Aik shares his experience in developing and implementing Meiyume's Three-Year Plan.

As a bloke, I never thought I would be obsessed with mascaras and sheet masks. That all changed when I was placed in Meiyume.

It all started during my second rotation where I was involved in the development of Meiyume's Three-Year Plan (3YP). The rotation eventually turned into a placement assisting with the implementation of the 3YP. The work required exposure to a broad range of stakeholders from factory colleagues to senior leadership. The learning curve however was steep, as I had to acquire familiarity with topics as varied as the active ingredients of skincare to the production cycle of fragrance bottles. Given the diversity of projects, the required skillsets were also varied - ranging from financial modelling to project management and strategic analysis.

The need for transformation is especially critical with the divestment of Meiyume from Li & Fung Trading Group. What made us successful yesterday may not take us as far tomorrow. Many of our core customers are also reinventing themselves to fit an era defined by digital trends. We risk irrelevance if we cannot adapt to their changing needs.

Nowhere are these trends more relevant than high-growth Asian markets, and I am in the midst of transitioning into a new role driving Meiyume's commercial development in Southeast Asia.

In 2015, I began my transition into a consumer goods career in Asia. One MBA, two business rotations and three years later, my placement has moved me closer to where I want to be career-wise.

Claire talks about what she did to mitigate risks in our global supply chain in her rotation assignment in LF Trading Supply Chain Solutions 3.

My job placement started from my second rotation assignment where I was responsible for formulating and implementing the strategy for diversifying country of production for Global Hardlines Sourcing in Supply Chain Solutions 6 in order to mitigate the risks subsequent to the US-China trade dispute.

With a background in management consultancy, I am thrilled to work in the frontline and tackle key business issues, including the US-China trade dispute and Covid-19, although my learning curve has been steep.

I travel frequently across Southeast Asia to work with our merchandising teams to find suitable vendors and factories to further diversify our production base portfolio. There are often rounds of product re-engineering meetings with designers, factories and product development teams to minimize the tariff impacts. These have offered me the opportunities to work with the experts in Li & Fung to bring new factories up to speed in a short period of time, in terms of factory compliance, product quality and price competitiveness.

With the uncertainties in the market, we also explore different trading models to minimize our customers' risks. I work with LF Logistics and other 3PL (third-party logistics) providers to offer onshore replenishment support to multiple giant retail customers to reduce their working capital and inventory pressure. This has provided me a truly global supply chain management experience, from product development, sourcing, manufacturing, trade financing to logistics.

Covid-19 has posted another big challenge to the consumer goods industry. We are fortunate that Li & Fung has invested heavily in digitalization which allows us to innovate our ways of working with customers during difficult times. Our virtual sampling capability, strong sourcing and production presence across the globe and the robust data infrastructure have allowed me to provide our customers with timely information and insight.

The dynamic business environment requires us to constantly adapt and iterate. Li & Fung gives us the strongest support to navigate through all these challenges.

My placement experience has been fruitful and impactful. I never get bored at work, and I look forward to the upcoming journey.

Vincent shares his array of exposure within our Group's convenient retail business.

After working in the Corporate Development department, I truly understand why entrepreneurial spirit is so important to our company. Whenever new business opportunities arise, different project teams will be formed. I need to help steer them into the right direction like an entrepreneur. Just like working in a start-up, I must quickly adapt to different situations and scenarios so that we can capture these business opportunities which might disappear in a flash.

Since placement in 2011, I have developed strong expertise in retailing. It is truly inspirational and rewarding to be exposed to the different key aspects of retailing - retail format feasibility study, selecting the right partners, and devising the right market entry strategies in Business Development; timeline scheduling, resource planning and allocation in Project Development; introduction of new brands and pitching to the landlords in Store Network Development; managing site construction and renovation with contractors in Store Development; merchandising planning, price setting, visual merchandising display, marketing and promotion planning, operations management, inventory planning in different functions of operations, as well as P&L and business performance monitoring in General Management.

I am grateful for the different exposure I have had so far, and thanks to the PMD team for bringing me on this journey.

Gary shares his passion for brand business and his journey to Senior Director in brand management in Shanghai, China.

