Name: Hugo Luik Position: General Manager Location: Philips, Vietnam
Rewarding Career where Opportunities Abound With a career spanning more than four countries across regions, Hugo Luik has earned his stripes and a wealth of experience through various roles and functions at Philips. The General Manager of Philips in Vietnam attributes success to a solid work ethic and attitude, and advises those potential talent considering a career with Philips to make “a conscious decision, because you're in it for the long-haul." And having been with the company for 13 years, starting out at Lighting to his current role in Healthcare, Hugo certainly walks the talk. New Places, New Adventures As a fresh graduate in The Netherlands, Hugo considered himself fortunate to be selected for an early career programme with such a reputable company as Philips. Barely three weeks into the job, Hugo's winning streak continued when he was offered a posting with Philips in Poland. "Philips is a company that cares about you, and offers you the opportunity to grow your skills and move either up the hierarchy or to different functions. "Would you believe that in my first three weeks at Philips Holland, I was asked if I wanted to take on a job in Poland? I said 'Wow', but did not feel I was ready, so decided not to move yet. Staying Humble, Pushing Oneself Forward After the Shanghai stint, Hugo moved to Singapore then Myanmar, where he was tasked with starting operations as the Country Manager. He recalls his team in Myanmar with the fondness of a proud father.
I left behind a highly motivated, capable team with leading market share. The Myanmar team has a level of pride - rightly so, considering all their achievements – but they are also humble and possess a hunger for more business; always trying to understand our customers’ needs. I am proud ofbuilding a performance-driven, customer-first culture and a team that cares about the business we are in and our customers.”
Next stop, Vietnam Hugo's next posting was to his current one, in Vietnam, and while the roles of his team are diverse, they are united in the common goal of success in the new market. "A vital attribute, which I see in the team in Vietnam, is the eagerness to push the envelope in terms of change, and do what is needed to be successful in this rapidly developing market. From engineers to marketers, we work together as one family towards a single goal.” Different experiences, Same Employer Change is inevitable, and instead of regarding this constant with hostility, Hugo embraces the shifts over the years that have transformed Philips' lighting business from analogue to digital, its focus from electronics to health and healthcare, and indeed Hugo's own career from the small production factory in The Netherlands to his current position.
The privilege of working for Philips is that it's continuously changing while anchored by a strong brand and legacy built over more than 125 years of the company’s existence. We saw it in the lighting business, going from analogue to digital, to Software and Solutions.
In Healthcare, we are transforming from a supplier of advanced medical and consumer products, to a provider of innovative Health Technology solutions and services to address healthcare challenges and improve the lives of people globally."
"I could not imagine 13 years ago - working in a small production factory back in The Netherlands that I would be here today. That's the beauty of working in a place that evolves over time and adapts to changes in the market. You remain challenged and get offered different experiences, all under the roof of the same employer." Challenging the Status Quo, Gaining New Perspectives While a young Hugo back in The Netherlands could not have imagined the heights his career would soar to, he muses that even in the early stages of his professional life, he was allowed to go against the grain by challenging himself and his colleagues. “I like to challenge the status quo and not accept something because of the past. For example, in my first job in procurement buying components for Philips Lighting, the norm was 3-4% of savings annually. I shocked the people there by asking why we could not do more, but guess what, we managed to achieve 20% year-over-year. That was the first highlight in my career, making us achieve something people thought was not possible.” “Another example was during my time in China. We assumed it was very hard to compete in this market with vastly different needs compared to Europe, where our HQ is based. By challenging our ‘western thinking’, changing the business model and developing the right proposition from listening to real local needs, our very strong brand came together with a locally relevant product. This was a huge success; again achieving something most people considered impossible.”
At Philips if you believe in what you do, show entrepreneurial spirit and don’t give up, along with all the knowledge and experience gained within the company, there are no boundaries to making the impossible, possible."
A Purpose in the Health Continuum Despite the successes in his career, Hugo’s journey with Philips is far from over, as he strives to connect all the dots along the Healthcare Continuum with Philips, a leader in Health Technology, on a very exciting journey driving innovation that matters and improving the lives of people, globally and in Vietnam. The Freedom to “Go for It” What can I say? Philips is a great company to work for. A leader in the industry, a company that takes care of its people, a company that gives you opportunities to grow. It's a good environment with great colleagues, and a healthy balance of work and play.
In an MNC such as Philips, things may sometimes get complex but when it comes to trying new things, anything is possible and you are encouraged to go for it. Since its inception, Philips has been a people-centric organisation. This is a social aspect the Philips brothers have lived up to. It's just in our DNA."
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