Mai Nguyen
Supply Chain Project Lead, 3M
Connecting with others is the secret to success
In the face of constant change, from her early years growing up in Vietnam, to university in the UK, through to her first roles working in supply chain management, Mai has prioritised putting herself out there and making connections with others to succeed, and make the most out of her scientific career.
When I was in high school, I remember an interesting newspaper article about logistics and managing supply chains that caught my eye. They weren’t things I’d ever given much thought to, but the article explained how there was a shortage of qualified people working in this field in Vietnam.
It really got me thinking about my future career. Shipping and transport are one of the essential aspects for the success of every country, particularly in Vietnam where I am from as it is next to the ocean and has underdeveloped infrastructure.
I already knew that I would be happier working in a job that would provide me with lots of variety rather than a repetitive front-line role, so this really appealed to me. Looking back, it was sort of a ‘eureka’ moment that led me to my career today.
I moved to Di An City in Binh Duong Province, South Vietnam, to live with my mum and sister when I was 13. I had been living with my dad in central Vietnam and had a strong accent, so others found it hard to understand me.
I didn’t let this stop me from putting myself out there – whether it was making friends or my education. After a few months, I began to develop a passion for chemistry. A teacher encouraged me to apply to a specialist high school and I got a place studying a wide range of subjects and majoring in chemistry.
My ‘eureka moment’ in high school led me to study Supply Chain Management at the University of Huddersfield in the UK and go on to start a career in this field. In 2020, I joined 3M through its Optimised Operations Programme – a two-year structured manufacturing and supply chain development programme.
Working in this specialism has involved making a lot of new and valuable connections, with team members as well as colleagues working on the production line and in other functions. Only by working together am I able to get my job done, and produce the best outcomes.
But this doesn’t come without its challenges! The biggest was working remotely during the pandemic. When I joined 3M’s Aycliffe plant in County Durham, where we make respirators to protect front-line healthcare workers and others, a lot of training sessions that would usually be done in person took place remotely. Between the ‘Oh, I think you’re on mute’s’ and the ‘Can you see my screen’s’ it made it a lot harder to build strong connections and relationships with people and work together as a team.
But once restrictions were lifted and we were able to meet in person again, these connections blossomed. My job involves running manufacturing projects, in areas such as quality and planning, and the fact I get to call on the expertise of the entire team is invaluable!
In much the same way as I put myself out there when joining a new school and following my passions in the classroom, at 3M I’ve joined special interest groups, such as the Women’s Leadership Forum and New Employee Opportunities Network, as a way of widening my network and meeting new people. This has also been a great way to connect with senior leaders in the organisation.
It was difficult to reach out and take the first step, but I took the plunge and have never looked back.
I’ve learnt to be open to change and am about to start a new job at 3M, as a supply chain analyst for our manufacturing facility in Bangor, Northern Ireland. I’ll still be based at Aycliffe, but will be travelling to the Bangor site regularly. It’s an exciting new opportunity for me and the chance to make some, you guessed it, valuable new connections.