Lak, longtime DDD Finance Director, returns to Vientiane

A year and a half ago, Souphalak Souksavath, DDD’s much beloved Finance Director, took a leave of absence to complete a Masters in International Management at Portland State University in Oregon, US. This January she returned to DDD – and to her native Laos.

 

Achieving higher education has been my dream since I was very young. Similarly to many DDD operators, I grew up in a low-income family.  My parents’ salaries were not enough to support us, and we had to work on the side for the family to survive: we raised livestock, grew vegetables, and ran a small shop at home. Every night after finishing all of our work and house chores, we sat with our mother to complete our schoolwork. My mother always told us that our family was poor and that only having education would allow us to have better futures. Ever since, education was always my top priority. 

DDD not only provided a meaningful job for me, where I can help people with a similar background to achieve a better future, but also allowed me to realize my dream. In September of 2009, by the support of DDD and PSU, I was able to join the Master of International Management (MIM) at Portland State University. MIM is different from a traditional MBA in that it provides not only necessary business skills but also global leadership skills. 

The cultural aspect was the key emphasis for the program, since that increasingly has become the key to successful cross-cultural management and communications.  A good global manager needs to have a good understanding of the different cultures and to be able to adopt their management styles accordingly. Teamwork is another key learning of the MIM program; we were encouraged to learn from working with people from different backgrounds and cultures on several projects. 

I believe that I have gained the necessary skills to be a strong manager for DDD. I am so excited to finally go back to DDD and apply what I learned to my work. The two aspects that I am eager to put into practice when I return are general cultural awareness and continuous improvement processes by the Kaizen method. As DDD expands to more countries, DDD’s management will need to learn about each other’s cultural differences, and be able to accept the differences and adapt their management styles so that we can all work well together.

1. Leslie Carothers says:

   March 30, 2011 at 4:53 PM

   Lak, I met you when I visited Laos and DDD in 2009, with the dublers. I think we had dinner at a place you suggested. I am glad you had a good experience in Oregon (a little cooler!) and wish you continued success in your important work!
2. Kitty says:

   April 5, 2011 at 12:14 AM

   Lak! Congrats for getting your Masters. I miss Laos. Really should come by for a visit.
3. lak says:

   April 5, 2011 at 7:55 PM

   Thanks Leslie and Kitty. Come to visit us again when you have time. We grow so much.