Our staff are our greatest asset with their years of experience and love of being part of the Sondrel family.

Here are some interviews with them.

Interview with Guy Davis Rowe-Clark, Head of IT (Global)

What initially attracted you to Sondrel when you applied for the role and want to continue your career with us?

I was drawn to Sondrel by the opportunity to lead the global IT function in a cutting-edge industry. The chance to work with an international team and drive technological innovation was incredibly exciting. I looked forward to enhancing our IT infrastructure, ensuring robust security, and maintaining governance and compliance standards. Additionally, providing top-notch support to our global operations was a key motivator for me.

Can you describe the journey from joining Sondrel to your current position? What were some key milestones or opportunities that contributed to your growth?

Over the past five and a half years at Sondrel, I’ve led key strategic projects that enhanced our security and infrastructure. Notable milestones include transitioning to a co-location model to scale our infrastructure and improve uptime reliability, developing a robust security strategy, and enhancing our support capability. These experiences have been crucial to my growth and contributions to the company.

How has the company supported your professional development since you started?

The company has supported my professional development through the successful Leading Others leadership programme. This initiative has equipped me with essential leadership skills, enabling me to effectively manage and inspire my team.

Why would you recommend our company to other prospective employees?

I’d recommend our company for its commitment to professional development, collaborative work environment, and opportunities to work on innovative projects with a diverse, international team.

Wu (Vicky) Yuechen, Sondrel Recruiter

1. How many years have you been with the company, and what has kept you here for so long?

I have been with Sondrel for over eight years now. At Sondrel, I can not only have professional development but also get the right work & life balance. Over the past years, I’ve had the opportunity to take on new challenges, grow my skills, and continuously push my career forward.

2. What aspect of working here have you enjoyed the most throughout your time with us?

One of the aspects I’ve enjoyed the most is the opportunity to work with such a diverse and talented team. I’ve been recruiting for the global team, including different countries and departments, and we have different cultures, different accents and even in different time zones. But this does not affect how collaborative and supportive our workplace is. We don’t just focus on our own goals — we always do them together, sharing knowledge, learning from each other and helping each other, and constantly pushing each other to improve. It's hard to imagine that as an HR, I would gain such a wealth of knowledge in semiconductor and finance, thanks to the guidance of my team members.

3. In what ways has the company supported your personal and professional growth over the years?

Sondrel has lots of training opportunities, mentorship guidance, mature and complete promotion systems, and also provides autonomy for an employee's personal development. I am always encouraged to further study and develop personal interests. So that's why I've been able to not only expand my skills in the recruitment and HR fields but also in other fields, like finance. My first position at Sondrel was HR and Admin, then I had an opportunity to be promoted as the China Recruiter, and then I joined the global Recruitment team. From this year, I also support the Finance team -- such varied experience has really enriched my career.

4. What advice would you give to someone considering joining our team?

Sondrel is a place where you are encouraged to continuously improve and grow, so if you’re looking for a place to challenge yourself and build a meaningful career, this is a good choice. Look forward to working with you！

Wissal Talib, Senior HR Business Partner based in Morocco and leading the Morocco office

How many years have you been with the company, and what has kept you here for so long?

I have been with Sondrel for almost 9 years. It has been a rich experience full of challenges and opportunities.

There are several reasons why I've stayed with Sondrel for an extended period. Firstly, the work environment is incredibly positive and supportive. I feel valued and respected by my colleagues and management, which makes a big difference in my day-to-day experience. Job satisfaction is another key factor. I genuinely enjoy the work I do and find it meaningful. The projects I work on are both challenging and provide opportunities for innovation and creative problem-solving. I've been able to advance in my role and take on new challenges, which has kept my work engaging and fulfilling. The last factor is that Sondrel promotes a healthy work-life balance. This balance is important to me and has been a significant factor in my decision to stay.

Overall, it's a combination of these factors that has made my experience with the company so positive and has encouraged me to stay for the long term.

What aspect of working here have you enjoyed the most throughout your time with us?

One of the aspects I have enjoyed the most about working at Sondrel is the collaborative and supportive work environment. The culture here encourages teamwork and open communication, which has allowed me to build strong relationships with my colleagues in different locations, UK, India, China and US. In addition, the nature of my work is different as I work on different projects daily, and each day is a different day full of new challenges and opportunities which make my skillset very attractive in the market.

In what ways has the company supported your personal and professional growth over the years?

On a personal level, the company promotes a healthy work-life balance, offering flexible working hours and remote work options is something that I believe very important these days.

Another advantage is the continuous learning through practice, I am exposed to different departments in different locations, and I manage different assignments which makes me navigate my career path and achieve my professional goals. I have been given the chance to lead projects and teams along with different colleagues overseas, which has significantly developed my leadership and management skills. These opportunities have been both challenging and rewarding, preparing me for future roles within the company.

What advice would you give to someone considering joining our team?

My advice to someone considering joining our team would be to be open to learning and adapting. Every company has its own unique processes and systems, so being flexible and willing to learn new ways of doing things will set the person up for success. In addition, building relationships is also crucial, it is important to be a good communicator and listener as well to enable him or her to get valuable support, mentorship, and opportunities for collaboration.

Taking initiative is another key piece of advice which will help him or her to grow and learn new skills and the last advice is to keep positive attitude. It’s important to stay organized, communicate effectively, and be patient with yourself as you adjust to your new role.

By following these tips, you'll be well-prepared to join the team and make a positive impact.

Interview with Kirthi Chadalapaka, Technical Competency Lead - Physical Design, Hyderabad, India

How many years have you been with the company, and what has kept you here for so long?

I have been with Sondrel for more than 7 years now. Sondrel has been the first company that recognized my talents and gave me incredible opportunities to hone them and essentially made me who I am. Sondrel also gives a lot of importance to work-life balance.

What aspect of working here have you enjoyed the most throughout your time with us?

I felt highly valued in Sondrel even when I was a relatively junior engineer. Sondrel is a place where you are valued based on skill and not experience. At Sondrel, I felt that I had a lot of freedom to mould my career however I see it fit. Here, I was not typecast into a certain role for years which happens in multiple companies.

What aspects of your role or the work environment motivate and inspire you to come to work each day?

At Sondrel, there is a lot of collaboration without a clear demarcation line between different domains like Physical Design, FE Design, DFT etc. This meant that on any given day, there was always something new to learn and new issues to debug. There is never a dull day in Sondrel, which excites me to come to work every day.

In what ways has the company supported your personal and professional growth over the years?

I had a meteoric rise in Sondrel going from a junior engineer, learning the ropes, to being one of the key pillars on the Indian team in a matter of three years. During that period, I was given rare opportunities to punch above my weight class and every time I succeeded, I was given bigger responsibilities until, five years in, I rose to be the leader of my domain in the company.

What advice would you give to someone considering joining our team?

If you are considering Sondrel, be ready to expand the boundaries of what you think can be achieved. There are no limits to what you can achieve here if you are ready to give it your all. That doesn’t mean that work is going to consume your life here. A healthy work-life balance is one of the cornerstones of Sondrel’s work culture.