Celebrating Baba Jie at Intel Taiwan

Henry Sun 
UEFI BIOS Manager, Intel Taiwan

I have been with Intel for 11 years, while my role as a father only began seven years ago. Leading a team of 13 people with most of them being parents themselves, I have always made our team’s policy “Family First.”

Of course, this does not mean that we abandon our duties and responsibilities at work whenever we encounter personal emergencies. Our “Family First” policy means that within our team, we will support each other and hold the fort should one of us have an urgent situation to tend to.

The nature of our work brings us to the frontlines to engage with Intel customers and help them resolve issues and address concerns on Intel product and services. So, I encourage my team to inform the team and me about what is going on so that the rest of us can be prepared and continue the work with clients seamlessly.

As parents and allies at Intel, we need to help each other, especially during trying times. I, too, have found myself needing some time away from work. When my daughter was three months old and I was on paternity leave, my department underwent a merger with another department which resulted in a lot of customer-enabling activities. The team was really busy, me included. But at the same time, I also had to take care of my three-month-old daughter. Balancing it was both challenging and rewarding for me. There was even a time where I remember being on the phone with a client while changing a diaper! Nevertheless, I am grateful to have my colleagues stepping in during times of need. Everyone was understanding and gave me the time and space to grow not only as a working professional but as a new father.

To parents who are still having difficulties balancing work and personal life, I urge them to talk to their team and help them understand what they are going through. Intel’s culture is supportive and flexible. You can talk to your managers and discuss how to manage your personal issues without compromising your role at work. You’ll be delighted to know it is a supportive culture we have here.

My daughter is seven years-old now and we love spending time together by watching movies and going on a jog—in her case, that is running non-stop, just like the energizer bunny! I am happy to see that she is developing a love for competitive athletics. My family and I also love to go mountain hiking on weekends. Our favourite hiking trail is the Yangming Mountain trail with its breathtaking vistas. That is how I spend my quality time with the family. I enjoy the work-life balance.

On Baba Jie, my family usually celebrates by getting together with my father, my grandfather and my father-in-law over dinner. It’s a celebration across generations. We have been celebrating it this way for many years. It is something I cherish and look forward to continuing with my loved ones for many years to come.

Kayward Chang 
System Performance Engineering Director, Intel Taiwan

Initially, I was having difficulties balancing work and family. After my first daughter was born, it was a new experience for me. Every so often, I can be swamped with work and sometimes it can take a big chunk of family time.

I started to leverage the flexibility offered at Intel. We managed to turn those challenging moments into learning moments by having honest conversations; to further understand our feelings and expectations of work and family. It took many conversations between us to sort out the various issues. But by the time we welcomed our third child, everything was working like clockwork. This was all partly due to the understanding of my managers and colleague regarding the shifts in my priority—to take the time and focus more on my family.

I also learned to draw a clear boundary between work and family. Over the years, I have made it a point not to answer work-related calls after 9 p.m. It is not about evading your duties, rather it is about committing your time in a day for work and family. I am fully committed to my stakeholders at work; I am fully committed to my family as well.

This is among the many reasons I love working in Intel. Intel is not only flexible, but it also recognises excellence. Back in 2008, I left Intel to join a friend who had created a tech startup. During that time, I learned a lot and picked up several new skills while refining the skills I already possessed. Unfortunately, I also learned that some in society would judge you on your youth. Moreover, some associate your capabilities based merely on your outer appearance alone. At Intel, the workforce is diverse and valued based on our contribution and not on our look.

I returned to Intel in 2012 and I haven’t looked back since. Intel is truly an inclusive place where the people respect and listen to the opinions of others. Over the twelve years since my return, I have been enjoying my time working and collaborating with likeminded colleagues. To date, I am humbled to have been recognised for my performance with excellence awards and promotions. I also have had the opportunity to build an engineering team from the ground up and lead tens of people.

Another good thing about Intel that I enjoy would be the international exposure from working with people from various cultures and backgrounds. My work at Intel has afforded me the opportunity to collaborate and learn from colleagues based in Oregon and Folsom, USA as well as Jerusalem and  Haifa, Israel.  

I try my best to encourage my children to do their best in everything. My second daughter has expressed her interest in becoming a professional YouTuber. Upon hearing this, I encouraged her to learn about making video content, shooting and performing eye-catching scenes and how to get positive reception from viewers.

The professional development that’s cultivated in the #WeAreIntel culture has also helped me be a better dad. The understanding and support I get from my colleagues and management has helped shape the value I hold not only for myself but in the way I bring up my children. It is an attitude to give our very best in everything we do.

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