I believe these new skills will help improve productivity whilst ensuring that our teams are continuously aligned to our department and overall company goals.

As I have increased my responsibilities to manage an additional production line, I hope these skills will also help me better understand my team and their preferences. With this understanding, I can cater my leadership style to better manage my team as individuals.

What do you want to achieve in the next year in Thai Union? How will you make that happen?

In addition to becoming a better people manager, I also want to increase my product knowledge. To do this, I need to increase my understanding of the end-to-end production process, so that I understand how one part links to another. Doing so will cover every process, from analyzing product specifications, to procurement, manufacturing, quality analysis, and more. On the job training will play a key role in helping me gain this knowledge.

How has Thai Union supported your development?

Working in Thai Union is an enriching experience as I am in an environment where I can continually learn and sharpen my skills. Sincere productive comments are always available from my colleagues and management team, for which I’m very grateful as they help me to improve my ways of working.

Apart from working on meaningful projects, having opportunities to participate in different training programs (such as Agile, Young Talents, Moonshot) provides me the opportunity to continually push the envelope in doing better.

What are some areas that you want to develop in, and how would that make a difference for you? (this can be related to both your work and outside of work).

I want to further develop my leadership skills, innovative skills, and strategic thinking. We have recently established “i-Tail”, the official pet care business of the group which utilizes innovation to enhance the nutritional aspect of pet products. To help drive this business forward in a constantly changing environment, we need to do things differently. Therefore the skills I mentioned are very important, as well as the ability to interact with other companies so we can learn from each other and grow the food eco-system in a sustainable way. I had this opportunity during our Moonshot program and look forward to participating in more of them.

What do you want to achieve in the next year in Thai Union? How will you make that happen?

As part of the Business Development Innovation team in i-Tail, I want to ensure that our team fosters an environment high in psychological safety and accountability. This environment along with our company’s 6 values, will help elevate both team and individual success, leading to overall company success. In addition, I also want to play my part in helping to further build i-Tail through expanding to new channels and categories.

What do you like most about working for Thai Union?

There are two things that stand out for me:

Collaboration: In my group strategy role, I typically work on projects across multiple functions and regions. The working culture here enables strong collaboration and cooperation between the teams, which helps me achieve my project objectives.

Innovation and openness to ideas: Our company’s 2025 strategy is built on innovation, which is reflected in the way of working within the organization. There is high encouragement for new ideas for one’s own line of business, or even otherwise, and the leadership is not hesitant to listen to, and further evaluate those ideas.

How do you feel the company is taking care of you?

As an expat who had moved from India to Thailand, I have been welcomed by the Thai Union family wholeheartedly, and I am glad to have made that decision 2 years ago. Professionally, I feel the company provides me the right platform and opportunities to perform my strategy role, and that platform supports me to achieve my goals.

Please give an example where an idea of yours made a direct impact. How did that make you feel?

For one of the business units, a key priority for 2021 was bottom line improvement. For this particular context, I suggested a complexity reduction project focusing on 2 levers: reduction in non-performing products, and a stronger focus on data-driven inventory management. This initiative was recently implemented, leading to a reduction of stock keeping units, lowering of operating expenses and inventory costs, whilst driving through bottom line improvement.

Although the implementation of the idea led to savings for the business, it is quite fulfilling on a personal level too. I oversaw the full process from ideation till implementation, and now, realization of results. It is heartening to see more and more of our functions being interested in the learnings from this initiative.

What do you like most about working for Thai Union?

Working for Thai Union provides me with a good opportunity to grow. Our company has the clear ambition of where we need to be in the future, and that drives all of us in the same direction. In addition, I feel that the company supports us not only when it comes to our work, but also on our self-development. That is an important element which helps me realize the value of me working here, as I feel that my personal growth is important.

How do you feel the company is taking care of you?

Thai Union considers employee wellbeing as the top priority of the company. I have seen this to be true in many instances, including how the company has taken care of us during the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, the company has provided opportunities for us to develop ourselves through training and other development initiatives.

Please give an example of situation where an idea of yours made a direct impact. How did that make you feel?

I do not have one specific example but there are definitely instances where I feel that my ideas are valued. In our Global Food Service Initiative Department (GFI), we listen to each other’s idea and inputs so we can do better as a team. If any idea given sounds implementable, we will take it one step further towards implementation. If an idea needs more development, we help each other build upon the idea so it can be something that is acted upon. This idea generation process is not only from the top down, we all contribute and our managers ensure that our voices are heard.

What do you like most about working for Thai Union?

Thai Union offers a lot of diversity in terms of people, nature of work, and products in our company. Due to this open environment, it challenges me to explore ideas to drive the business and explore new opportunities, whilst thinking outside the box to respond to our customer requirements. I also have opportunities to interact with colleagues from different countries. This gives me the ability to learn about different business environments and cultures, and how I can work effectively with people across various backgrounds.

How do you feel the company is taking care of you?

I feel that Thai Union cares about its employees, not only by offering us opportunities to grow and develop ourselves but also by considering our individual circumstances while we work here. The environment here is open and there are channels to share our feelings with the line manager or HR team, who listens deeply and provides valuable support.

Please give an example of situation where an idea of yours made a direct impact. How did that make you feel?

