“As a consultant, I get to dive into new trends”

Shawn is a consultant in our Shanghai office. He joined 4flow after completing his master’s degree in the UK. In this interview he speaks about his experience studying abroad, life as a supply chain consultant, and his love for traditional Chinese culture.

How did you make your way to 4flow?
I started at the 4flow Shanghai office directly after my master’s degree in the UK, where I studied supply chain and logistics management. Many people I studied with also joined 4flow here in Shanghai, and so I got to know 4flow through them. I really enjoyed the time at university because it allowed me to meet these now-colleagues and learn a lot about supply chain, while also having a great international experience studying abroad.

Is there an aspect of studying abroad that you especially enjoyed?
I got to meet students from so many countries. I definitely enjoy a multicultural environment. That’s something I also like about 4flow. I have many colleagues in Germany, for example, and so I travel to Berlin sometimes. It’s always a lot of fun when we come together because we are a great team.

In your eyes, what makes a great team?
We collaborate very harmoniously without much hierarchy. I think it’s great that I can joke with managers and principals, but still everyone is very detail-oriented and sincere when it comes to our projects. I like to call this “work-life integration” because I have many friends at work, so I feel like my social life is integrated into my workday. And at the same time, I can work on innovative supply chain trends that really fascinate me.

Sounds interesting – what are the most important supply chain trends to you?
I see supply chain digitization, synchronization and consolidation as important trends right now. And I believe that these trends haven’t reached their peak yet, as mid-sized and small companies are starting to see the potential of an optimized supply chain. I love that, as a consultant, I get to dive into new trends.

Do you have any tips for other young people thinking about a career in consulting?
To me, consulting is a great career path if you want to grow and learn a lot. Also, my job is very customer-focused – we always strive to provide the best solutions possible for our customers. This can be challenging sometimes but I think that you just need to believe in yourself and also take time to do things that you love in your free time.

Speaking of that – how do you like to spend your free time?
I’ve played basketball since I was a child. It always makes me happy. Recently I also started snowboarding and took a snowboarding trip to Northern China. The views there are amazing. I also love traveling to old Chinese towns. It really relaxes me because life there is very slow and easy, and the people are so open and kind. I really love the traditional Chinese culture. Especially the music is so calming and beautiful. It’s a nice contrast to my busy life in modern Shanghai, which I also really like.

What do you particularly like about Shanghai?
I think it’s great that there are so many young people starting their careers in the city. It’s very easy to make new friends here because we are all in the same phase in life. On the weekends, we like to meet in a café or a pub and share our experiences. What I also love is our Friday lounge in the office, where we come together to talk about our week. To me it’s really important to have these connections.