A NEW DAY WITH Penny Pang

– I am a Qingdao native. I joined CellMark in 2005 on April 1st. Actually, last year was my 10th anniversary with CellMark. We had a small anniversary celebration with cake in our office with my dear colleagues. I have 18 years of experience, working mainly with Scandinavian employers. Today, I work in CellMark China, Basic Materials division, as a source Manager.  

I typically begin my workday by checking emails from colleagues and partners in various countries around the world. These messages always carry a sense of warmth and connection, reflecting the collaborative spirit of our division. As our Divisional President says, our team is both niche and agile, allowing us to operate effectively in our specialized area. I have had the opportunity to meet some of our colleagues in person or through online Teams meetings.  

After checking my emails each morning, I organize them into categories such as general inquiries and correspondence, specific problems, and potential solutions. Once my emails are sorted, I officially begin what I call my “fighting time”. Working in Basic Materials is uniquely challenging compared to other divisions in CellMark. Our margins are low and fragile because we deal in commodities, which are unlike the higher-value specialty, pulp, and packaging & paper sectors. Any small change, such as shifts in ocean freight rates or currency exchange fluctuations, can have a significant impact on our profits. 

Beyond these daily operational hurdles, we also face larger external pressures, including geopolitical issues, changing tariff policies, and broader economic recessions. These factors require constant vigilance and adaptability. I find myself fighting not only for my own success, but also alongside my colleagues.

My top achievement last year was that I truly felt fulfilled with my daily work. Our office, which primarily focuses on documentation and related tasks, requires careful attention to detail. Sometimes you think it could get boring, but last year I really felt fulfilled with my daily work.

It is not just for work, but also for the learning process and the bond and partnership that came from the work I set up last year.  I will give you an example: I collaborated closely with our colleague from Latin America. Together, we established a successful sodium methylate business. This product and market were brand new, and we were mostly starting from nothing. I guess maybe because of it, we worked closely to solve every problem together, and we bonded. I learned a great deal from him. I thought he would focus merely on the sales and not too much on the documentation, but he paid attention to every little detail to support us in the best way. For example, when we requested a document in Portuguese, he utilized AI translation, refined the format, and delivered both a Word and PDF version to ensure ease of use for our team. Through these experiences, I gained insight into why he is so successful in this business: he consistently considers the customer’s needs. I hope he has also learned from me.  

At CellMark, we must work even better to surpass expectations. I have been working with this for 18 years, and it is great that something new is still happening in my daily work, and I still feel challenged and fulfilled. That is my biggest achievement.

This year, from a corporate perspective, I am optimistic about continued business growth, building on the stable foundation established last year. I also hope to identify additional opportunities in sodium methylate and further strengthen this segment of our business throughout the year.