‘Follow your passion and you will succeed’

Careers should be driven by passion, not gender, says Electrolux’s Reena Subramaniam. 

It’s a belief that has seen the talented trailblazer achieve incredible success in the male-dominated field of product compliance (standards and regulation) and has ultimately led to increasingly user-friendly and efficient “white goods”.  

“As much as I champion gender equality, we’re aware that most home appliances are used more by females than men,” Reena, Electrolux’s Regulatory Affairs Manager for Asia Pacific and the Middle East, said. 

“So, when we have more females in compliance — women who are passionate about this field — there’s a greater understanding about what works for the consumer and what doesn’t. 

“That gender balance and the different perspectives that men and women bring contribute to better product development and post-service experience. 
 
“We need that balance.”  

Reena was destined for a career in electrical engineering. 

Her father was an engineer in the army and her two brothers are also engineers. 

At the family home in Malaysia where she grew up, Reena recalls her father spending hours tinkering in his workshop, repairing broken equipment rather than throwing things away. 

She also remembers being fascinated when Electrolux door-to-door salesmen came round to demonstrate domestic appliances such as vacuum cleaners. 

There were other turning points throughout her childhood. 

At nine, she got an electric shock turning on a light after getting out of the shower. The frightening experience instilled in her the importance of product safety — a central value of her career in compliance. 

Around the same age, Reena lent a hand as her brother built a display board featuring LED lights for a school project. 

“That was perhaps the starting point; I thought: ‘This is interesting’,” she recalls. 

“When I finished high school, engineering seemed like a logical path to follow, given my brothers were both engineers. Nothing else interested me.” 

Despite being one of only four girls in a cohort of 120 students studying Electronics Engineering at uni, Reena thrived.  

It wasn’t until she entered the workforce that she experienced blatant and unsettling sexism. 

“Manufacturing is huge in Malaysia, so I was able to get a job, but it was difficult,” she said. 

“In one role during my uni years, I was given admin work while more challenging and interesting tasks went to a male colleague.” 

But, in a display of the professionalism, intelligence and curiosity that has held her in good stead throughout her career, Reena made the most of the situation which ultimately led to increased efficiency on the production line.  

“I was tasked with writing up instructions for a project,” she said. 

“To make the instructions more meaningful, I would talk to the ladies in the factory to learn about their challenges. 

“They were tired from standing up for hours on end during long 12-hour shifts. I recommended some simple changes which reduced their fatigue and boosted productivity.” 

The experience was unexpected. 

“I went to an all-girls school where we were all treated equally and with respect,” Reena said. 

“Nor was there a problem at uni, even though most of my mates were boys. They never saw me as weak or inferior. 

“It was only when I stepped into the workplace that I saw how females could be treated differently. Thankfully, the situation has changed a lot.”  

Reena went on to work for a series of international companies.  

Her first job was as a production engineer at HP’s manufacturing facility. She worked for Dyson for five years and was involved in setting up its test labs. 

After moving to Australia, where she noted product safety was a priority,
Reena gained further experience in compliance with Zip and Rheem. 

Now she functionally manages a team of 12 approbation specialists across Asia Pacific and the Middle East accountable for the compliance and safety of products for their lifetime — from conception to after-sale support. 

She is also one of 250 people engaged in standards development on behalf of the Australian Industry Group. 

James Thomson, Ai Group’s Lead – Standards and Product Regulation, said: “Reena experiences first-hand the ever-changing world of standards as a member of a team of eight Ai Group representatives on Committee EL-002 Appliances that keeps Australia current with adoptions from the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).”  

It’s a field Reena is passionate about. 

“Compliance is something I’ve always thoroughly enjoyed,” she said. 

“It’s endlessly interesting because there's always something happening in the space; standards are forever changing to accommodate technology advances. 

“It’s given me a fulfilling career: I started out testing products for safety in the lab, now I have a regional management role.”

Risk assessments, compliance management, standards update, recalls and launching new products are all issues Reena’s team manages.  

“It's interesting work, but you can be under a lot of pressure,” she said. 

She’s proud of the gender equality at Electrolux, including within the team of global regulatory managers she’s part of. 

“No job should be gender-biased,” Reena said. 

“A career should be based on passion. I say this even to my kids: ‘If you like a career, you do it. You can be what you want, and do what you want, provided you like what you're doing and you're passionate about what you're doing.’ 

“When it comes to filling a role at work, we choose the best fit, regardless of gender. 

“It doesn't matter if an applicant is female or male; if we think someone is the best fit for a job, we take them.  

“Follow your passion and you will succeed.”