Ivy Chan

“A career isn’t only about capability. It’s also about the fit to the company – and a little bit about luck and timing,” says Ivy Chan, Vice President for Regional Shared Service Centre in APAC, about her journey from controller to Vice President, adding: “and saying YES to every opportunity you’re given!”

Do your best with every opportunity 

Talking about her career and moving up the corporate ladder, Ivy’s promotions have a common denominator: She was the youngest person chosen for the role in question.

“Being the youngest and often the only female in a room of leaders, I had to find the confidence to speak up for myself and demand my ground”, Ivy recalls and adds: “Luckily, I’ve always had a good boss and someone I consider a mentor that could help me find my voice as a manager and leader. That has been very important to me.”  

With Ivy’s track record, it could seem like she had her eyes set on a specific goal from the beginning of her career, but that is not the case. “I didn’t have a set ambition, but I did my best with every opportunity I was given. I always do,” Ivy underlines.

Joining DSV through an acquisition

Ivy’s career brought her to DSV in 2019, when Panalpina and DSV joined forces. Looking back, it was an uncertain time for Ivy: 

“When the acquisition was announced, I didn’t know if I’d still have a job. It was worrying, but I promised myself I’d do my very best at DSV.” And her dedication and efforts secured Ivy a role as regional CFO for the APAC region.

“When I was offered the job, my new manager told me I would be offered a major role in designing my future job. It felt great to be acknowledged for my hard work, and I immediately said yes”, Ivy underlines and tells about her time at DSV: “It’s been a great journey, and I learn something new every day at DSV. There have been challenges along the way, but my manager always has complete faith in me and reassures me we are on the right path.”

To Ivy, the right path is never predictable. “Although I’m accounting trained, and many people think we like to do the same thing every day, that is not the case for me. New and different are aspects I find very exciting.”

Listen and trust 

In her daily work, Ivy is a leader to many people. It is important to her that everyone feels trusted and empowered to make decisions. That’s part of the DSV culture.

“I always listen carefully to what my employees have to say, and I trust in their abilities. We respect each other, and although we sometimes disagree, we always focus on solving the task at hand. And that is key,” Ivy says and explains:

“DSV’s structure is set up in a way where we always prioritise helping each other to solve issues very fast. That’s part of what enables us to keep growing so fast – we see new perspectives and skills as an opportunity to learn more and become even better.”