| Testimonials |
|
|
|
Yasangi Randeni
Assistant Manager,
Corporate Sustainability
|
| |
|
|
At University, I was studying to be a telecommunications engineer. My final year thesis project was to analyse the feasibility of 4th generation wireless technologies for Malaysian service providers and this project is partly responsible for sparking an interest in me for management. I made a decision to gain work experience in management related work as much as possible with the aim of studying for a Master Degree in Business Administration eventually. It is with this in mind that I applied for the Corporate Trainee programme at Aitken Spence.
The Programme at Aitken Spence PLC stood out among the many other management trainee programmes with its unique selection process, where more emphasis was given to how I would handle the job in a real life situations rather than what a certificate said I could. There were many instances during the selection process where we were tested on our creativity, ability to work with teams, comprehend instructions, and find suitable solutions and the skill with which we present ideas. I consider it an honour and a highlight of my career to have scored the highest among the many bright individuals who had also applied for the 2009 Corporate Trainee Programme.
As a Corporate Trainee, I was assigned to the Group Business Development Division and my role was to assist the Manager to coordinate the Sustainable Development efforts within the Group Companies. This proved to be a challenge since the Group's Sustainability Team consists of subsidiaries from many different industries and sectors and each task or project would be different for each subsidiary. I am fortunate that the team had the patience and was willing to help me along while I found my footing. Six months after joining Aitken Spence as a Corporate Trainee I was confirmed into the permanent cadre as an Executive based on my performance in the Company.
Corporate Sustainability is not an area of management that I had seriously considered before and I am grateful to Aitken Spence for opening my eyes to a career that suits my personality, aspirations and beliefs and for providing me the support and encouragement to develop it.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
The experience at Aitken Spence in the Group Business Development Division, for me, is akin to what I perceive to be an education from a leading business school. It gives me the opportunity to work with Group Directors and learn from some of the best minds in the country. There have been many opportunities for training and development conducted both internally and externally such as the Management Training Programme (MTP), Outward Bound Training Programme (OBT), 5S, Roots to Excellence, HR for Professionals and Emotional Intelligence. The course material from the MTP that is in line with the course developed by Japan Industrial Training Association (under the sponsorship of Nikkeiren International Cooperation Centre Japan) is one of my most prized possessions and what I have learnt in the course is a constant source of guidance to overcome challenges and improve my performance.
What I admire most about Aitken Spence is the culture that is inherent to this Company. We start and end our days by greeting every person in the division and there is a sense of camaraderie because of this that makes the work environment very pleasant. Everyone in the Company is friendly and supportive and you are always recognised for good performance and encouraged to be better if it is not so.
At the entrance examination something very interesting happened. While we were racking our brains to answer the plethora of questions as best as we could, a song was playing in the background. After the time for the test had run out, one of the examiners walked up to the front of the hall and says'your final question is to write down one phrase from our corporate song!' The only thing that registered in my mind was the line '...we are Aitken Spence' and I wrote it down on the sheet. It is with great pride that I now repeat this very same line to my friends in the industry. Aitken Spence is a corporate leader that practices business with a genuine interest in creating a positive change. It makes me proud to be part of the Aitken Spence family.
|
|
