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June 26, 2020
How Anu Sharma met the challenges of her stretch assignment to gain a soft start to a new career path
When Anu Sharma joined Signify in 2017 as a Validation Engineer in R&D for Philips Hue, she had been in the field of software R&D for around 11 years. After two-and-a-half years in the role, she decided she wanted to realize a long-term goal of moving into project management.
An internal stretch assignment vacancy in project management caught her eye. This would be a perfect way for her to learn more about this field, she thought. Her manager was supportive and before too long, Anu was tackling this new challenge.
The specific stretch assignment was for her to create a quarterly software release on one of our platforms. Usually, this would have been a straightforward project offering a relatively frictionless first foray into project management.
However, a recent change in suppliers meant that Anu would create and manage everything from scratch. She says, “Working with a new supplier who doesn’t know the application or code base was a great experience. We worked hard as a team to get the release out on time!”
Of course, on a stretch assignment you are never truly alone. You’ll always have a mentor. “My mentor really walked me through each and every ritual in project management, from presentations to milestone meetings, it was a very nice experience I must say!” Anu says.
It must have been a nice experience, because after three months Anu extended the stretch assignment. “I saw the initial assignment as a soft start, or sort of practice that would give me much-needed experience in that domain. I do see myself as an IPM in the future, so this experience is a good foundation. Every passing day I get better!”
Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) is the world leader in lighting for professionals, consumers and the Internet of Things. Our Philips products, Interact systems and data-enabled services, deliver business value and transform life in homes, buildings and public spaces. In 2023, we had sales of EUR 6.7 billion, approximately 32,000 employees and a presence in over 70 countries. We unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. We have been in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index since our IPO for seven consecutive years and have achieved the EcoVadis Platinum rating for four consecutive years, placing Signify in the top one percent of companies assessed. News from Signify can be found in the Newsroom, on X, LinkedIn and Instagram. Information for investors is located on the Investor Relations page.
