Eline Leussink, Professional Services Lead at Philips APAC
After five years of working in Amsterdam Eline Leussink got the opportunity to move to Singapore and fulfill the role of Professional Services Lead at Philips APAC.
About Philips: Royal Philips of the Netherlands is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. The company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care.
Philips established operations in Singapore in 1951. The new Philips ASEAN Pacific Center opened in Toa Payoh in 2016 to much fanfare and serves as the regional headquarters for the region. The new facility, built on the same Philips site since 1972, boasts of a new 38,000-square-meter office building, bringing together Philips’ innovation and design expertise and business-creation capabilities to better serve the company’s business growth and address healthcare needs in the ASEAN & Pacific region.
15 December 2020
- You just moved to Singapore from The Netherlands, what was your last work post and what were you responsible for?
Prior to leading the Professional Services practice for Philips in ASEAN Pacific, I was based out of Eindhoven / Amsterdam and held the position of Market Activation Lead. Within this role, I was responsible for bringing integrated solution packages, developed by the business part of our organisation, to the local regional / market organisations across the world. - What is your biggest personal challenge to reach your targets in your current role at Philips?
One of the main challenges within my role is balancing the requirements and requests of various stakeholders. - What does Philips do differently in Professional Services in Singapore compared to The Netherlands?
Nothing! Philips APAC is one of the first regions globally to establish the Professional Services practice (Clinical, IT and Education consulting services) - Which cultural differences are you experiencing in Singapore compared to The Netherlands?
With regards to the workplace, I’m personally not experiencing a huge cultural difference. That’s probably due to the fact that I’ve been in an international working environment throughout my career as well as having lived and worked abroad before. - What is the biggest impact from Covid-19 on Philips? How has Philips experienced that?
Like many organisations across the world, COVID-19 has a significant impact on Philips. First and foremost, the pandemic has greatly changed the way that healthcare is delivered. One of the first impacts I experienced was the increase of use of certain critical care products and solutions to help diagnose and treat patients. Another impact is the shift towards more remote monitoring solutions and virtual healthcare appointments going forward. 2020 has definitely been a challenging year, but throughout the course the momentum of ‘we are all in this together’ prevails at any time!
- What is your main focus for Philips in 2021?
My main focus for APAC Professional Services in 2021 is to continue to deliver our Clinical, IT and Education consulting services for our customers, whilst continue to build our practice. - Who is your role model with regards to leadership? What did you learn from her/him?
In terms of leadership, I don’t really have one role model. I rather ‘combine bit and pieces’ from people that inspire me (colleagues, family, friends)! - What kind of leader are you and what can we learn from you?
Probably best to ask my team, but I would say that my leadership style is democratic and coaching with a sense of humour! As a manager my job is to facilitate the best for my team so that they can achieve the best. - What do you love about Singapore and what is your favourite dish?
I love SG! The food, the people, it’s multi-cultural-ness, the way of living, the hidden nature gems, the fact that it’s a safe and secure environment and that you can always shop! There is so many good food around here, and for someone who really likes Peranakan, Indonesia and Malay food, it’s difficult to choose, but my top 3 are: chili crab, satay kambing and laksa (with a Singapore Sling of course!)