My PMD journey began in 2011. Since then, I have obtained plenty of great learning and exposure that have made me who I am today. To name a few, my three-month business rotation in India with LF Trading was eye-opening and my other three-month rotation in LF Logistics gave me the opportunity to witness and be part of the growth engine of Li & Fung. What has impacted me the most is the decision to relocate from Hong Kong, my hometown, to Shanghai after Initial Development. China, one of the most significant and fastest growing consumer markets, is challenging and everchanging. Yet, it presents itself with unlimited potential.

PMD has provided me with different career opportunities. I come from a retail and marketing background with a strong passion for brand business. In 2012, I took up an opportunity in Fung Kids, one of the kidswear retail businesses under Fung Retailing, initially as a Product Manager, and then a Buying Manager and Project Manager. Since then, my career in brand management took off. I joined Global Brands Group Asia in 2015 as a Brand Manager and CAA-GBG, a joint venture between Global Brands Group and Creative Artists Agency, as a Senior Director in brand management in 2018. I now lead a team to manage most of our brand development in China, including brand building and marketing services to ensure operational and commercial success.

My ability to ideate and execute solutions as well as to synchronize the needs and ideas between brands and business partners into agreeable actions to create mutual benefits has continued to bring me great satisfaction and success. In my work, I do not just connect the dots. I inspire, design and create the journey that gets all parties to the same destination - to build brand equity as well as a long-term and sustainable business. Our efforts continue to pay off. Coca-Cola, one of the core brands we have been working on, was awarded "Corporate Brand of the Year" in the China Licensing Expo 2018. Such industry recognition continues to motivate me to do what I am passionate about.

The past seven years with the Group have been an amazing journey for my personal growth and career development. I firmly believe that China will continue to be a driving force in the global economy and the key growth engine for the Group in the many years to come. China will continue to offer great opportunities for businesses and career advancement for aspiring individuals.

Gary talks about focusing on technology at Fung Retailing Group in Shanghai, China.

I am involved in incubating new businesses through technologies. I am the primary contact person for our partnership with the artificial intelligence (AI) division of one of China's leading e-commerce players. We aim to build up a seamless end-to-end shopping experience for our consumers by applying AI to different types of retail stores. There are several initiatives under this partnership including AI display screens, cash registers, etc.

My role is full of challenges due to the market conditions in China. Driven by technology companies, the market moves faster and faster. For example, Alibaba and JD are expanding from online to offline under their new retail / boundaryless retail business models. We need to keep up-to-date with the advances in technologies and their applications to retail.

The Fung Retailing Group is a good platform for me to develop retail and technology knowledge and build people networks. The Fung Group is in a unique position as a bridge between China and the West - while Chinese customers would like to know about the retail world in the western world through us, western brands also see us as a reliable partner to enter China. Increasingly, we receive enquiries from Chinese brands about helping them expand internationally.

PMD provides a strong network and support to enable us to keep up with the development of the Fung Group. It has been a wonderful journey.

Huayu talks about his rotation assignment in the China Sourcing and Production Platform reviewing key business processes to enhance efficiency and productivity.

My first rotation was in the China Sourcing and Production Platform (SPP) in Shanghai. Senior executives trusted me and empowered me to lead business process reviews to increase productivity. I was able to effectively incorporate my suggestions and action plans into their daily operations. My second rotation was with LF Asia Direct. I was given the opportunity to drive the business through market intelligence, product development and supply chain structuring, etc.

As a Management Associate, I was given plenty of opportunities to learn key business insights from senior leaders of the Fung Group. I would like to be able to apply the business knowledge I have acquired in my job placement.

I am happy with my job placement at LF Asia Direct. I now take a lead to explore new market opportunities and product offerings to our key customers as well as enhance our digital platform to generate more business leads.

PMD is not about where you are from. It is about who you can be and the future of global supply chain. With the relentless efforts and full support from the PMD Team, we develop ourselves into the leaders we aspire to be.

Be prepared to get your hands dirty, master business knowhow and deliver business results. PMD is a mission. It is an exciting and rewarding journey.

Chris talks about the different strategic initiatives he has been involved in since he joined the program.

I never would have imagined the Initial Development training we received in the first year. Our intake travelled across the globe, meeting face-to-face with business heads and industry leaders; having in-depth conversations about the future of supply chain as well as seeing first-hand, state-of-the-art technologies yet to even hit the market. In any other organization, it could take years to be afforded that kind of attention and experience. The PMD team worked with us closely to make sure we were seen and heard, and was involved every step of the way. I completed the first year with connections to our senior leaders, well-versed in our operations, service offerings and respective markets dynamics.

