For October’s edition of Get to Know the CEO, we had the opportunity to sit down with Helen Chou, President & CEO, Charisma International Consulting Co., Ltd.
Helen Chou is the President and CEO of Charisma International Consulting. She possesses significant industry knowledge and consulting experience, gained over her more than 30-year career. Built upon her mix of commercial and executive search experience, in a number of global key markets and industry sectors. Helen is respected for the value she brings to executive searches, leadership coaching and business consulting. She owns her company of Charisma International Consulting since 2010 with the focuses on Semiconductor, FPD, Consumer Electronics, Materials and Equipment, Renewables, Energy, Hardware & Software (ex. AI, ML, IoT, 5G, Auto, …), Retail and FMCG, Cultural Innovation, Start-ups, FSI (Finance, Security and Insurance), Telecom, and Industrial Sectors. Prior to that, her work experiences include working for global MNCs, such as Heidrick & Struggles, Atos Origin, Oracle, and Philips with various senior positions in Asia Pacific region. Helen holds an MBA degree from Kobe University in Japan (major: Multinational Enterprises); and a BS degree in Finance & Taxation from National Cheng Chi University in Taiwan. Besides her native tongue, Mandarin, Helen also speaks fluent English and Japanese.
Read the full interview below:
Q: What personal projects will you be working on this weekend?
A: Approaching to two consecutive holidays in Taiwan, this weekend I am so delighted to be working on 2/3 major social activities outside of Taipei. These activities cover the ESG visiting program and art & cultural gathering with the young generations. Personally, I feel so excited and fantastic to explore more with the different social groups and being able to share with them my accumulated international experiences and really contribute to the growth of these young individuals and organizations.
Q: What advice would you give to early-career engineers/people wanting to get into your vertical market/people wanting to start a company in the current climate/etc?
A: Always keep positive thinking; Really understand what you want and achieve in the future; Think out of box and act step-by-step; Don’t give up easily before you still can do something to move on and up; Evaluation and reflection!
Q: What was your first job in the industry?
A: Helen’s answer: It was a role of production planner in Philips where I learnt a lot about global manufacturing effectiveness & efficiency, CWQI, operational excellency, supply chain management, procurement & vendor management in the multinational enterprises.
Q: What advice would you give to your younger self? OR What advice do you wish you had when you graduated?
A: Travel more countries, make more friends and practice more with local people.
Q: Who was your mentor? What is the best piece of advice you received from him/her?
A: Many of supervisors, leaders, MDs, Presidents in Philips, Oracle,“Let’s make things better” and “Lead by example.”
Q: What book do you read over and over again? OR What book are you currently reading?
A: CEO Excellence, The Power of Leadership Metaphors, The Myths of Innovation, Zen and the BRAIN. Currently reading more books related to Art and Literature, Aesthetic Education