Interview with Duangkhae Vetchasart

1st PART: Woman’s history comprehension/understanding

• Can you present yourself in a few words and explain us what is your job/responsibilities?

I'm a product manager, I do product development. For this I do market surveys, I go to jobsites to see what are the needs in the market. And then the R&D team and the commercial team work together, to launch the right product at the right time.

I often go to jobsites, if we have a project I would go 2 or 3 times a month, when we don't we don't go more than 1 time a month.

• How did you come to engineering and sciences ?

In Thailand, studying engineering has a good reputation. When I was little, I thought to go to doctor studies. I had an uncle who was an engineer, and I saw his work, and I liked it. My parents were very supportive when I choose industrial engineering. Mechanical, civil, girls don't know what it is, they more know about industrial, chemical... If I had knew, I would have choosen

civil engineering!

• Did you have to face any difficulty as a woman in your studies/in your job? Or do you think being a woman facilitated it ?

In my year we were 600 students, and 10% among them. But I get along with guys, it was not difficult for me. And to find job it was not difficult either. After graduated I was working in industrial field, in Isuzu motors, and then I realized I don't really like to be in a factory, and then I changed to do sales in an other company. Working in a factory is very narrow. It doesn't give you the broad view of the work. You don't know what it is going outside.

Then I quit my job for a master of "engineering management". After that my ex boss called me to work as a chemical and mechanical application engineer. Then I quit my job and I worked in electrical field as a product manager

• How do you conciliate professional and personal life?

It's not difficult. I'm single, but even I had children, I wouldn't imagine to stop working. In Thailand it's not like this, you don't have the choice, you work!

• Could you tell us professional realizations you are proud of?

3 years ago I launched 3 products, and one of them, an adhesive, was making a lot of money.

• What do you like in this company?

I worked with a german company, and now I'm in a french company, it has a lot of differences, and I like to adapt myself to different work environment.

2nd PART:  General debate on woman engineer: differences and new things a woman can bring in a male team

• Do you think men and women work differently? Could you give us concrete examples (personal works, project works)?

No. I don't think. If it's about technical work, they would do it the same. But the way of managing or organizing is different. Men are more straight. Women are more emotional, they think with their feeling. Emotions at work can be good if it is in the good way. If it's to help somebody, it's good. Otherwise, if it is bad feeling, it disconcentrates us.

In terms of solving conflicts, it is individual.

• Do you think that gender diversity in a team is helpful for working atmosphere and/or is linked to team performance?

I would prefer to work with men, because if you work with women you have to deal with feelings, but you just have to handle it, to adapt yourself, like this it will work. But in a team it's better to have a team with men and women, they are the one who push the idea.

Vidéo

• Can you present yourself in a few words ?

Hello, my name is Gift, I'm a product manager working for Saint Gobain Weber Thailand, my work is mostly product development,

that means we have to develop new products which has demands in the market, so I have to go to jobsites, talking with people

on jobsites, interview them, look the way they work, and collecting data and to see what they need at the moment, whether the product

we are going to launch suit the demand they have.

• Which advice could you give to young women who hesitate to start engineering studies ?

I would say "go for it"! Because engineering is great!If you like meeting people, if you like technology, if you like your brain to think a lot, engineering is good. It's a dynamic, non static profession.

• What has been your biggest difficulty as a woman engineer ?

I don't have any.

• What has been your biggest satisfaction as a woman engineer ?

I would say when I was working for my other company, I was teaching 50 guys, they were in front of me and they were asking me questions and calling me "teacher", it's so good!

• What is your next challenge ?

I think I will move on in engineering field, but when you are going up, you have to focus on other management fields as well, so I'll work like this, but my next challenge is my boss chair!