Truthfully, I want to say that 2023 went by fast but it really didn’t. In fact, there were days where time passed by a bit too slow.
2023 was a lot of things to me. It was the year of an ending, transitioning, beginning, adapting, learning to rest & learning to lead a team.
July this year, I ended my 1.5 year rotation as a Shell Commercial Fuels (CF) Analyst based in Kuala Lumpur. I concluded my first role having successfully managed the demand forecast of collectively 1 billion litres of fuel across all Shell owned & JV terminals throughout Malaysia. My role primarily entailed crisis management which meant that every news about what could go wrong with molecule availability, came to me first.
Together with the CF team, I’ve weathered through major refinery turnarounds, volatility of fuel prices during wars, vessel delays, weather issues & unexpected spikes in demand just to name a few. All through this, I delivered an improvement in CF demand forecast from 55% to a 70% average, helping manage cost of delivery & keeping our customers happy by ensuring we deliver the right products at the right time.
2023 was also a year of a new beginning for me. In August this year, I begun my new role as Shell Territory Manager and relocated to Kuantan, Pahang. I am responsible for the operational excellence of a portfolio of retailers in Kuantan & West Pahang.
Fast forward, 5 months into my role - I have learnt that leadership begins by listening more than talking & showing up through both good or bad times. I am sure I will discover more about leadership in 2024 & I am looking forward to it. In the 5 months I’m with the mobility team, I won my first ever GM Award together with the East Coast team.
On a personal front, this year I made a conscious decision to take a much-needed break from my PhD. I held on for as long as I could to juggle the requirements of my PhD alongside with my fast paced job. It was hard to admit I needed rest after 2 years of constant acceleration with my PhD.
Making my break official & sending in a formal letter to my university honestly felt like defeat but I am thankful to my PhD supervisor, Professor Andreas Zins who constantly reminds me that there is no shame in taking a break.
As I reflect on 2023, I believe I have a lot to be thankful for. I thank God, family, friends, mentors, my PhD supervisors, my previous Shell CF team & my new Shell South East Coast team for making 2023 a meaningful year.
This week I’m taking some time off with family & friends in Sarawak and i’m fully immersing myself in the festivities and the joy of being home.
Here’s to being hopeful that 2024 will be a great year filled with many moments to celebrate!
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