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REGIONAL NEWS | Shanghai | In Person
What is your personal and business background?
I joined TÜV Rheinland Shanghai in 1990. It is
now one of TÜV Rheinland’s largest overseas
branches with almost 800 employees. When I
started working in Shanghai, China was slowly
opening up its doors to foreign organisations
so I had the great opportunity to grow together
with the company and to know a wide variety
of departments ranging from management to
financial administration. Throughout my career
in TÜV Rheinland, I continued to obtain qualifications
and successfully completed a Diploma
in Management from CEIBS. My current responsibilities
include monitoring and supporting the
function of Greater China business line Systems
and Training & Consulting services, as well as
supporting line Administration/Procurement,
Central Sales/Customer Service, Finance and
Controlling, Human Resources and Marketing.
Tell us a little about your company and activities
in China.
Established in Cologne, Germany over 140 years
ago, TÜV Rheinland is a leader in the provision
of testing and certification services. We
have over 500 offices in 61 countries on all five
continents. With nearly 16,000 employees, we
achieve a turnover of approximately EUR 1.4bn
a year. Our guiding principle is to achieve sustainable
development through upholding safety
and quality standards. With our global network,
in-depth knowledge and expertise, and wealth
of experience, we help China-based manufacturers
and retailers to meet the highest standard
requirements, reduce recall risks, protect brand
equity, and enhance branding position. With
ten offices and over 2,700 employees in Greater
China now, we are strategically positioned to
deliver local testing and certification services
to ensure the safety of products and the quality
of management systems. Our 2,700-strong
employees are committed to deliver on clients’
requirements by reaching a competitive bal-
70 April - May 2012
ance between reliable, high-quality products,
safe working conditions and low environmental
impact. Our service scope covers a wide range of
sectors from industry and energy, transportation,
machinery, electric and non-electric products,
food, system management certification and
training & consulting.
Are your products mainly for export or the domestic
market?
Since we launched operations in the domestic
market more than 20 years ago, our business
has mostly focused on the export market. Over
recent years, we have developed more and more
services for the domestic market. I believe our
involvement and service development for the
domestic market will only increase with the
further development of the Chinese economy.
Meanwhile, the testing and certification industry
also underwent tremendous changes. In
our early days, we mainly provided testing and
certification for relatively simple products. Our
local testing procedures were solely concerned
with product safety. Now, in line with higher
consumer expectations, we also look at functionality,
durability, hazardous substances and
electromagnetic compatibility. Chinese consumers
are also becoming more concerned with
environmental issues and are looking to improve
energy efficiency. As a third-party testing and
certification body, we have to face the challenge
of always staying one step ahead of the market.
We believe we have performed very well here.
What kind of benefits can companies using
your services in China get?
I believe our competitive advantage is our brand
reputation, price-for-value, and lead time in the
market. As a matter of fact, brand reputation
includes market recognition, reliability & professionalism,
service attitude, testing capability,
etc. Your brand is your promise of the value that
your clients will receive. TÜV Rheinland Group
provides high quality and professional services
Cathy Yan
Company: TÜV Rheinland (Shanghai) Co.
Ltd.
Job Title/Position: Vice President of TÜV
Rheinland Greater China
Year of Foundation: 1990
HQ: Shanghai
Main Business: Testing and Certification
Number of Employees: 800 (Shanghai);
3,000 (Greater China)
within a reasonable price and lead time. At
the same time, we suggest that manufacturers
don’t pay too much attention to price and lead
time. Instead, they should consider all the three
factors above when selecting a certification
body. The quality of service may directly affect
the testing result. Product safety and quality
issues are closely linked to people’s well-being
and should not be treated lightly. Meanwhile,
we provide package services to retailers, buyers
and suppliers throughout the supply chain.
The service can also be customized. In addition,
we provide green solution package services like
carbon footprint calculation/verification/auditing
and energy efficiency to help customers
achieve sustainable growth.
What are your short and long-term objectives,
especially in China?
China is the focus of the world. TÜV Rheinland
Greater China is the focus of our group
development strategy. I hope my team and I
can tackle new challenges and create added
value for our company in the process. We now
have ten offices with over 2,700 employees in
Greater China. Our strategic geographic presence
is aimed at serving customers with the
utmost efficiency. As long as our customers
have the need, we will do our best to provide
them with one-stop services. For the next few
years of development in China, we will pay special
attention to the energy sector and electromobility.
The demand for services related to
energy production and generation is growing as
well. We have also traditionally been the leader
in the field of photovoltaic testing, accounting
for about 80% of all PV certificates issued in
China. As for electro-mobility, it is not a dream
of the future; it is already part of our business.
At present, China in particular is playing
a leading role in this field. Our services include
charge system testing for electric vehicles, hybrid
bicycles, electrical motorbikes and special
vehicles for disabled persons, as well as the use
of electric cars.