Global Citizen story Munich to Beijing
Michael Riffel, Manager in the Wood Products Team from Munich, Germany, transferred to AFRY Management Consulting's Beijing office.
The experience allowed him to gain valuable insights into the local market, make meaningful connections with delightful colleagues, and broaden his expertise.
How did you end up choosing the location you transferred to?
During my studies, I spent one year in China and was fascinated by the country. That's why I transferred to our Beijing office, which was finally possible after the travel restrictions of the last three years.
Since my team regularly receives client requests involving the Chinese surfacing and wood-based panels market, the office exchange programme offered a brilliant opportunity to get to know and understand the market better. Data available from statistics is limited and often contradictory, so it’s necessary to talk to people locally to understand how to interpret it.
Shortly after I arrived, we won a project requiring us to look into selected provinces within China. Being in China helped me greatly in delivering my work.
What kinds of expectations of the working culture of the transfer location did you have before leaving? To what extent were they realistic?
Since I was working in China before, there were no big surprises. Respectively it was in line with my previous experiences. I was a bit worried about the COVID situation and if there would be any restrictions since China had just opened up shortly before I arrived. Luckily, this was not a problem.
AFRY puts a high value on a culture of brave and devoted team players, inclusion & diversity and Making Future. How were these values part of everyday life at your transfer office?
My colleagues in Beijing welcomed me very kindly and offered support and help whenever I needed it. All of them were very responsive at any time of the day and helped me with the day-to-day struggles in the beginning when I arrived. The I&D week was also celebrated in the Beijing office, and we had an interesting ongoing discussion.
Your top 3 most memorable experiences regarding the local working culture?
The Beijing office is home to Bioindustry and Energy, but it felt like one team, which I genuinely enjoyed. The work atmosphere was relaxed but dedicated and professional.
The team event that the office organised close to the beginning of my arrival was also a nice way to get to know my colleagues better.
- Visiting the industry exhibitions in Chengdu and Guangzhou. We were able to gather information, understand the market better and build up new contacts.
Why would you recommend doing an office transfer?
There is no better way to learn about a country and its culture than staying there for a prolonged period of time.
Of course, it's a bonus that you can explore new places and food outside of working hours and on weekends.
What are the most valuable lessons learned during the transfer that you can use to improve your own work and the working culture at your home office?
The European approach to doing business doesn't translate 1:1 to the Chinese one. Plenty of cultural understanding is required, which doesn't come easy by itself. In addition, it is a plus if you're using WeChat since much of the business talk is not done via mail but rather informally by chatting on the app.
Although I'm still far away from being fluent in Chinese, I was also able to improve my language proficiency, which will help me in the future when working on projects about China.
Is there anything else related to the transfer that you would like to share with us?
I would like to thank AFRY and everyone involved who made this exchange possible! At this point, I can only encourage everyone to take this possibility AFRY offers and spend some time in another location. You don't just get to know the people better, which you might only know from video chats, but you also learn a lot about the local market and culture, which will benefit AFRY as well.
