Coatings
Beyond SurFACES – Meet Evelyn Shen
A Journey in Engineering and Growth
Whether it’s working to identify strategic moves to strengthen Chemetall’s footprint in Asia or exploring new ways to bring new surface treatment technologies to the market, you can be certain Evelyn Shen, Vice President, Surface Treatment Asia Pacific, is front and center in the efforts. One of the top women leaders in the Coatings business, Evelyn has a unique vantage point on the business. In a recent interview, she shared some of her career highlights, where she sees opportunities for growth for the surface treatment business and offered a glimpse into some of her personal passions.
Beyond SurFACES – Get to know our winning team
At BASF Coatings, we are driven by passion and science to always go beyond the surface. In our new series, Beyond SurFACES, we introduce you to the talented individuals who make it happen. From developing innovative coatings to creating sustainable solutions, our winning team is at the heart of everything we do. Meet Evelyn Shen and discover how she builds high-performing teams while shaping the future of Surface Treatment in Asia Pacific.
Want to be part of the journey?
How did your career with BASF begin?
My journey with BASF began in Ludwigshafen where I started my internship in central research. After graduating from university with a degree in Chemical Engineering, I joined BASF in Singapore in applications development in the Engineering Plastics field. Since then, I have worked in Shanghai, Hong Kong and am finally back to Singapore.
You have an important role in a key growth market. Can you tell us a little about your role?
I am responsible for the Chemetall business in Asia Pacific region. I see my role as an enabler and a catalyst for my team’s overall success. I am committed to creating an environment where each team member can grow and develop to their full potential by drawing on their unique strengths in alignment with our collective goals. The Asia Pacific region presents diverse opportunities and challenges, and I aspire to guide my team in turning challenges into opportunities and drive success together, ensuring we grow as a business and as individuals.
Where do you see the biggest opportunities for Chemetall in Asia Pacific?
Trend toward sustainable solutions, offers a solid portfolio of sustainable products like VIANT and Oxsilan which also presents effectiveness in terms of total process costs. And we continue to innovate in this area. As the regulatory environment in Asia Pacific further develops and our customers in Asia Pacific mature and look to expand into markets overseas, we have ready technology and technical expertise in implementing sustainable solutions with good references which we can offer to customers.
Key Account Management – with our global presence, we will continue to strengthen and leverage on our relationships with global and regional players. For example, we tap on our strong presence at Chinese customers to have the firsthand market intelligence on their expansion plans and also support them as they expand outside of China.
What are some of the biggest challenges you face in your role today? What actions are you taking to overcome hurdles?
In my current role, some of the biggest challenges include navigating a highly competitive market environment where a full spectrum of competitors operate i.e. global, regional and local competitors. With the team, we always remind ourselves that competitors want the same customers as we do, which drives us to stay ahead of market trends and customer expectations.
Aligning and addressing the needs of diverse teams and markets across different sub-regions in Asia Pacific also presents complexities and challenges in collaboration across borders. For example, our technical experts in one country may not be able to travel easily to another country and yet, face-to-face technical support is often needed especially in the starting phase of a business. In addition, we are currently working on enhancing the manner with which we are serving our customers via digital tools and utilization of AI.
I’m passionate about making a positive, lasting impact on the teams and the businesses I lead. That means helping people grow — creating environments where team members feel supported, challenged, and empowered to develop new skills and take ownership.
What do you do to recharge after a long day at work?
I enjoy reading about fashion as well as current affairs and news. Fashion has always been something I have been interested in since I was young. It offers me a refreshing contrast to my daily work in the surface treatment business, and I find it inspiring that trends in fashion can serve as a reflection of the current sentiments of society. Staying informed on global events, market trends, and particular developments in other companies/industry leaders and AI also interests me.
Spending quality time with my family and my children is important to me. My two children, a 5-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son, continually surprise me with new things they pick up, and also the different interests they develop although they were brought up in a similar environment. My children also constantly challenge my husband and I on our communication and leadership skills, which need to be continuously adapted as they grow.
What is something unique about yourself that might surprise people who read your profile?
Some 10 years ago, I took some time off work to study jewelry design, interned at a fashion house and took courses in pastry making and baking. At that point, I had worked for 12 years after my graduation and I thought it was a do now or never opportunity as work and life commitments kick in increasingly. I had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with people from fields whom I typically would not have the opportunity to partner with. Being an engineer by training, it was a very interesting experience, and I learned to adapt my communication and working style when collaborating in project teams coming from very diverse backgrounds. One learning which still holds true today – be curious!
