Published on 04 Sep 2020
Driven by a strong sense of purpose and determination, Amy Liu, Senior Technical Officer at BSM China, is delighted with what she has achieved so far in her career with Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM).
“Having joined BSM in 2010, with zero experience and no technical knowledge of the industry, I just saw it as a huge opportunity to learn.”
Amy’s experience and tenure at BSM betray the youthful face smiling back, and the mother of one is now in her 10th year with BSM.
Recounting the past, she said: “I was so determined to catch up with my more experienced colleagues that when I first started at BSM, I sent my then one year old son to live with my parents who were living in another city for four months. During that time, I immersed myself in the subject and learned everything there is to know about ship management.”
“I remember bringing stacks of documents back home to continue reading at home till midnight. It took a lot of sacrifice but gradually my efforts paid off! I understand my work better now and I can also communicate better with the Masters and Chief Engineers, providing them with the information they need quickly.”
No stranger to adversity, Amy is open to challenges and takes them all in her stride. She is part of the BSM’s HiPo programme where high potential employees are identified and developed to accelerate their growth within the company.
She cited 2017 as an immensely challenging yet satisfying year for her. On top of having seven vessels under her care that year, devoting time to being part of the HiPo programme, she also had to juggle part-time studies and help her child with a critical state exam that year. All is well that ends well. Despite the intense pressure, she surpassed all expectations and even won BSM’s local employee award in the same year.
She credits her colleagues for her success too, highlighting mentors who coached her and helped her along her journey.
Another important person she wants to thank, and who was critical to her success is her husband. “Without his support and encouragement, I would not have been able to get to where I am now.”
Amy is proud to see the growing female presence in the Shanghai office. She acknowledges that it is not easy working in a male dominated environment, but it is not impossible. One takeaway is that you must be adaptable when working. “If you cannot change them, you can try to put yourself in their shoes and persuade them from their perspective.”
She has come a long way since she first started out and feels like she has achieved a sense of balance now – with work and home life in sync with each other. Amy ends the interview on a contemplative note with a quote of her own:
“All things are difficult, before they are easy.”
