For a moment, the ballroom remains dark. Garry Tjhin has just played a video, the grand finale to his presentation. He takes a deep breath, counts to four and the applause begins to mount. And it shows no sign of abating for quite some time. The 200 customers are going crazy. Everything worked out perfectly: Garry blew the crowd away. In that moment, he feels like Steve Jobs, or like Tim Cook when he presented the new iPhone. And actually, what Garry presented is just as momentous. The fourth, new and improved generation of the world’s most successful Sennheiser wireless system: evolution wireless G4.
The evening before, everyone asked him what he would be showcasing. But Garry simply grinned and said: “You’ll just have to wait and see, but it’s going to be huge.” The knowledge that he would not be taking to the stage empty-handed gave him the courage to undertake such an important presentation. And as he basks in the applause, he knows that he was right to fuel the excitement the night before. Moments like this are why Garry joined Sennheiser. And anyone who knows him from school knows that Sennheiser has always been a source of fascination for Garry. “Whenever I introduced myself at university, I always said: When I have finished my studies, I want to work at Sennheiser.” News of a job in Singapore finally came through a job agency. “I didn’t hesitate for a second.”
Garry had previously spent eight months working as a Project Assistant Engineer for a system integrator. His experience in business communication was an asset in his new role. “In fact, I was originally hired by Sennheiser in August 2015 as a Product Specialist for business communication products. On the first day, we came up with a new plan. I had told my supervisor about my passion for live sound so I became responsible for Pro Audio and Neumann. It was that simple.”
For Garry, having the courage to turn plans completely on their head is a key trait of Sennheiser. “From my very first day, I was shown a great deal of empathy and acceptance, and encouraged to learn from my decisions (and sometimes my mistakes). It’s not something you often come across in this industry. Sennheiser has always given me the opportunity to grow—and the freedom. At Sennheiser, venturing into the unknown can provide an opportunity to shine.” In Garry’s case, that daunting feeling as he stepped out onto the stage and the spotlight shone down, quickly turned to exhilaration. And, of course, the roar of the applause was the best indication of a job well done.