As a member of Fung Academy's Competitive Intelligence (CI) team, my day-to-day responsibilities include delivering analysis, strategies and plans to support business development, revenue generation and various problem-solving within the Fung Group's subsidiary companies. This work includes teaming up with respective business units to explore relevant technologies, industry and market insights to enhance understanding of retail, product and production markets in an effort to support capabilities across the Fung Group.

Since joining PMD, I have been pulled into numerous assignments and strategic initiatives, including "Risk Assessments of Fung Group Supply Chains" - employing artificial intelligence principles to assess and mitigate risks to the supply chain in our respective production countries; "Made 2 Measure" - a collaborative effort between Fung Academy, top factories and production technologies to prototype future digital supply chains; "RFID & Fung Group" - working with leading RFID technology providers to implement the technology across our supply chain to assist in efficiency management, inventory accuracy, POS as well as logistics. There are different initiatives happening across the Group, so there is plenty to get involved in.

My background in general management has allowed me to have considerable impact on the initiatives, making sure to look comprehensively at our supply chains from sourcing and production all the way to our end consumers. Our mission is to make life better for one billion people across the supply chain and I know we do it every day.

The Fung Group has considerable breadth across the supply chain and industries, so there is no shortage of opportunities. As for me, I aspire to develop my career in a general management capacity employing the strategy skills I have learnt from CI as well as my previous experience to support growth in the Group.

Marco shares his professional development since the start of his PMD journey.

To find your passion, you have to explore and try out new and different things. PMD has enabled me to discover myself and my abilities, and at the same time add value to the Group.

During Initial Development, I got to work on projects in multiple cities and countries while learning more about our trading and retailing businesses. Some of my most memorable projects included finding a path to profitability and opening up potential sales channels to grow the business at a product testing laboratory in Shenzhen, China, as well as working on a customer interface journey project for a prominent cosmetics company in the US.

What I cherished the most about Initial Development was the geographic exposure. It allowed me to think about issues and solutions from multiple perspectives - a crucial skill to have in a company as diverse as the Fung Group.

After Initial Development, I was placed in Toys"R"Us as Senior Inventory Control Manager in Shanghai, China in 2013 managing procurement, store allocations and product financial planning. I was transferred to Hong Kong in 2016 and became Regional Manager under the various functions of E-commerce, Merchandising and Merchandise Planning. I was consulted for the regional e-commerce / omni-channel business, managed the retail feature area space, and ensured sales, margin and inventory were on target.

Explorium Hong Kong under the Fung Academy offered me another exciting career opportunity in December 2018. Explorium Hong Kong is Fung Group's innovation and collaboration hub. It aims at connecting the Fung Group to the external innovation eco-system where we look for opportunities to partner with start-ups and institutions, etc. to co-create business value.

On a day-to-day, I work with a team of out-of-the-box thinkers hailing from North America, Europe and Asia. We run various programs with the aim of helping the Fung Group build capability and capacity as well as accelerate the learning and knowledge base. We experiment with new ideas and business models, and try to stay ahead of the curve in an ever-more technologically disruptive world.

Wasif talks about his present role with idsMED and how his projects enhance the efficiency and profitability of the business.

My role at idsMED is to conceptualize corporate initiatives and see them through completion. Since my placement in 2015, I have worked on a diverse portfolio of projects aimed at increasing efficiency and profitability of the company.

My first project was to develop a suite of iPad applications for our internal staff that resulted in simplification of operational processes, making it easier for customers to do business with us. Currently, I am in charge of setting up the Revenue and Contract Management department across eight countries to employ sophisticated data analytics to improve profit margins and to minimize the legal risk by ensuring alignment with the company's legal policy in all legal documents.

What I particularly enjoy about my role is the freedom to think of new ideas and to witness the positive impact that their implementation has on the various aspects of the business. During the process of implementation, I have to work with different teams across the business operations and that has been a great experience for me. The confidence that management has invested in me, and the autonomy that I have in managing the projects are extremely reassuring.

I have been lucky that my placement has continued to provide the global exposure that PMD is known for. The regional nature of my role often requires me to travel to different countries resulting in the opportunities to hone my soft skills and be sensitive to cultural nuances - something that is really important to be an effective manager.