In the coming weeks, we will be dedicating our Wednesdays to profiling the women at SimScale. We’ve asked them to share their achievements, challenges, and reflect on what excites them the most. Today, we’re introducing Kanchan, who is a Product Manager for Rotating Machinery and joined SimScale in November of last year.
Kanchan, what do you do at SimScale?
I am a Product Manager at SimScale and I am driving the development and promotion of our technology in the rotating machinery industry.
What is your background?
I am an aerospace engineer by training. Early on, I became fascinated with computational fluid dynamics and decided to make my career in this field. My last stint was in a CFD software development firm that catered to the helicopter industry.
I am from the city of Bhopal in central India and though ancestrally, I am a South Indian (think dosa-sambhar and curd rice), I consider myself more ‘Bhopali’ than anything else :D. I spent some time in the US at Iowa State University, then Mumbai after marriage, and presently, I live in Singapore with my husband and our two lovely daughters (my opinion on their loveliness is liable to change depending on how the day progresses!).
What brought you to SimScale?
I was looking for a new challenge in my career where I could combine my passion for engineering with my love for talking to people, understanding, and trying to solve their problems. SimScale gave me this exact combination where, as a Product Manager, I am very much in touch with CFD and simulation, while also being involved in the business-facing aspects of technology.
What has been your biggest accomplishment at SimScale?
Honestly, it is still early days and it is a long journey ahead :). But even if I were to say so myself, I am happy with the way the product and engineering plan has worked out for my initiative. I have a clear understanding of our short-term and long-term goals and supported by a fabulous team, I am confident in building a product that will be one of the leading tools in the industry.
What are you proud of?
I am proud of the excellent team that I get to work with every day. Without our focused team efforts, it would not have been possible to get to where we are today.
What has been your biggest challenge so far?
As the manager of a product that is still in its infant stage, the hardest part has been to define and defend the vision for the future and build confidence and trust in the usability of the tool. This is still an ongoing challenge and hopefully, with more maturity, everything will be more natural.
What excites you?
At work, supporting different opportunities by trying to understand the technical needs of the customer/prospect and providing a solution really excites me. In my leisure time, some things I look forward to are trying a new cuisine or a restaurant with our daughters as it is priceless to see their reactions, reading a good book, and repeating a sitcom on Netflix with my husband :).
What makes you you?
I tend to look for something good in even the worst of situations, sometimes coming across as hopelessly romantic, even impractical. But this trait enables me to make friends easily and hold on to them for life. I am fiercely loyal to my team and my family and I have this urge to do right by them, not let them down if you know what I mean. I always strive to be the best version of myself, especially for the sake of my daughters. I hope that they can, one day, look up to me and be even better than me.
What do people value about you?
I’ve been told that I am a dependable and accountable person, and I guess that comes from my sense of responsibility towards my work and team. I have always tried to see things from the other person’s perspective and be kind and understanding, and I believe this makes me an easy person to work with.
Thank you for sharing, Kanchan!
Stay tuned for more insights into SimScale and see what the team has been up to on our @lifeatsimscale Instagram feed. Want to start your own SimScale story? Make sure to keep an eye on our careers page for possible openings!
