Updating Results

Dulux Group

4.3
  • 1,000 - 50,000 employees

Yen Ung

My key responsibilities are to assist the Senior Brand Manager in product management within the constructions product segment.

What's your job about?

Parchem is a division of DuluxGroup and it is a manufacturing and supplier of construction products and equipment and decorative concrete. My key responsibilities are to assist the Senior Brand Manager in product management within the constructions product segment.

A main project that I will be working on this year is the Brand Migration, that is to migrate the existing Parchem branded products over to Fosroc, Fosroc is a world leading manufacturer of construction products and Parchem is the only Fosroc supplier in Australia so this project will help to re-build the brand image and increase sales. Some of the tasks will include, phasing out the exisiting SOH, forecasting, re-packaging that meet the Fosroc brand guidelines and GHS compliance, communicate the changes to the Sales team and monitor sales growth at the end of the project.

What's your background?

I was born in Vietnam and migrated to Australia when I was twelve. After spending 6 months in the language centre I joined high school in Year 7, term 3. I met a boy (now husband) in the Psychology classroom in year 11. I then completed a Commerce degree at Monash University. For my last elective subject during Uni, I enrolled in an International Study Program in Accounting and Finance where I got to travel to Europe, visiting major banks, local businesses, university etc. in 6 European countries in 28 days. I just got an average score for that last examination but the highlight was the trip to Europe. My first full-time job was with a family business where I got to practice various Accounting tasks including payroll, accounts payable, petty cash management. The business owner also has few commercial properties so I was briefly exposed to property management. After spending 2 and half years there I was keen to take on new challenges, and luckily two work colleagues from previous part-time job strongly recommended DuluxGroup to me, they spoke highly of the work culture and here I am. I have been with DuluxGroup for 4 years, I joined as a Credit Officer for 18 months, joined the Graduate Program, moved into my second job as a Business Support Analyst – 2.5 years, completed the Graduate Program, and recently moved into my current role as an Assistant Brand Manager – since Jan 17.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

I myself with a Finance background actually moved into a Marketing role is a concrete evidence that someone with a different background can learn my job. DuluxGroup always encourage managers to create opportunities and prepare employees for the next role so without a doubt I have been well equipped. With the supportive guidance, mentorship from all my previous and current managers I feel confident that anyone who has similar experience can easily move into my role. Most importantly, the willingness to learn, attention to details, understanding of the group’s various businesses and results driven are some of the key skills that help me to easily transit into this new role.  

What's the coolest thing about your job?

I’m still on a honeymoon phase of my new role so I love everything that I do even if it means I have to check the same artwork 10 times. In fact, it is the satisfaction of being accountable for the artwork compliance. Also another exciting thing about my job is that whatever decision I make, I need to ensure that my colleagues in supply chain, sales, finance, procurement, technical will not be inconvenient by it. And lastly I always get to put myself into the Customers and Consumers’ shoes and question myself will I be happy with this product/service?

What are the limitations of your job?

A biggest limitation is timing, that is making sure everyone that I collaborate with has to stay on track with the schedule, and when you have multiple products and projects that are due simultaneously you need to have exceptional organisational and prioritising skills.

Pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

  • If your weakness is public speaking, don’t avoid it, get onto it as soon as possible. Toastmaster-Speech craft is brilliant.
  • Everyone’s opinion is equally important, raise your opinions, practice it, you will need this skill no matter what job you land in the future.
  • Find a part-time job, and if possible find one that doesn’t closely relate to the areas that you study in and turn it into a valuable skill set that you can brag about.
  • Save money from your part-time job and travel outside of your hometown at least once and embrace the differences.