Climbing the corporate ladder as a woman is challenging, but Janesta Woon who joined Robert Bosch Sdn Bhd as a Sales Manager in 2007 and is today its Country Business Director, will tell you that sometimes being a woman has its advantages.
"Women are usually more attentive to customers' needs, are good listeners and able to control emotions so that we do not get into arguments with customers. And most of the time, even though customers are upset over some issues, they normally do not raise their voice when they speak to a female," Woon said.
She did find it difficult in the initial stage, especially in building trust and rapport in a male-oriented industry. For women climbing the corporate ladder, Woon said it would be tough if the supervisors do not believe in females leading the organisation, especially a married woman with children.
"Concerns about our ability to work long hours, to travel, to carry ourselves among the male leaders have always been there. However, I must say, Bosch has over the years supported women in management positions.
"Bosch continues to position itself against its competitors by bringing the great technologies that we have to the market, by creating the awareness, and transferring our knowledge as our tagline "Invented for Life" has to be benefitted by all.
"Many do not know and this is something that I am always very proud of being part of Bosch, that is, this company which was founded in 1886, has 92 per cent of its share being owned by Robert Bosch Stiftung, a charitable institution and not by a group of shareholders who would put the emphasis on profitability.
"Today, Bosch has a female Director in the Board of Management, usually dominated by males. Our office in Petaling Jaya have five departments helmed by females. Many times women have to work extra hours and find a balance between career and being a wife and mother, as well as being a daughter and sister.
"My family and my parents are my pillars. Having an understanding spouse is essential for any married woman to be successful in their career," she said, adding that her son and daughter are age 21 and 11 respectively.
"When I first joined the company, I was a Sales Manager in the closed-circuit television (CCTV) division, which evolved from analog to the Internet Protocol platform. Three years later, I was transferred to manage another division which was totally new to me," she added.
Even though the roles were similar as she was still holding the position of Sales Manager, she had to learn a new product portfolio. Another three years down the line, she was again given another role --- handling product marketing topics for the country.
"In my new role, I have the opportunity to expand my knowledge into marketing, product branding, positioning, promotion, events, among others. This is one of the role which I have enjoyed being in as it is very different from all of the previous roles in sales," she said, adding that she was appointed as Country General Manager in 2015.
"From the day I joined the company, that position have been held by males --- a total of four of them. Being the first female to get that position has been very fulfilling as it is an achievement in my career.
"There were countless sleepless nights over the last 15 years, but there were also many valuable lessons. It's not all a bed of roses, but every experience has made me a better leader today," she said.
Woon, who graduated in 1997, did not really like Computer Science but relatives told her that a graduate with a Computer Science degree would have more job opportunities. So Woon got herself into Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) in Kuala Lumpur before heading to UTM Johor Baru to get her Degree in Computer Science.
During her six-month internship at Hewlett Packard (Penang) Sdn Bhd, Woon was attached to the IT department where her key tasks was software development.
"I can only say it was not my cup of tea, doing coding from 9am to 5pm was difficult for me. Upon graduation I joined Mutiara Telecom as Engineer in the Fixed Line Switching Division. I realised that working with machine or software development is not for me as I love to work and interact with people. People are colourful. The topics are always different, the issues are always different and the different types of people that you have to deal with you also make it so much more interesting," she said.
Born in Johor Baru, Woon grew up in Woodlands, Singapore, but the family moved back to Batu Kurau in Perak when she was seven. She has an elder brother and a younger sister.
