Working in different continents over the years, Jiaxi highlights the importance of understanding different cultures in the workplace.
Jiaxi is proud to have been part of the culture change here at JLR. He now wants to use his knowledge to support young professionals to progress in the business.
Q: Tell us about your journey at JLR.
I came to the UK from China in the early 90s and having gone through school, universities and some early careers, I joined JLR in October 2001, as Programme Coordinator for Global Customer Services. In 2007, I moved into a marketing role for the European region and spent the next 11 years covering different responsibilities in Product & Pricing, Marketing Communication, PR and Events. I was also fortunate to spend long term assignments in Germany as the Product and Pricing Manager for Europe, then in China as the Product Marketing VP for Imported Vehicles. I moved back to the UK in 2021 and I’m currently working as the Head of Marketing Planning and Effectiveness for Defender and Discovery brands.
Q: Why is it important to celebrate culture at work?
With many years of experience managing multi-market region and spent significant amount of time outside of the UK, I have learned to appreciate different cultures which drove an even stronger feeling of self-identify and how this would influence people in every aspect of their personal and professional life. Society has changed and our business even more so in the past 30 years. It is important to recognise and celebrate people’s differences. In understanding individual cultures, we not only engage and motivate our people, but also support our goal to become true creator of luxury that is tailored to our world audiences.
Q: How does JLR align with your culture?
The Asia Pacific region includes the largest automotive market in the world in China, but also containing one of the fastest growing economic in ASEAN. Together with Japan and Korea, Asia Pacific covers almost 30% of the total world population. By having a deeper understanding of Asia Pacific culture, we are working closely with local markets to meet diverse Asian customer needs, showing the right level of support, and give our business greater opportunities for many years to come.
Q: What’s next for you here at JLR?
We are going through a fantastic period of change in JLR in terms of culture diversity and inclusiveness. I am really proud to be part of the JLR family and continue to contribute as part of this change. I want to use my knowledge and experience to support, guide and lead wherever possible, helping our younger JLR professionals, especially with Asian Pacific backgrounds to enjoy being part of a bigger family and progress within the business.