Resti Khairina (Lubricants Supply Chain Global Project Analyst)
This International Women’s Day, we had a chat with Resti Khairina who are sharing her exciting Short-Term International Assignment (STIA) journey. Resti joined Shell back in 2015 as Graduate with chemical engineering background and assigned as Logistics Warehouse Supervisor within Marunda Lubricants Oil Blending Plant Operation Team. She then moved to a more commercial-related role as Product Lifecycle Project Coordinator and Integrated Business Value Analyst, overseeing end-to-end lubricant process reporting to APME (Asia Pacific Middle East) regional team. After her three-role stint, she was successfully selected to go on STIA in London as Global Lubricants Supply Chain Project Analyst.
“In Shell, I’m always fascinated by female leaders who managed to juggle between leading team and managing families and helping their kids with home-works. I want to be like that,” she said when asked about her source of motivation.
Find out more about Restri’s story in the below interview:
Can you share with us your typical workday?
Following my relocation, my typical work day has changed a bit. Previously, most of my colleagues that I work with are in the same time zone. Working as part global team has forced me – in a good way – to arrange my schedule better without sacrificing business needs and my personal time. So, I usually connect with my colleagues from East in the morning, and reach out to my US time zone colleagues on my late afternoon. It could be challenging sometime but it gives you good learning experience especially in exercising effective time management.
Any hurdles along the way and if so, how did you overcome them?
There’s no journey without challenges. I usually took the time to re-analyze the situation and measure the best way to overcome those challenges. This may include discussion with your team member, and get inputs from both your peer and line manager or even direct reports. It is very important to be team-player when overcoming challenges, because when you solve a problem on your own, it might create other problem elsewhere without you realizing or even makes the overall situation worse.
What have been some of your significant successes in Shell?
For me, there are many moments that I can recall as success during my time in Shell. One of the most significant ones probably is when I got selected for International Assignment. As many others, of course, this achievement was not an easy journey for me to get, there are lot of effort behind it. It’s not like I wanted it then I got it straight away. Networking with people across business helps me a lot in shaping my way of thinking and knowing what’s the up-to-date business situation. Also being discipline on understanding basic process for me is a key to execution of any projects/tasks given to me.
What moves your world?
I feel really passionate and energized when all my teammates are onboard with me in achieving our common goals.
How do you make time for yourself and how do you see Shell supports you in achieving your work-life balance?
For me personally, Shell has been very supportive in increasing its employee’s awareness on the importance of work-life balance. Not only writing on the walls, but I can really feel it in my day-to-day job. Once I communicated my priorities and my schedules to my line-manager, we will be discussing on how can I achieve both work and personal priorities. This also happens when we worked as a team; when my teammate is on leave or sick, we all made commitment to step up and provide support in order to be able to achieve the team’s ambition. In return, I would be able to fully enjoy my leave days, knowing that the team has already got my back.
This year’s IWD theme is #eachforequal – what comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘equal’?
Equal for me is how society supposed to be. Equal opportunity for everyone, and equal right to decide what is best for themselves. Sometimes, what I see is there are still many women who doesn’t have a say on how they life supposed to be. There’s still a huge society pressure where women has to follow some kind of stereotypes. Women are often associated to assume domestic responsibilities, with the assumption that they will be economically dependent on men. It’s really nice to see that some of this gender-stereotyping is starting to change and no doubt, it has to start from ourselves.
Do you have parting messages or advise, especially to young girls aspiring for development?
I’m always a believer of a saying that no one can change your situation but yourself. If you believe you can do it, then you will get it. I know it sounds simple, and the truth, it’s really not but you have to start somewhere. To think and believe that you can do it is the right mindset to start with. Feel free to also share your thoughts and initiate a discussion when you need it; because even when someone who listen to you might not be able to help you solve it, sharing would makes the weight on your back to be a bit lighter.
More in Careers
Life at Shell
Meet, and be inspired by, our pioneers, innovators, adventurers and explorers across the world. Discover their stories and get an insight into careers at Shell.
Students and Graduates
Are you a remarkable student or graduate with less than three years’ experience? Join us as we explore and discover better energy solutions together.
Meet our graduates
Find out what life is like on the Shell Graduate Programme from current employees.