Meet Mei Lian | Roche

Acting now for the success of tomorrow!

Sometimes life throws us curveballs, and our paths don’t exactly go as planned. Not only had I not expected a career break, but I also ended up taking a rather long one due to a slew of challenges on the home front that avalanched one after another. As time passed, my self-confidence and courage slowly eroded. Time and again I was reminded of the challenges, the sense of self-satisfaction and achievements and of the teamwork and camaraderie that seemed a lifetime away when I had stepped away from my electronics engineering career in the field of semiconductors. I wanted to show my daughters that we should always strive for what we believe in, despite the circumstances that are thrown at us. The further the reach, the stronger the desire, but where and how would I begin all over again?

I still vividly remember the Roche career comeback workshop, one of several comeback workshops that I participated in. The principles and goals of this company touched me deeply. The company tagline of Doing now what patients need next and the respect and appreciation for its people was truly meaningful. It was utterly inspiring for me personally. I finally joined Roche in January 2020, just a short time before the pandemic struck us.

Although the role I accepted at Roche was totally different from my past experience, I was thankful that my industry knowledge, soft skills and work attitude were valuable enough to grant me the opportunity to learn new things in a field I was not familiar with. I was genuinely surprised at the amount of trust I received from my teammates, despite the big break I had taken and the fact that my experience was in a different territory entirely. The learning curve at the beginning was steep but in time, I caught on and it felt extremely rewarding.

During this time, I have learned to be flexible with time schedules and to adapt to ever-changing situations and requirements at work. I have learned to be much more resourceful when it comes to handling work issues. No problem is unsolvable. It’s just a question of how and where to look. This is the greatest transformation perspective that I have received. I have also realized that I can be much more independent and productive when I focus on the task at hand and that teamwork is of utmost importance to effectively solve every issue that is encountered.

Opportunities to interact with people from different cultures have been a plus. I have found Roche to be a secure and friendly workplace with helpful people and managers that genuinely care. I am also slowly discovering a side of Roche that doesn’t limit one’s potential. The leadership team members are very receptive to employee feedback. They never hold it against us if we have alternative ideas for moving forward. It will be analysed together for the benefit of the organisation. It is always the end users’ and patients’ interest that we have in mind and which is at the root of everything we do.

After more than two years with Roche, I can safely say that the organisation’s culture and environment are beyond my expectation. I have since moved on to a different role which includes more data analysis and reporting responsibilities which I am passionate about. The opportunities to participate in cross-collaboration projects opened many doors within the organisation itself. I managed to participate in a few sessions during the International Women’s Day, which was awe inspiring. The chimes of “breaking the bias” rang loud and clear in the sessions hosted by many impressive individuals. One that stood out was a session by Mae Jemison, the first black woman to travel into space. I was able to share this interesting knowledge with much gratitude as a motivation step for my teenage daughters, which I hope will empower them and many young individuals in the future.

I look forward to much continued growth with Roche in the coming years. Remember, nothing is impossible. It’s never too late if we believe so.