Chan Yam Ping (Michael Chan) is Senior R&D Engineer at Sunstar Singapore. He joined Sunstar in 2017.
What did you want to be when you were a kid?
I wanted to be a commander in the army or a member of tactical forces. As I grew older, I became more interested in mechanical devices, robotics, and exoskeletons. Getting more and more curious about how those things were produced and built to perform. Thus, I pursued Mechanical Engineering, and here I am today.
How would your friends describe you?
Independent, not very talkative, and sporty.
What are your hobbies?
I really enjoy sports, traveling, and photography. I like team sports like basketball, badminton, and tennis. After university, I often spend hours in a gym after working hours and during weekends to keep myself in shape. Lately, I have changed from weightlifting to street running. Running through the streets after a long day to sweat all out makes me feel good, especially when I break my own records. Likewise, I like to travel to different countries and take photos of nice places and landscapes. I prefer keeping those memories by taking more photos which I think memories will fade over time, but photos can last as long as we keep them well.
What’s your favorite family tradition?
Reunion dinner. I enjoy the process of preparing for the annual reunion dinner, celebrating the new year, and spending time with family and friends. I would drive to collect my friends and gather at some place for chit chats and drinks. In recent years, we would plan to travel occasionally to enjoy our new year holiday.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
Developing a high-performance product that meets customers’ expectations and sells well in the market. Maybe the proudest one has yet to come, and I will continue to pursue future opportunities for better accomplishments.
What was your first job?
R&D design engineer developing fishing rods. In that position, I worked on product development, participated in developing a data management system, and cross-function troubleshooting. For product development, I handled projects of various fishing styles for different markets, namely Europe, Japan, and Southeast Asia. This job changed the mindset of “single common rod can conquer the whole world”. In fact, each rod is designed specifically based on multiple factors that make each rod perform differently and efficiently for each target fish, from feeling sensitive fish bites below water to fighting giant trevally over half an hour to land the fish.
What is your favorite thing about your career?
My favorite part is that I could have opportunities to explore new technologies and learn new stuff along the process of developing a product. I enjoy meeting up with experts, listening to their valuable experiences, and sharing thoughts and ideas that would then inspire me for my work.
Tell us in one sentence what you do at Sunstar.
I provide engineering support and solutions to multiple stakeholders reactively and proactively by integrating required elements with available technology that is feasible to produce good-performance automotive parts that meet technical requirements at the most competitive price possible.
What is the best part of working at Sunstar?
The best part is to have a great working environment with many opportunities to explore, learn and develop. I also enjoy taking responsibility against challenges to hit goals and create something beneficial for our stakeholders and us.
What would you like Sunstar to look like on its 100th anniversary?
I would like Sunstar to become an iconic company with sustainable manufacturing and products available everywhere in the market at all price ranges, from basic performance to premium grades with aesthetically attractive and top-performing products.
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