Product Manager - Shubhrendu Khoche

Name: Shubhrendu Khoche
Title: Product Manager in the Identification Business
Division: Near Field Communication
Years with Philips: 1

Balancing development with market needs

"Giving birth to a new Philips product is like crafting a sculpture - only we use a lot of tools and many sculptors. My job is to form a bridge between sales and R&D teams - balancing market requirements with internal development in the exciting new world of near field communication (NFC) technology.

It all started with a six-week internship from my business school. Philips' global scale and leading position in the hottest technologies made the company an obvious choice when I decided to join in May 2003.

What's even more exciting is the global scale of my work. A typical day? Consulting sales colleagues in Japan on the latest NFC demonstration. Reviewing the latest product specification with the R&D team in France. Leading a telephone conference with customers from Silicon Valley. I also travel and participate in road shows as an NFC 'evangelist'.

Such varied experiences have helped me hone my decision-making skills, become more flexible, and better deal with uncertainty and ambiguity. Flexible hours also allow me to balance my professional and personal life. A trusting management, supportive colleagues, and a reasonable vacation policy mean I can really relax when the work is done."