In this edition of One ethos, One culture, Zurich based Feng Han takes us through his journey from music production to strategy and execution manager, describing the lessons learnt along the way that inspired him to excel at Metyis.
Meet Feng, our Strategy & Execution Manager in Zurich
What helped shape your early formative years?
I was born in China in the 90s. My family and I moved to Switzerland, where I was exposed to a broad spectrum of different cultures relatively early in my life. I became curious about new ideas and tried many different hobbies. For example, I pursued music production and other artistic endeavours. Being connected to music and other forms of art inspired me to take a more creative career path.
However, later in life, I chose a different route, studying business at the University of St. Gallen (HSG), where I spent a semester in Sydney, Australia and Santa Barbara, USA.
How's your day-to-day at Metyis?
At Metyis, every day is different; it’s so exciting to work for such a dynamic consultancy. As a manager, my key areas and responsibilities entail delivering impact as a team, being a trusted advisor to my internal and external clients and behaving with an entrepreneurial mindset in everything we do, all whilst having fun!
I’m currently working for a client in the crypto & decentralised finance space, where we’re extending a well-established app. I’m also driving the metaverse, NFT & ESG topic with my Zurich colleagues.
What was the journey to your current role like?
I was always very interested in a career in consulting since it exposes you to a broad range of industries and functions.
After my bachelor’s degree, I worked for around five and a half years at a Big Four, which allowed me to work in the Data Analytics and Insurance Strategy practice, where I acquired skill sets in strategy & data.
I was relatively happy at this firm; I liked the projects, leaders, and colleagues, many of whom I became friends with outside of work; however, entrepreneurial thinking wasn’t encouraged in junior professionals. When I was introduced to our Metyis leadership in Zurich, I knew it was a perfect match in values and entrepreneurial thinking.
What makes you proud of the Zurich team?
I’m most proud of the culture in our Zurich team, which we persevered despite growing by 300% over the last year. We’ve hired incredible talented people, and everyone across all levels is thinking with a strong entrepreneurial, can-do attitude. It is a truly enjoyable working environment with super motivated and inspiring colleagues.
What do you feel is your main contribution to your team?
I’m a firm believer in the extreme ownership principle, which in summary is: "No blaming, No complaining and No excuses". I can highly recommend the book of the same name by Willink & Babin. As a manager, I want to empower everyone in my team to take responsibility to achieve success, support each other, and create a fun environment regardless of their seniority.
What key aspects of the Metyis work environment allow you to perform at your best?
I’m very passionate about the entrepreneurial process and spirit, which I feel at Metyis. The key aspects that allow me to perform at my best are the collective entrepreneurial mindset, the team and the culture; we strive for partnerships with our clients to participate in shared risks and rewards. It is a game-changer. We’re no longer seen as a “service provider”, but rather entrepreneurs who work hand in hand with our clients.
What advice would you give to your past self?
Rule #7: Pursue what is meaningful (not what is expedient).