My 42 Years with Continental Automotive Singapore
Being a HR person and also someone who can never imagine to stay in any organization for beyond 5 years (pardon me for being candid), the questions of Why and What makes an employee stay with an organization are always questions that I would ask during interviews. One of our pioneer employees, Allen Agnes Dora, will be retiring today and this is her 42nd year in Continental! And again, I wonder WHY Continental and WHAT about Continental? So, I decided to find out more and here is Agnes’s insight into her 42 years in the company:
I joined Philips on 20 March 1974 and my role was to provide administrative support to the department.
Over the years, the company name has changed a few times. Today we are called Continental Automotive Singapore Pte Ltd. Having served this company for 42 years, I have practically ‘grown up’ with the company and seen the progress from then to now- from a staff strength of 50 in 1997, to the size it is today. I have witnessed staff come and go and I have also witnessed people progress i. e. KF, who is now the Managing Director of Continental Singapore but joined Philips Singapore in the 90s.
There were of course ups and downs in my work but whatever it was, I enjoyed it and took it all in my stride because my philosophy in life is – whatever tasks you have to undertake, do it to the best of your ability and you are never too old to learn something new.
In January 2013, due to reorganization, I came to the business unit Instrumentation & Driver (ID) and one of the most memorable moments is my time in ID under Frankie Lim’s department. Frankie is a very active person, he believes in this philosophy -“All Work and No Play makes Jack a Dull Boy”. Because of this, our department has a recreation team, which organizes functions every quarter. The elaborate ones are during the Chinese New Year and Christmas periods.
At our Christmas Function in 2013, we had the Sing-Fest Contest. Each group formed a team to entertain us with their talents in singing/acting/dancing and playing musical instruments. Frankie, Mihai Cosmin (a delegate from Continental Romania) and I were the judges for the contest. This is the first time I was called upon to be a judge at a contest.
I have remained faithful to the company till 21 April when I retire. I will always remember my days spent with the people here. In my earlier days, with company of great colleagues we would go jogging, (attempted) swimming, shopping and other activities, though now with age catching up, most of our gathering revolves around good food, the people surrounding me remain great. Thank you everyone in Continental who made my life an interesting and memorable one.
For Agnes, it’s basically her philosophy in life, her passion towards her role, the people she encountered and fun factors she experienced at work that makes her stay with Continental till this day.
So, in this ever changing world and market with an abundance of career opportunities, did her story trigger some thoughts about making a decision to stay and grow with an organization?
All right, enough of HR thoughts and back to our Agnes. On behalf of the Management team, we would like to thank Agnes for her many years of dedication and hard work. We wish her the very best with her retirement. And a BIG thank you to the Head of Department of Functional Test, Mr. Frankie Lim and his recreation team members for arranging this heartfelt appreciation and farewell party for Agnes.
Some words from colleagues of Agnes:
“She watches us grow and hereby I’m honored to share her moment towards retirement.”
Frankie Lim, ID BU
“I guess, you will no longer relate to Monday Blues and everyday will be a weekend for you. Enjoy and have a fulfilling retirement. It has been great knowing you and you will be missed. Remember to say “hi” if you are round the corner… See you! :)”
Nikki Lin, Human Relations
“Agnes, you have worked hard throughout these years in the company. Now is the time to start a new journey and enjoy your life. Happy Retirement!”
Stanley Pang, ID BU
“Friendly and approachable, Agnes feels like a family to us engineers. She dedicates her time to support us in our daily work and urgent demands. I wish her an enjoyable retirement where she can pursue her interest without any worry.”
Wee Hong Cheng, IC BU
This article was written by our employee.
