Thantip Pereira is an experienced engineer, a job she says suits her personality of questioning everything and being a fact fanatic. After a 20-year career in R&D, Thantip is Operational Excellence Manager at our Rayong factory in Thailand. It’s a role where she can use her knowledge and experience to take Quality to the next level.
Tell us about what your job entails?
My role covers the areas of Quality, Engineering, Maintenance and Facility. In short, it’s my responsibility to ensure we provide high-quality products to customers, site compliance for certifications, manufacturing solutions that are safe and ergonomic for operators, as well as introducing innovative equipment that is well maintained as is the onsite building. Quality is the core of my work – around 50% of the job – and of course I cannot do all of the above completely alone, so I have the absolute best team working alongside me on this journey.
What route did you take in terms of studies andjobs to where you are today?
I have a degree in Electrical Engineering; I actually wanted to follow in my sister’s footsteps as she is an engineer too. It suits my personally; I question a lot and work logically with a fact-based mentally.
I started my career in 2004 as an R&D Engineer for Electrolux Group and moved to Electrolux Professional Group in 2013 as R&D Product Care Manager. I took up my current role in 2023 so it’s still relatively new. I have learnt a lot over the past year and have also been able to apply my experience from R&D within the Operational Excellence role.
What do you love about the role?
There’s always something new to learn, to work on and I know that I can make changes and improvements happen. I have new challenges almost every day, which means that I can make changes when needed. In Rayong, we are lucky to combine both laundry and beverage manufacturing in one entity which broadens my knowledge in many aspects.
I am surrounded by many expert colleagues so I can keep learning from their knowledge and professionalism and, although I work closely with other local managers, I aIso have the opportunity to network with colleagues globally.
And, on the other hand, what are the biggest challenge?
How to oversee the future with digital transformation, an opportunity that we can use to help us eliminate routine work, provide more precise data collection and save time. Big data analysis of quality information will help us to understand the problem and act faster.
We have to remain active in understanding innovative technology and equipment because automation and robotic technology is increasing and it’s about preparing the team to be ready for what’s to come.
What advice would you give to people wanting to work in a position like yours?
Listening is an important skill. We have so many customers, both internally and externally, so we must understand their expectations and be clear on our expectations towards them. It’s also necessary to speak up when things are not right, keep challenging and questioning the stakeholders, as I believe that is a way to improve and make us better. When we must make tough decisions, the compass is always about considering the benefits to our customers.
Why choose to work at Electrolux Professional Group?
The organization has a strong customer focus but equally important are the people and how things are done. We have a strong sustainability mission to consider our environmental impact and I am very proud of that. When it comes to people, the company is aware of diversity and inclusion. In Rayong, for example, the management team is split equally in terms of gender. Here, we not only drive for results but consider how we do things to enable us to achieve our goals.
Check out our global career site, if you aspire to pursue a career similar to Thantip´s.