Cross-Cultural Collaboration
Saravanan Meyyappan – Supplier Account Manager
Saravanan, a Supplier Account Manager, was transferred to Japan in 2015 to manage a team. Working abroad has allowed him to develop his own strengths and use them to build trust with his colleagues. He enjoys Nissan's diverse culture and the growth that comes from collaborating with suppliers across Asia.
After studying physics and plastic technology at university, Saravanan joined two automotive suppliers in India in 1996. He then joined the Purchasing Department of Renault-Nissan when the company was launched in India in 2008 and was transferred to Japan in 2015.
As a Supplier Account Manager in Japan, Saravanan is the only Indian on his team. The assistant managers and buyers are all Japanese, and while the transition was difficult at first, Saravanan found himself growing in confidence as a result of his position. When thinking back on that time, Saravanan said, "It takes time but it's about being patient and repeating the process of gaining experience and learning."
Saravanan's team is responsible for overseeing the buying of interior parts, including safety-related parts, for the Asian region of Japan, China, India, and Thailand. This diversity in suppliers requires knowledge of different cultures and customs, and Saravanan is tasked with earning their trust which he believes is "an essential point for cross-cultural communication" and further adding that it's "the same with management."
At Nissan, Saravanan has learned to collaborate with people from various backgrounds around the world: "This is the natural environment at Nissan; therefore, diversity is natural here, there is nothing to be especially conscious of." He believes in the importance of working together, and at Nissan, he's seen the good that can come from it.