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Joining Philips taught me that nothing is impossible

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Name: Weerawatch

Role: Strategic Business Development Manager, Health Systems
Location: Bangkok, Thailand

Realising Ideas and Taking Risks

At Philips, if you have an idea, you would undoubtedly get the opportunity to bring it to life! People here are very supportive. They rally around you and allow you to realise dreams together as a team, no matter how crazy your ideas may seem. Anything can happen and nothing is impossible. This is one of the things that make me feel proud to have chosen to be a part of Philips in 2014.

 

New Beginnings

Prior to joining Philips, I had been working in Pfizer for 10 years. Pfizer is one of the biggest healthcare companies in Thailand, and I knew for sure that I wanted to move up from there. Of course, that’s when I thought of Philips! I knew that with the knowledge and experience that I had at that point, Philips would be the place for me to make an impact on society and continually advance my skills at the same time. Ever since I made the change, I've gained regional exposure and learnt about a wide range of medical equipment. I even got the chance to work abroad alongside international colleagues from all corners of the globe!

 

When I started as a Project Manager as part of the Commercial Leadership Program, I was tasked with managing the project for Philips’ star product – our Image Guided Therapy (IGT) technology – and I got the opportunity to live and work in Singapore. The regional team’s challenge was positioning Philips as a leader in the market, especially since we already have the IGT technology, which enables minimally invasive therapy. It was the internal teamwork and the relationship with Philips external partners that really drove our success and made the project incredibly fun to work on. My experience in this role was memorable and fulfilling, especially thanks to the teammates I got to work alongside with.

 

When I first joined Philips, the processes and procedures were not all optimally streamlined, which did not correspond with the nature of the company. One word closely associated with Philips is 'Lean', and I got the chance to work towards this, and improve the efficiencies of our processes.

 

Creating a Strong Team and Breaking Barriers

In 2015, I moved back to Bangkok to start my current position as Strategic Business Development Manager. My role is to strengthen and grow Philips position in the health technology category in the Thai market. When it comes to initiating any kind of change, we must always start revamping internally. Hence, my first task was to get the right people on-board and to instil the Philips culture within the team here, before looking at achieving our goals.

 

In Thailand, the two businesses that make up Philips Thailand (Personal Health and Health Systems) tend to work independently due to the inherent nature of its business. It is my job to bring these two product categories together and this involves bringing the two teams together as well. Today, things are better than they were compared to when the teams were working separately – it is important that we combine our efforts and resources to bring our solutions to the public.

 

Improving the Quality of Life in Thailand
Phillips' ultimate vision and goal is to improve lives through our innovations, for both patients and commercial users. It made sense to me to cross the channels of personal and public healthcare, allowing our products to be used effectively on both ends. This is where communication with the public is vital, especially through digital means.

 

Consider the recent changes in Thailand’s laws and regulations, civilians are now allowed to use Automated External Defibrillator (AED) units, which present a perfect opening for us as the leading brand for cardiology products. Our approach to this is to adapt the same digital campaigns that we've been using for Philips' top products from other categories, such as our air fryer, to the marketing of our AED units as well. This is something that is very challenging for us, but we are looking forward to launching the campaigns next year. `

 

For me, my love for the healthcare sector comes from the fact that health technology not only presents a solution, but is preventative in nature too. Our healthcare products impact every aspect of people's lives and help improve their health. Our work is all about affecting the present, and shaping the future. To me, we are not just catering to patients, but also to everybody else, and that includes protecting my loved ones.

 

Planning for the Future
When it comes to choosing a path, think twice about what you want to do in the next five years. At my career crossroad, my long-term plans were what motivated me to join Philips. I knew this move would present me with never-ending opportunities to work not only for myself but for the benefit of others. Upon reflecting on my Philips experience, it’s truly fulfilling to know of the many positive and impactful projects that I have contributed towards. 

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