My Journey: YJ Toh, Citizen Development

"My Journey" is a series that highlights members of the BASF Digital Hub in Kuala Lumpur. Here’s where you can get to know them a little better, understand some of their motivations and learn about what makes them tick. Read on and get to know YJ!

Tell us a little bit about your background.

I am the product owner of Citizen Development in BASF with the focus of enabling Citizen Development initiatives in the Asia Pacific region. I studied electrical engineering and started my career as a service engineer at Tele Dynamics. During my time there, I made the jump from engineering to people training when my then manager noticed my talent for connecting and training people.

Being married with a 3-year old daughter, I'm very much a family-oriented person. In fact, my perception of the importance of work culture has changed since I became a father! I caught myself wondering, "What sort of opportunities are there for women in business?” which prompted me to join BASF's Women in Business program. As a father and as a leader, I felt that it was my responsibility to play some part in cultivating this culture.

Why did you choose BASF?

You could say I just sort of fell into BASF. A friend of mine was convinced that BASF was the right place for me, and she persuaded me to apply. I took a leap of faith, not knowing anything about the company, and you know what? She was right! It's been an amazing adventure so far! The opportunities here are incredible.

In my time here, I've learned how to lead people and projects alike; how to stretch myself beyond my comfort zone; and how to build up the people around me so that we're all working together toward something amazing.

My background is in engineering, but my aspirations were always for leadership and people development roles, like my current position as a product owner in citizen development. I didn't have all the skills and experience necessary to get there, but BASF's Education Assistance Program helped me get started by providing me with tuition assistance for my MBA. My manager at the time was supportive, and I am grateful for the opportunity given.

The people here are what make BASF such a great place to work. One of the reasons people stay at BASF is the culture of strong team bonds, which has benefited me throughout my career; the support of my managers and co-workers has been extremely rewarding over the years.

Could you share with us a little bit about some of the challenges you've faced?

I've been in five different roles throughout my 10 years in BASF, and the common challenge I face is people and stakeholder management. It was quite a learning curve at the start, but the more I handled projects, the better I got at learning new skills quickly. For you to grow in your career, you have to be able to throw yourself into something that's totally new to you.

As my role has grown, so too has the impact of my work and the number of people I interact with daily. I recently got involved in a global project, where the cultural nuances between European and Asian stakeholders were a little different than what I was used to. But I was able to quickly pick up the cultural difference and navigate it through. It's challenging, but at the same time really interesting and fulfilling.

The beauty of working in a global team setting is that you must think about how to get different regional cultures to work together. It's easy for me to get excited about getting things done and moving global projects forward, but it's even more important to make sure everyone is on the same page and equally excited as me!

If you are currently struggling with your career, know this: it’s OK to not know everything, as long as you have the belief that you can pick it up quickly when necessary. I wish someone had given me this advice when I was younger. There are no jobs without challenges out there, but what is most important is the growth mindset.

What does 2022 and beyond have in store for you?

I'm very excited to take on a new challenge at BASF as the Citizen Development product owner. I will be continuing my focus on leading and driving the citizen development initiatives for BASF, and I hope to grow this role within Asia and the rest of the world.

Also, as part of the Digital Hub Kuala Lumpur leadership team, I am also focused on growing our team and hub, onboarding new leaders and specialist, ensuring we operate in a sustainable manner, and making sure everyone feels welcome here. 2022 is an exciting time for me in BASF.