Edwin Cheung is currently on his foreign assignment in Germany. It is the good image of the program in the upper management echelons in particular that he finds a big plus point. Read on to discover what else has convinced him.

SGPers are given an opportunity to rotate among three different job functions (8 months each). Such rotation is a great way to build up a diverse network within a short period of time. Furthermore, the SGP alumni network is very strong and united within Siemens. I was hoping that the SGP program would give me a platform to build up my network during my career development.

In addition to having an opportunity of being exposed to three different job functions in the program, we’re also required to have one abroad assignment. While the job rotations allow us to gain different competences, the abroad assignment is yet another opportunity to learn about different cultures. As a multi-national company like Siemens, such cultural competence is definitely a key component for successful international projects. Furthermore, the SGPers are also given high management attention, such as meeting with members of the Siemens management board in conferences.

During my assignments, I have been given challenging tasks just as other senior colleagues. Instead of classroom-like training, I have been working with real financial figures as well as our external clients. As challenging as they sound, these tasks have enabled me to learn and develop my competence and conceptual thinking skills quickly. With such experience, I’ve also learned how to demonstrate a suitable balance between cooperative teamwork and self-direction to make a valuable contribution to various projects.

During my first assignment, I was assigned as the commercial manager on site for a turnkey project, in which we provided a complete solution from construction to commissioning. Working in a project with US customers and Chinese suppliers was a great experience for me. As the US and China have very different business cultures, it was a challenge for me to serve as the system integrator in the project. Aligning the understanding of different norms and standards among the different entities gave me a better understanding of the different working cultures. With such experience, I am better prepared for working with different business cultures in the future.

I have been performing my foreign assignment in Germany, where we have our divisional headquarters and some of its engineering competence. Visiting our production facility in Braunschweig and attending the biannual well-known exhibition “Innotrans” were great experiences for me. I was given the opportunity to actually visualize how our products are made in the production plant. Then at the exhibition, I could compare our portfolio with other competitors in the industry. These experiences gave me the opportunity to understand the overall big picture and strategy of the business unit.

Prior to joining SGP, I was expecting to broaden my Siemens network and gain new competence throughout my SGP time. Although I have not completed my SGP assignments yet, the program has already fulfilled my expectations. During my previous assignment, I had gained insights into the commercial perspectives of our business and my foreign assignment has already broadened my existing network. At this moment, I do have confidence that the SGP program itself will exceed my prior expectations.

The resources provided by SGP demonstrate the company’s commitment in talent development. I’m sure when I look back upon my career path in the future, I'll be able to tell people that the SGP experience was an important milestone in my Siemens career.