Having assumed the role of a leader in one of the most established multinational companies, Canon Malaysia, Sandy Lee shares her greatest life lessons and what has molded her upbringing to become who she is today.
An accomplished woman, the driving force behind a multinational brand
If there was ever a moment she could speak to her younger self, Canon Marketing Malaysia’s Head of Division Personal System Devices, Sandy Lee would have told her, “Embrace changes and do not be afraid of failures. Because every experience, be it good or bad, is an opportunity to learn and to grow ourselves.”
Reflecting on her past during an exclusive interview with Sarawak Tribune, Lee, who is based in Kuala Lumpur, reminisces about all the life-changing experiences she has had. As a young girl, Lee was active in sports — from the track field to the volleyball court. During her primary and secondary school days, she was also appointed head prefect.
It was those types of experiences that made her who she is today. Resilience, teamwork, and leadership are the three values that she was instilled with from a young age. Now, at 53 years old, Lee leads Canon’s printing division for Malaysia, where she oversees the consumer and B2B market.
And when she is not in the office, she will be in the yoga studio, “three classes a week!” she exclaimed. A hobby that she clings to as a de-stressing method, she also does gardening and baking, which helps her release the stress she faced at work.
Life in ‘Canon Malaysia’ big family
Canon Marketing (Malaysia) first entered the country in 1987 after its establishment worldwide in 1937. Lee entered the company in 1997 after she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics. With Canon, Lee remained dedicated and passionate throughout, thus marking her 29th year being in the company.
“When I shared with people how long I have been in Canon, many were surprised and asked me how could I stay for so long. The team back in those days wasn’t as large as today. We were very close-knit, like a family working together. We had good bonding and teamwork together,” said the youngest among eight siblings.
Lee also added that a multinational corporation was a good company to work in. As the company grew 38 years ago, she was among the early pioneers to watch the expansion in terms of the number of employees, and sales turnover. She also witnessed the culmination of technological devices, particularly printers and cameras.
Attached to the marketing department back when she first joined, Lee rose to leadership, attending to the camera and printer division as a lead for the marketing team. The promotion was another life-changing experience for her as she had to learn the products thoroughly, especially the cameras as she was previously assigned to only printers.
“It wasn’t a challenge, but more like part of a new experience for me. I had to work with a new team, leading them closely. Nevertheless, it went well. The challenges of it all were the stiff competition that we faced, but that is all the matter of how we strategise in Canon.”
Although the team has grown larger, the spirit of togetherness and teamwork remains deeply rooted in the company, under her watch. Whenever colleagues from other branches visited the headquarters, it felt like a Chinese New Year reunion, she described the moment.
Beating the challenge in life
Upholding a heavy role in the company does not exhaust her, Lee conceded. However, it is the regular workload that comes in that may cause burnout. But the perseverance in her helped her steadfastly.
“I am a person that places an expectation on myself. With work, I deliver it according to my expectations. So it probably takes up time, hence, time management is very important. In the beginning, I may procrastinate, but I find that I get stressed out when work piles up. I overcame that by making sure to prepare in advance ahead of the deadline so that I do not have that kind of stress, and it helped a lot in my work,” she said.
The life lessons
Leading the team by example, Lee believes that teamwork amongst the company is crucial. Without good teamwork, any good product marketing can fail.
“As a leader, I am quite democratic, and I promote collaboration within the team itself. I strongly believe that good team members are an asset to the company, therefore, I often promote achieving goals together, empowering them by trusting them with responsibilities, and to accomplish the objectives together.”
That is among the life lessons that Lee had learned throughout her time in Canon. When holding onto her leadership role, she believed that it is important to have a sense of empathy.
“Communication is important too. They are the team and should be aware of what is happening around them so they can contribute and grow within the company itself.”
Apart from that, staying resilient and agile are important life values she learned as well. “Changes are bound to happen in a company.” Hence, the ability to adapt and persevere can help in facing challenges that may arise.
With almost three decades up her sleeve, Lee’s legacy in the company remains her proudest achievement. According to her, the Canon printers for the inkjet segment have been the number one inkjet brand consecutively since 1996. For that, she wants to maintain this legacy for as long as possible.
“I always tell the younger generations in Canon to not be afraid to try it out, to embrace whatever challenges that come,” and with that Lee’s conversation with the Sarawak Tribune ends, leaving significant and inspiring advice for the coming generation — to always move forward regardless of the storm.
