Meet the Team: Ziyang Chong
It’s known that Magnetic Trading has been expanding to the South Asia Pacific region and strengthening its presence. As a result, the local team has been growing, with one of the latest team additions: Ziyang Chong, also known as Brandon. At present, he’s taking the lead in customer and sales support for the region and shares in more detail about his work, background, and what it's like to be part of the globally-spread team.
How did your aviation career start? What was your experience prior to joining Magnetic Trading, a member of Magnetic Group?
My aviation career started right after I graduated from the Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Diploma course at one of the universities in Malaysia. Initially, I was part of the engineering team doing base maintenance for a private charter jet company in Malaysia. Afterward, I shifted to Singapore and worked in the engineering team, focusing mainly on repairing and overhauling the nacelle systems in one of the aircraft repair shops.
In the meantime, while working in Singapore, I also completed my degree in Mechanical Engineering. Soon after, I started my first job in sales, which was after moving back from Singapore to Malaysia. Before joining Magnetic Group, I was making sales and trading, mainly oriented towards supplying industrial used adhesives and chemicals to the electronics and avionics industry.
For someone who’s not familiar with your line of work, how would you describe your everyday routine and main tasks?
One of the main tasks is looking for stock availability and spare parts that we can offer our customers. In parallel, I am collecting data, raising quotations, and trying to increase customer orders. If there is an order, another part of the job is to process it and arrange shipment so it safely arrives at the customer’s location.
But that’s not all; getting feedback on our services and ensuring the components are safely installed in the aircraft is also one of the primary tasks. From pre-sales all the way to aftersales, all of it is my responsibility.
What are some of your professional goals and targets for this year?
One of the main targets this year is to help Magnetic Trading grow its presence and strengthen our footstep as much as possible all over the Asia Pacific Region. And, of course, to provide some of the best-suited solutions for our customers' problems.
What have you learnt so far about Magnetic Group and its culture?
Similar to the Magnetic Group’s mission — help aviation companies help the world. I feel everyone is so friendly and working closely together, providing a genuine, tight-knit, supportive environment. Everyone is on the same page regarding achieving our set mission and vision. Although I am across the world from most of my team, I can still feel it over here.
How do you spend your after-work hours? Do you have any hobbies?
Tennis and combat sports (Muay Thai and Boxing) are my go-to activities. There is one saying here in Malaysia, “Train more just to eat more.” Since I am a big foodie, exploring new restaurants or cafés is a must, all while traveling around when I have free time.
Last but not least — what’s the next destination on your bucket list and why?
In all honesty, the next destination could be anywhere. When I say I love traveling, I mean it. I want to see everything from experiencing the local culture to seeing the Wonders of the World and everything in between, including food (and lots of it).
If you're ever planning to visit South East Asia or Malaysia, don't hesitate to contact me. I enjoy introducing my culture and showcasing sights to visitors, whether they are friends, colleagues, or someone whom I just met.