Interview with Prom Porn Kanjanarat

1st PART: Woman’s history comprehension/understanding

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

I graduate with a bachelor degree in chemical engineering in 1998. Then I did a master in petrochemical technology. I use to work in Petrochemical engineering. Then I worked on the processing side for 3 years. But at that time, I found that in the company the priority was given to the commercial side more than the technical side. The engineering side was not the priority. If a decision had to be taken for development of such or such product, the commercial was the one to take it, even if he has no knowledge about the technical. I felt quite humiliated. So I wonder: “Is it difficult for an engineer to understand the commercial side?” And I realize that no. So after 3 years I entered the largest bank in Thailand. I was surprised they accepted me because I had neither diploma nor MBA. But my friend who was in the bank told me “You know, in banking, there are a lot of economists, but they don’t know about the technical side. And sometimes bank have to finance technical project so it’s good if some engineers who know about it work in banks.” And she told me that I could learn financing from the employees of the bank and in return I could help them to understand the projects to finance of refinery, power plant, and petrochemical. I stayed 10 years in the bank and then I was hired in a rating agency. After 3 years I was hired as the director of finance of Tipco, here in Bangkok. It’s my third year. I manage 3 or 4 people directly, but indirectly 20 people. In finance we have 99% of women.

• How did you come to engineering and sciences?

During my secondary school, I found I was very good on chemistry. I didn’t like math or informatics or electrical and civil, I thought it was more for men. I had to choose between environment engineering, chemical or biology. And I think I choose the right one! For me civil engineering was for men because I thought that you have to deal with workers and to go on jobsites. In my year in the faculty we were only 10% of girls in total, and really few of them choose civil engineering. But what is sure is that I didn’t want to do literature or philosophy. When I had to choose the 3 best majors for university, I choose first engineering, second pharmacy and third accounting. As my mother is housekeeper and my father editor, I think maybe it’s more my older brother, who was in mechanical engineering, who has shown me the way to engineering. After, he told me “ok, you want to do engineering, but you have to choose which field!” He advised me to choose IT engineering or industrial. Computers, forget about it! And industrial, I didn’t know. So I asked him what about chemical engineering and he told me that if I choose so, I would have to go in factories, or plants, or refineries. But I told him I don’t mind! Here industrial it is more management of factories, not on the process line.

• 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?

We were 5 girls among 35 students in my university. But it was not difficult. Boys were taking care of us! To find job, it was not so difficult. I mean, at the entrance level, it is not difficult. But if you want to be promoted, you need to be outstanding, far more than men. It’s a question of recognition. I think maybe people think if you have to face problems at top level management, men are better to solve them. And subordinates accept more a decision taken by a man than a woman. Women of my age are never at the top level management. They may be at the level of technical manager, but it’s nearly always the best.

• What are the special qualifications you need to have for your job?

For finance manager, the most important is that you have to think fast. In finance you have to deal with money. You have to be careful. And the second one is that you need to have good negotiation skills. And you have to have good analytic skills to see what happens in the finance of the company.

• What are your everyday motivations?

Everyday something unexpected happens, so every day when I wake up I wonder: What will I save today? It’s good to be challenged. But too much pressure is not good either!

• Do you have to move abroad for your job?

Sometimes I need to travel, for example in Malaysia or China. But now thanks to new technologies I can do videoconference.

• How do you conciliate professional and personal life?

I don’t have children. Regarding my personal life, what helps me to conciliate it with my professional one is that every day when I wake up I pray and I meditate. I’m Buddhism, and it relaxes me to do this meditation every day!

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

I’m not sure I can say anything for Tipco because I’m here since only 3 years, but for my previous work, in the bank for example, people recognizes me. I could deliver the work they wanted, and sometimes better than what they expected. This is really important for me. When I switched from engineering to finance, I didn’t know anything about finance. There was another man who had a master degree in finance. But for the same project, the guy was not able to do this project, and me I was. My boss said that, not to me but to other colleagues and I heard it after. I was very proud. So I believe that if you really want to learn, you can! Finally I wanted to understand really well about commercial so I took another MBA on the commercial side. But for sure with my clients for refineries it was really efficient to have both skills, technical and financial.

• What do you like in this company?

You know, I have been working in a bank then a credit rating agency. Now I’m on the other side. I am the one who has to help Tipco to answer the questions of the bank, to help them to keep or improving their rating. It’s really challenging! The first day of work in Tipco, I was lost! Everything was new to me! But after, you learn and it’s better every day!

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)?

Yes. Men and women have different characteristic. For example, men take decision fast. When they take decision, they take it and they go for it. Women think a lot before taking decision, and their decisions are more precised. And what is the best depends on the case. On critical situations, men can take decisions faster and it is better. On other situations it is better to think longer. In term of communication, I think there is a difference between west and east. Men are straighter and women think more before saying the things. And for the west/east difference, I think in the west women can say more what they fell. For example when I am in a meeting, if I don’t agree, I can’t say “I don’t agree” like this. I have to think how to say it.

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

In my team, I prefer to have both men and women. But sometimes I prefer to work with men, because if I have to say something to a woman, I have to think more. But actually it’s difficult for the men to work in accounting because they need to be more detailed. Women are more detailed because it’s nature. Women are more patient. They can pay more attention on the work. Concerning emotions, I think it’s good to have some because you pay more attention on the people. But if you have too much, it confuses you in your work and it’s not good.

Video

• Can you present yourself in a few words ?

I'm the senior manager in Finance, taking care of the company fundings, I work for a company called Tipco Asphalt, which is in Asphalt business. Asphalt is a construction material.

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

Firstly I think if it is a suject that you really like, because the engineering field deals with a lot of technical knowledge, technical background. And if you think you like it, then go for it. And I think it's good to get the world to know that women can do good, can be successful in this technical field, which we use to believe it was work for men.

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

As a woman engineer, I think the biggest one is to get recognition from subordinates who are men. I think the ides that men are better than women is the thing we have to pass and we have to prove that we can do it, and the recognition from the male subordinates

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

Finally, I think I can get recognition from peers, and technicians and workers think now that a woman can be a good supervisor, and they are happy to work with.

• What is your next challenge ?

Next challenge, frankly speaking I switch the carieer from technical to business, and my next challenge is to be successful in this new job, and I think, I believe, I can do it!