Introduction PengSoon

Managing Director, Cicor sites Dongguan and Suzhou

I was born and raised in Penang, Malaysia. From a young age, I was fascinated by movement, building things, and mathematics, which naturally led me to pursue mechanical engineering as my field of study. I was fortunate to be introduced to computer programming during my undergraduate years, a skill that later became invaluable in managing operations throughout my career.

At the very start of my career, I spent a brief but formative period with a Japanese semiconductor manufacturer (Hitachi Semiconductor). This experience provided a solid foundation in Japanese lean manufacturing principles, the semiconductor industry, and epoxy molding processes.

During my 15 years at Motorola, I gained exposure to various functions, with a primary focus on quality management, Six Sigma continuous improvement, and procurement. My deep interest in data analytics and Six Sigma methodologies led me to pursue a Master’s degree in Statistics on a part-time basis. I was certified Six Sigma black belt in 2002 and had the opportunity to conduct Six Sigma courses and provide project consultancy both internally at Motorola and externally, gaining valuable experience across diverse manufacturing processes and component technologies with world-class suppliers. In addition to the exciting negotiations, I focused extensively on developing an activities-based cost model for electronics assembly and PCB/flex boards during my time in procurement. The principles behind this model remain relevant and have significantly streamlined the costing estimation process for most products and services whenever I need to make an estimate.

My curiosity about how sales and services function inspired me to join Dell's customer experience team, where I worked on driving improvements across sales, marketing, manufacturing, and logistics in the Asia Pacific region.

One of the most pivotal chapters in my career was joining Dongguan, which, despite requiring a prolonged period away from family, allowed me to fully dedicate myself to factory transformation. Over the first five years, the transformation journey included a complete factory layout redesign, major equipment upgrades, new manufacturing processes, implementing a Manufacturing Execution System (MES), introducing a new ERP system, and developing a Lean Kaizen system. Perhaps the most rewarding part was upgrading the skillset of the workforce, including advanced training in Python programming for back-office functions like customer service, HR, finance, and supply chain.

Now, I’m excited to collaborate with all my Cicor colleagues to deliver an exceptional customer experience!

Outside of work, my passions are running, swimming, and biking, which help me maintain both physical and mental strength and discipline. My ideal vacations involve scuba diving trips or participating in marathons.