Chloe Xie

Both of my parents are engineers (Mechanical and Chemical), so engineering seemed like an obvious choice for me. When deciding which engineering field to major in, Industrial & Systems Engineering was particularly interesting to me as it gave me the opportunity to dive into the details of different processes and systems, analyze the data, build mathematical models to investigate the whys and hows to find solutions for optimization. Another reason why I chose industrial engineering was because the knowledge and the way of thinking can be applied to all industries. I was not sure at 17 years old which industry I would choose as a career, and Industrial Engineering gave me the versatility for future career choices.

How I became part of the Mining Industry I would say is a combination of developed interest and the right opportunity at the right time. After working in the office furniture distribution company for some years, an opportunity came with Caterpillar to join their Marketing Training Program, which is a bedrock training program for people with or without mining / construction experience to learn about the company, products and the industry, and graduate to become field representatives for the company. That was how I first entered the world of mining and construction, and how I found my interest in this industry. Last year, I had the amazing opportunity to join Sandvik to lead the aftermarket parts & services business for South East Asia sales area, which gives me more opportunities to visit our mining customers directly and it’s always fascinating to see how our machines together with the people on site make the world move through the various mining activities.

Resilience is a key one, as mentioned in the previous question. The other one I would say is having a growth mindset, being open to trying new things! This has really influenced a lot of my decision making in my career. When something unexpected presents itself, be it an opportunity or a challenge, I always try to look at the positives, and not let the fear of failure take away what would be a great learning experience regardless of the outcome.

To me it’s not the big projects or career milestones that give me the most rewarding feeling. It’s the seemingly small moments that I find most rewarding. One of the examples was during the first month on my previous job, I was meeting with one of the biggest dealers to align aftermarket strategies. The dealer executive director unexpectedly joined the meeting uninvited and posed lots of challenging questions. I was able to demonstrate with facts and data why the strategy would work and got the dealer management’s full support. It’s these small moments that build up to the big moments, and I think they are worth celebrating.

In Singapore, we can see that the industry leaders in mining have all made strong efforts in driving D&I, from many aspects such as the recruitment process, workplace culture and D&I at the leadership level. Sandvik for example has DE&I built into the company values, and set out measurable goals around it. A key progress I’ve seen is having more D&I in the leadership level in the company, whether it’s gender, race or cultural background. This is crucial as it does not only builds the culture but also leads the team by example.

Absolutely yes. I have been very fortunate to have had many mentors and role models in my career, both at Sandvik and in my previous jobs. Many of them showed me different perspectives, gave me valuable feedback and provided guidance on my career path. One of them is a female leader in the mining & construction industry. She puts very strong focus on people development as she is a firm believer that people is our greatest asset. I’m inspired by her everyday and work to provide best development opportunities to my team the way she would.

It’s okay to feel a little lost at the beginning of your studies or career not knowing which path is right. Life is about experiencing different things. Eventually you will find your calling.

When I started working at my first job, I had moments of self doubt if I was making the right choice – studied industrial engineering but working on a completely different job. It turned out not to be the most ideal job for me, but that’s okay. The skills I learned, the exposure I gained at that job were invaluable to my career.

Yes and yes. It has been proven time and time again a more diverse team lead to better performance. It’s important to have the diverse opinions and ways of thinking to drive the best result.

I’m a proud dog mom to two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels named Luke and Charleston. I find great joy in spending time with them as they teach me that everyday happiness can be so simple. I also participate in conformation dog shows with Charleston. He was recently titled Singapore Champion at 1 year old on his birthday in June.