LiQun Ren - an international career in polymer research.

I joined BASF in 2008 after gaining my PhD in chemistry at the University of Marburg and worked at central research in Ludwigshafen for eight years. In 2017 I moved back to China with my family, which was quite a change after living in Germany for 11 years. I first joined a business unit as marketing manager for ecovio in Shanghai. It was very different to what I did before: I needed to travel a lot and gained many beneficial insights. After three years I realized that I wanted to work more in the technical area. I got the opportunity to work in research again in 2020 when BASF expanded its biodegradability research at the campus. Now, I enjoy working on the development of new polymers and products with my team and different operating divisions. I feel there is a good atmosphere and enjoy coming into the office and working at the campus with my team every day.

I made a conscious decision to go back to China after my long stay abroad, because I needed the support of my family to take care of my two kids. The switch from research to business was also something I decided in order to broaden my own horizons. Both decisions weren’t easy, but thanks to the experiences I gained I now have a better understanding of how people think and feel. I can switch perspectives and be a bridge between global and regional topics.

Having a mindset of growth and not fearing challenges and risks is extremely important. We can’t expect that there will be no failures on the way. The most important thing is to keep your own perspective, then the challenges won’t be terrifying anymore – it will allow you to stay calm and to work together with colleagues and your team. Embrace opportunities and uncertainties and grow with the company together.