A chat with Carrie

Today we sat down with our Sourcing Assistant Carrie Pan to get to know her better.

What do you do at Swedbrand? What are your main tasks?

I am the Sourcing Assistant. My main tasks are dealing with price quotations, the logistics preparation, which includes RFQ, projects management and transportation, and inter-communication between stakeholders. I follow up with factories on the status of production, and sometimes conduct the QLC. I get in contact with around 4 factories each day to check on the projects they are working on.

What are the biggest challenges you face at work?

The hardest challenges are chasing the factories on the samples’ status and learning about trading. Trading requires much details, patience and organization. Indeed, patience is needed to make sure there is no miscommunication with the factories, and being organized is necessary to stay on top of all our projects’ and orders’ status.

What is one difference of working at Swedbrand, compared to other companies you have worked for in Shanghai?

Compared to the other companies I have worked for in China, Swedbrand is much more international. My previous companies had a majority of Chinese employees. In this more international work place, the communication is easier and more straightforward and tasks at Swedbrand require more teamwork efforts. Furthermore, privacy is more respected.

Next week is Chinese New Year. How will you celebrate it? What are you most looking forward to?

During the entire week of Chinese New Year, I will visit family and friends and enjoy great food. It is the one time of the year where the entire family gathers, so it is nice to see again relatives who I haven’t seen for the past year.

You were born in Shanghai. The city is unrecognizable from what is was 20 years ago. How did you experience this fast-growing change?

The city got international very fast. Many things get convenient in such a fast-pacing city: you can get anywhere, anytime, find stores open 24/7, and get food delivery 24/7. Opportunities are limitless on how to spend your day or where to go. But sometimes all this frenzy gets overwhelming and it can get hard to breathe. This is why I sometimes go away for the weekend to nearby cities like Hangzhou or Suzhou to relax: people are already much more relaxed just 100 km away from vibrating Shanghai.

Shanghai's Bund incredible transformation in just 20 years (1990-2010)

You worked for 2 years in Qatar as a flight attendant, traveling to more than a 100 destinations. Which destinations were your favorites?

No doubt about it: Rome. I got the chance to fly there 3 times, and each time it was hard to leave this amazing city. The architecture of this old city is breathe-taking. The people are nice and the food is beyond good. All of these factors create an atmosphere that can’t be found anywhere else.

I enjoyed Barcelona a lot as well: it is more energetic than Rome. It is a great place to meet many young people and enjoy the sunshine in a park.

Read more Swedbrand Q&As and blog posts at swedbrand.com/blog, or visit our website at swedbrand.com.