After graduating from one of China’s top universities with a master’s degree in electrical engineering and working in commercial sales, marketing and management positions, Melon describes her career path as “the perfect journey into her current role at bp.”
Last year, Melon moved from Castrol Marine Lubricants to her current role as a key account manager at Castrol China Auto Lubricants. Now, looking after bp’s super-car dealer group, she explores her passion for people: “Day to day, I work with customers to understand their strategies and requirements and then liaise with different functional teams to develop their account strategy for the next three to five years. Once an account strategy is agreed, we deliver products and services to our customers to bring value to them and deliver our short-term financial targets and long-term strategic collaborations.”
As a key account manager with a strong passion for people, Melon takes the development of her colleagues very seriously:
"I manage and grow my team and their competencies to enhance their development journeys – I love spending time with my team."
Melon humbly acknowledges that the shift from the marine industry into the automotive industry was challenging: “My old relationships and industry networks were no longer relevant anymore. When I made the move, I was quite nervous. I know that I am very good at dealing with people and building relationships, but I’m still a newcomer in this industry.” But Melon was not alone in this transition: “My line manager, my team and functional team colleagues spent time to help me quickly familiarise myself with the industry, our offers and customers. My previous line manager knew that I had an opportunity to gain more exposure and go for a promotion, which he supported me with, despite it leaving him with limited resources. This truly illustrates how bp’s line managers really put talent management first, sometimes ahead of their own business achievement.”
Since the industry shift last year, Melon has gone from strength to strength – being an integral part of several exciting and innovative projects. “I led a project team to successfully launch China’s first carbon neutral car dealership, aligning to bp’s ambition to be a net-zero company by 2050. We also helped one of our dealers build social accountability and their brand simultaneously, helping them become China’s first neutral dealer shop,” she explained.
For Melon, the diversification of partnerships is where bp really stands out: “Now all of our partners are looking to expand their relationships with us, beyond lubricants. We are discussing electric vehicles, charging stations and other interesting ways to diversify the relationships that we have. I think this is where bp really stands at the forefront of this industry – these kinds of discussions and programmes go beyond simply supplying lubricants – we are working with clients to form strategic partnerships.”
Melon is proud of bp’s supportive culture, which she feels perfectly aligns with the company’s values:
"I think our company is just like our values. People are very welcoming, friendly and focused. This makes bp unique and stand out as an employer."
