Third Year Apprentices to Leave a Mark on Digi

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Press Release
October 7, 2018
https://digi.com.my/media/articleURLhereWhichCanbeReallyLong

  • Nine young, aspiring talents get the chance to make real impact by helping to shape the company's digital ambitions
  • A unique accelerated development programme, the Digi CXO Apprentice Programme nurtures future talent and aims to fill the leadership pipeline

SUBANG JAYA, 08 October 2018 - For the third year running, Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd (“Digi”) welcomed nine bright young individuals into its CXO Apprentice Programme. Under direct mentorship of Digi’s management team members, these apprentices get to contribute their best ideas and actions to the company for the next 12 calendar months.

This year, the programme focused on reaching out to Malaysian students studying abroad, along with more outreach to local public universities, resulting in a very diverse application pool. A total of 870 applications were received.

Digi's Chief Human Resource Officer, Elisabeth Stene said that people are Digi's most valuable asset and that the company is committed to building future-ready talents. "We were searching for individuals who are able to break down problems and think out of the box for innovative solutions around things as we worked towards making a big impact in forming the digital future for our millions of customers. Through the CXO Apprentice Programme, we saw many young hungry individuals who are eager to grow, whom we felt could benefit from this programme," she added.

"By having front row seats to decision making, and the opportunity to find solutions to real business challenges, it is important that the chosen apprentices are able to understand the local telecommunications industry and assimilate into Digi’s business operations quickly. Coupled with closer programme management and mentorship from their respective CXOs, the Apprentices will experience a steep learning curve in the next 12-months," explained Elisabeth.

The apprentices selected for this year’s programme are:

Inspiring Apprentices Age University Background CXO Attached To Adhithiya Theawarajan 22 Monash University Food Science and Technology Albern Murty, CEO Amina Husna Binti Ibrahim 23 Pennsylvania State University Economics Albern Murty, CEO Emir Kamaruzzaman Elias 22 University of Nottingham Business Economics and Finance Nakul Sehgal, CFO Jean Gan Lay Pin 24 Sunway University Business Management Elisabeth Stene, CHRO Joyie Chooi Kar Mun 21 Durham University Philosophy, Politics and Economics Eugene Teh, CBO Nur Yasmin Mortaza 23 Queen Mary University of London Law Joachim Rajaram, CCAO Ooi Jin Chern 23 Monash University Business and Commerce Loh Keh Jiat, CMO Tan Wei Jin 23 University of Warwick Economics Praveen Rajan Nadarajan, CDO Tan Yi Xin 24 University of Manchester Chemical Engineering Kesavan Sivabalan, CTO

The Unconventional Recruitment Process
Not one to settle for the conventional, the selection process for the CXO Apprentice Programme emphasised on three eligibility criteria: Malaysians with less than one year working experience and who are available for employment with Digi in August 2018. There were no CGPA requirements for the submission as an all-rounded approach was taken to consider that while some talents may have academical strengths, others may have strengths in extra-curricular activities instead.

A game-based assessment was employed to better understand the candidates and help with the filtering process. Candidates who made through the shortlisting were then invited to Digi for individual and group assessment process, including one where they were required to be product managers, having to create new products and pitch their ideas within an hour. This was done to look into how well the candidates could think on their feet and work independently on their own as well as in a group.

Candidates who passed the third stage then moved on to the final stage, which was a round of interviews with the CXOs themselves.

What they have to say ….
Adhithiya Theawarajan, 22
, graduated in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science (Food and Technology). She was selected to shadow Digi's CEO Albern Murty and describes her first month as an apprentice as nothing short of amazing.

"I can safely vouch for the fact that Digi truly lives up to its motto – “Let’s Inspire”. Digizens are very passionate about innovation and it’s amazing to see how deeply the concept is ingrained in the company’s culture. It’s incredibly humbling to work with Albern. He’s a great mentor and I have gained valuable insights and exposure into the business under his leadership. The efficiency and simplicity in how he work is incredible, and I constantly feel inspired to work with him. Above all, I admire his relentless passion for customer obsession as it reminds me of my larger purpose at Digi," Ashithiya explained.

Ooi Jin Chern, 23, who was selected to shadow Digi’s CMO Loh Keh Jiat, first came to know about the CXO Programme through a friend who introduced it to him in his final semester of university, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Business and Commerce with a major in Economics.

"I'm looking forward to interacting more with the higher-level management and learning from them, especially the decision-making process right down to projects. Everyone I’ve met has been very welcoming and open in sharing their knowledge and experiences," he said

Emir Kamaruzzaman, 22, a Bachelor of Business Economics and Finance graduate said the opportunity to shadow Digi's CFO Nakul Sehgal was something that he was grateful for.

"I felt an instant connection with Nakul right from the interview stage. He always ensures that I am well exposed. He has been a great mentor and is definitely someone I look up to," he enthuses.

In the next 12 months, the apprentices are given the freedom to explore functions to identify areas they see themselves in post-apprenticeship. The Programme has been crafted to allow the apprentices to spend their last few months assimilating themselves into their future roles to ensure a smooth transition from the apprenticeship to their new roles in Digi.

For more information on how you could be the next one to make an impact at Digi with your ideas and actions, visit www.digi.com.my/cxoapprentice.