Linda Liu, Associate Global E-commerce Director at Unilever, shares insights on her career journey, the importance of negotiation, and advice for aspiring professionals.
Table of Content
- Building a Purpose-Driven Career
- Embracing Challenges and Continuous Learning
- Crucial Role of Negotiation
- Lessons in Negotiation
- Adapting to Change
- Advice for Aspiring Professionals
Building a Purpose-Driven Career
Liu’s career trajectory has been guided by a strong desire to make the world better by serving consumers and customers. Starting in marketing, she developed innovations and crafted communications to bridge brands and consumers. This experience eventually led her to a customer lead role, taking charge of global strategic partnerships.
Embracing Challenges and Continuous Learning
For Liu, the most rewarding aspect of her role is the opportunity to learn every day, especially in the rapidly changing global digital commerce environment. She views challenges as opportunities, emphasizing the importance of maximizing available resources and being well-prepared.
“It’s essential to explore the opportunities that come with challenges by staying open-minded and fearless,” Liu explains.
Crucial Role of Negotiation
Negotiation plays a pivotal role in Liu’s career. With internal stakeholders, strong negotiation skills help unlock resources and foster robust relationships. In customer management, skilled negotiation enhances long-term partnerships and strengthens business ties.
Liu has honed her negotiation skills through various training programs, including those offered by The Gap Partnership, a leading negotiation training provider. These skills extend beyond the workplace, proving valuable in personal situations as well.
Lessons in Negotiation
When faced with negotiation challenges, Liu emphasizes the importance of proactively seeking creative solutions and unlocking joint value creation. She shares a key lesson: “Listening to counterparts reveals their needs, allowing negotiation strategies to be tailored effectively. Building trust by offering what the other party values is key to successful negotiations.”
Adapting to Change
The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted negotiation dynamics, moving from in-person to virtual formats. This change has increased both physical and mental distance, making health, wellness, and trust-building even more crucial priorities in negotiations.
Advice for Aspiring Professionals
Drawing inspiration from Steve Jobs, Liu advises aspiring professionals: “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.” She encourages exploration of one’s purpose and avoiding self-imposed limitations on achievement.
As a successful leader in her field, Liu’s journey serves as an inspiration for those looking to make their mark in the global ecommerce landscape.
Linda Liu is the Associate Global Ecommerce Director at Unilever, with over a decade of experience in the FMCG industry. Her expertise spans brand development, digital marketing, and global key account management.
