Aster Kuan

Maintenance Planner

'Difference Maker'

 

If you met Aster Kuan a year ago, she would have told you that she was taking a break from refineries and that she wanted a change a scenery. Two months into her break, an agent offered her a position at Neste, and she dove right back in.

For her, the opportunity to set up a maintenance management system from scratch was an exciting mission. “I enjoy challenges that come with a job. In the process of doing mine at Neste, I have become more confident and satisfied with the work.”

Responsible for planning the year’s maintenance schedule, resources assignment and progress checking of the plant, Aster’s maintenance team developed a great working relationship with the operations team. “I have never seen such rapport in other big refineries before. Usually, the operations team will demand a lot from maintenance! Even my husband, who works in the same line, is surprised,” she says.

“At Neste, we don’t stop communicating. It’s important to understand each other’s workloads in order to coordinate work efficiently and effectively.”

She shares more thoughts below:

 

Q: What are your close friends and family’s impression of your job at Neste?

A: Well, their impression of my job is formed through our daily conversations but they feel that I am very happy at my workplace. Also, with Singapore being such a small island, I bump into my ex-colleagues all the time! My demeanour changed; they can see how excited I am about work. They constantly ask if we’re hiring and if I could send their resumes to the hiring manager.

 

Q: What do you love most about working at Neste?

A: Definitely the flexibility of internal transfers! I remember during my interview session, they asked me about my five-year plan. I mentioned that I didn’t want to be a planner forever and my goal was to join the inspection or operations team. I was shocked when they immediately agreed and shared about how there are opportunities to move into different departments, so long as I was suitable for the job. They truly walk the talk – I’ve only been here for 10 months and I’ve seen a few of my colleagues transfer from one department to another!