“ABB welcomed me with open arms, despite my background in a different field. Being able to empower young women to believe that they can achieve anything, is exceptionally rewarding to me.”
In 2017, Risa’s journey began at ABB’s Semarang branch office. Although she later moved on to pursue her undergraduate studies, ABB’s remarkable working environment and learning opportunities drew her back. While still pursuing her bachelor’s degree, she applied for a service sales engineer position, undeterred by her secretarial and management background. “Although my background doesn’t match, I can learn. There’s nothing we cannot learn in this world.” Risa has since been in ABB for three years, with expertise in managing spare parts and after-sales services.
When Risa first returned to ABB, she settled into a back-end role, where she learned the ins and outs of business operations. However, when the opportunity arose for her to join the sales team, she seized it and soon recognised that it was a better fit for her. “I feel like I'm more of a salesperson compared to being in the back-end role. I'm learning something new every day and meeting so many people.”
Risa fondly shared one of her most cherished experiences at ABB – being a part of Formula E in Jakarta, both in 2021 and 2022. Her role revolved around mentoring young girls, aged 12-17, in programming and operating the YuMi robot, an experience she described as ‘one of the best moments’ in her career. Through Formula E, Risa had the privilege of introducing young women to the world of technology. “My role there is to empower young women, inspiring them to believe in their limitless potential. I found it joyful and incredibly gratifying, as they were very, very enthusiastic about technology. I'm proud of myself for being able to teach them something like that.”
Despite the male-dominated landscape of the robotics field, Risa has encountered no gender-based discrimination at ABB. “All my colleagues really respect each other, regardless of culture, gender, etc. We can all just work together.” Moreover, in a small team, it can be challenging to manage an overwhelming number of inquiries, but Risa manages to navigate them with effective teamwork and resourcefulness. She attributes her continuous growth to the strong leadership and the opportunities within ABB. “All the managers I’ve met in ABB so far were immensely helpful. Even when I was working in a different division, they constantly encouraged me to participate in exhibitions and training sessions to upskill myself.”
Risa enjoys sharing her ABB journey with her friends and family. “I would love for the people that I know to work in an environment that is supportive, comfortable, transparent, and encourages career development, like in ABB.” Risa also stresses the importance of embracing opportunities and wanting to learn something new every day. “ABB provides lots of opportunities. Coming from a different field, ABB accepted me for who I am. I stand by my motto, ‘You can do anything, if you want to learn about everything.’”
At ABB, you're not just starting a job; you're beginning a journey of personal and professional development and growth. Our culture is founded on strong values, where every person is appreciated and empowered to reach their full potential. We believe continuous development empowers people to make a difference. Our Learn, Connect, Grow framework and supportive culture enables everyone at ABB to pursue their personal goals and aspirations.
At ABB, we care about our people and their stories. We create safe, fair, equitable and inclusive working environments in which our people can succeed and develop, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or cultural, religious or social background. Diverse teams make us stronger. ABB is also committed to a high standard of integrityin everything we do.
