Interview with Doungkamol Panyameesamoe

1st PART: Woman’s history comprehension/understanding

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

My name is Doungkamol Panyameesamoe but You can call me Apple. I graduated from bachelor degree in chemistry science, and after that I thought to go more to applications so I choose to do a master degree in chemical engineering. Then I entered a thai manufacturer, and then I joined Weber in 2005. I started as a R&D engineer, then I was administrator,
and now I'm quality control and R&D manager. My responsability is to take care about the customer, to create new products and to be sure of the quality of the product we have. Sometimes I have to go to jobsites to look how worker use our products, what we can improve in the real life. I manage 11 people. We work for the whole country. We also have a brand in southern Thailand.

• How did you come to engineering and sciences ?

In high school, I thought "What should I do?", and I thought about chemical. I liked engineering. My parents are not engineers. In my family some are doctors, but me I didn't want to stay with patients all the day.

• 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 ?

My parents were very supportive. They asked me if I like science and industry. I answered yes, and they support me. In high school, boys talk together about some ideas of jobs, and girls about different one. Because there is really few women in civil engineering, the girls can't identify, and they don't talk about this possibility of job. During my studies (I was in chemistry science), we were a lot of girls. Then in my master of chemical engineering we were less. And after my studies I was lucky, because I found a job easily in a manufactory, and my boss was french. At the end of my project,  he had no job for me, but he talk with a friend of him who were looking for an R&D engineer in Weber. At first when I did the job interview, I went into the office and I thought "wow it's really pretty", and I asked to see the laboratory, because I liked to see before I joined. And it was small and dusty! So I came back and I had to decide. And I thought "This is the good time to start with this company, because if I do so I'll be able to create my own laboratory and to hire my people". So I signed ! Then I was trained in Spain and France.
And I had to go to their new factory and to decide with them which production we would like to have, and to decide how would be the laboratory and which what equipment. It was hard but I managed. Now, I have to go sometimes to the jobsites, and sometimes the manager of the site thinks we can't understand because we are girls. But me I don't care about carrying stuffs, in laboratory for example. And I teach my female staff not to be scared of this. Because if you ask a boy each time you need to carry something that you could do by yourself, after during the job interviews, people won't recruit women any more!

• Do you have to move abroad for your job?

Sometimes I have to go to jobsites in other provinces, like Rayong which is at 300 km. I go and come back in the day by car, and sometimes I have to drive by myself.
When I joined Saint Gobain, I was not married. Now, I'm married and I have a one year boy. So sometimes it is difficult, during the day my mother takes care of my baby and I do it during the night. And my husband works in the province, so I only see him for the weekend. My husband and me are happy now with our job, so we don't want to change. But maybe after we would like to move closer, but the job market is not so wide. Weber is a really good company, and I don't want to change now. Maybe we would think about this in 3 or 4 years.

• How do you conciliate professional and personal life?

When I joined Saint Gobain, I was not married. Now, I'm married and I have a one year boy. So sometimes it is difficult, during the day my mother takes care of my baby and I do it during the night. And my husband works in the province, so I only see him for the weekend.

My husband and me are happy now with our job, so we don't want to change. But maybe after we would like to move closer, but the job market is not so wide. Weber is a really good company, and I don't want to change now. Maybe we would think about this in 3 or 4 years.

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

When I joined Weber, the first project was really challenging. I had to find a new joint. I went abroad for training, I thought, I studied, and then when I came back I formulated and we launched the product. Sales increased a lot, and I get a Weber award.

• What do you like in this company?

People in this company are open minded. You can speak freely with everybody. And this company doesn't think about the fact you are a woman. They give you respect, opportunities.

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 I think so. I manage directly 3 persons. 2 persons for R&d part are women, and the other is a man, and he cares about  quality control. If you give the job to a man, he will go to the result quickly. But if you give it to a woman, she will think : "if I do this this will happen, if I do this this will happen and so on". They think about things more than men.

And women are more responsible. When I give something to a woman, she will think about the risks and the verifications you have to do. But the man will say : "We will do this".

In terms of communication, when somebody has to talk to another company, it's better to send a woman, because she is pretty, easy to discuss, and she can get more informations!

But men are physically stronger, and it can be useful. For example if I go to jobsites in Phuket it is more easy for a man than for a woman to walk on the iron framework because they have big feet! And when in a project you have to take a decision, men are sometimes better. Women hesitate more. When we have to hire a technician, who will have to go on site, to stay one night there, or to carry samples, sometimes I ask for a woman because we have few. And my HR always ask me : "But why do you want a girl, it will be a problem sometimes", I always answered "Why it is a problem ? I can do this, so they can too!".

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

I like a mixte team. The productivity is better when the team is mixte, because sometimes men don't think about the small effects, contrary to women. And when a woman explains, she does it better, because she explains everything, with all the details.

Vidéo

• Can you present yourself in a few words ?

Hello, my name is Doungkamol Panyameesamoe, I'm R&D and QC manager. My responsability is quality control and research and development for new products for the company.

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

I think nowadays for women and men it is the same, that means don't hesitate to start engineering, you can use your knowledge to  apply as an engineer.

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

I think it is for the physical, example when you got to the jobsite, you have some physical limitations.

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

For me I think we can do as the men, and my first proud is my award that I get when I joined Weber.

• What is your next challenge ?

My next project is to do new projects, to go to the jobsite and to continue dedicating to my job of engineer.