The Global Food Service Initiative Department (GFI) is responsible for our food service business across multiple countries. When we started GFI, one of our first major customers was interested in purchasing new products that our company had never made before. I was not part of GFI at the time but decided to voluntarily work on the project. Due to my knowledge of the product and the knowledge gained from my MBA degree (Finance), I provided the investment analysis, sourced the facility to produce the product, and also negotiated with the factories in our company to make this project happen. As a result, the project was implemented and became a huge success for GFI. I felt satisfied and proud of myself for playing such a big role in the project, and also for building up a foundation for this customer to explore further business partnerships with our company.

Can you give an example of an initiative you worked on where you made a real difference?

The Investor Relations (IR) function is responsible for communicating strategy and financial information about the company, as well as delivering positive messages to the investment community. In September 2021, IR, together with Thai Union's top executives, hosted a virtual knowledge-sharing session for investors on "Thai Union and the Rising Star - PetCare", to discuss our global PetCare business and operations, supply chain, and the road to the initial public offering for i-Tail Corporation (one of our businesses preparing to be publicly listed). We also highlighted our expertise as a leading private manufacturer for PetCare products to renowned, global brands, driven by innovation and sustainability. The event was very well-received by over 200 investors and our executive management team. As a result, investors became more confident in our PetCare business and gained a better understanding of the company. I was glad to be a part of that.

How has your manager supported you to make an impact in your work?

My manager is supportive and encourages the team to never stop learning. She is open to new ideas and new ways of doing things, gives guidance and coaching when needed, and encourages collaboration within the team as well as with other departments. This supports the way we work, because we are a small team and our function requires working with multiple departments. With her supervision, I believe the IR team can continue to build confidence of our shareholders and investors in Thai Union, as well as maintain a good relationship with our stakeholders.

What do you want to achieve in the next year in Thai Union? How will you make that happen?

Next year, I want to be more involved in the strategy of the company, as well as building a closer relationship with both foreign and local investors. I plan to achieve this by continuing to develop my public speaking skills in investor meetings, by enhancing my financial management skills, as well as through participating in ongoing IR-related learning. With less travel restrictions, I believe we will have opportunities to have more face-to-face meetings with investors, which is key to building trust and relationships. Overall, our goal is to rebuild and maintain investor confidence in Thai Union through consistent, transparent communication, strategic investor engagement, and supporting various initiatives towards our "Healthy Living, Healthy Oceans" corporate strategy. These initiatives include "Blue Finance" that link financing to projects that benefit the oceans, new value-enhancing businesses, as well as others to unlock the hidden value of our high-potential businesses.

How has Thai Union supported your development?

The company has given me opportunities to jump outside of my comfort zone and do something different to what I had previously done before. When I first started, my role was focused on helping our expatriate colleagues with visa related issues. After 6 months in that role, I moved into our group talent division where my main focus areas was in training and development (which was completely new to me). After a few months, I was asked to do my first ever training by myself for a group of 70 people! This was a big challenge but I was given a lot of support and trust, and fortunately it ended up going well. Currently I am working on key projects for our group HR and Corporate Office functions, and these are also new compared to what I was doing before.

So to summarize, I am very grateful of the support I have received with my development here. The company continuously provides me with practical opportunities to grow and develop, and my managers are on hand to give me feedback on how to improve. It’s been an amazing journey so far.

What are some areas that you want to develop in, and how would that make a difference for you?

I would like to continually build up my relationships with key partners outside of the company, so we can continue to show how our products can benefit our communities. I am social person by nature and love talking to people, so these relationships can help me create bigger networks and make more friends!

What do you want to achieve in the next year in Thai Union? How will you make that happen?

I want to continue to work on my current initiatives and do very well in them. To do so, I will need to focus on the areas where I can make the most impact and continually get feedback from my managers and other stakeholders. In addition, I would like to work closer with our executive team so they can get to know me more. At the moment, I am unsure how I can do that. But I will always ensure that I am available and would welcome any chance I get to interact with them.

Can you give an example of an initiative you worked on where you made a real difference?

As my function focuses on OEM (private label), I normally deal with brand owners and distributors rather than liasing directly with the end consumer. One of my customers is a renowned brand of canned tuna in Africa, and whom wanted to expand their business into other countries. Due to my technical knowledge and regional understanding, I represented them in presenting their brand to their clients and distributors. We were able to secure the deal, with distributors in USA, UK, and France accepting to distribute their brand in their local markets. So that to me was an example of an initiative that had a big impact as it helped my customer launch their products outside of their home country.

How has your manager supported you to make an impact in your work?

My manager is very supportive and encourages us to come up with new ideas or new ways of working. And this directly impacts the way I approach my work. He instills a “do not give up” attitude and provides us advice and coaching where needed. To give a tangible example, we are currently developing a new product for launch in the Middle East market, which is quite challenging as it is a mature market with many established brands. Despite these challenges, we will keep trying to find ways to be agile and offer solutions that our customers would find valuable. We will continue to learn and continue to adapt as that is the way we can make inroads.

What do you want to achieve in the next year in TU? How will you make that happen?

In the coming year, I would like to lead my team to break our current sales volume record whilst having a positive impact to the company’s P&L. For me to make this happen, I foresee that the lessening of travel restrictions would provide a good opportunity to see customers face to face. For my region of responsibility, these type of interactions are very important. Overall our strategy would be to maintain our current customer volume, increase sales from new customers, whilst introducing new products into the market. It is a challenge, but I look forward to it.