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.
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