“Be eager to learn and always put your hand up to try something new.”
Twenty-eight-year-old Verbena Rema from Kou Village in Ialibu, Southern Highlands Province, shares her inspiring thoughts as she gets ready to start a new chapter with HEINEKEN Global Shared Services (HGSS) in Kraków, Poland.
Verbena, who attended both primary and secondary school in her hometown, graduated from Sogeri National High School in 2014 and earned her degree from the University of Papua New Guinea in 2018.
Looking back on her experiences, she feels thankful for the hard work and discipline her parents instilled in her, which have played a crucial role in her journey to success.
These principles have been instrumental in shaping her path to success.
“My parents taught us to work for something if we wanted it.”
“Back in the days, when we wanted a new pair of shoes or trousers, we had to work for it.”
“My siblings and I made cabbage or broccoli gardens, sold our harvest, and with the money we made, we bought what we wanted.”
“Growing up was a lesson in self-reliance, as Verbena explains, “It was, and still is, literally like, you work, you eat; if you do not work, you do not eat.”
“As the famous proverb goes, ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.'”
Fueled by her passion for learning and growth, in July, she reached out to a colleague in HGSS hoping for a short-term assignment placement, however, the STA role was already filled.
Despite facing this challenge, her determination earned her a role as a Global Process Management (GPM) Business Consultant in Business Intelligence (BI).
“This will be a completely new adventure for me since it’s my first time traveling abroad, and I am thrilled.”
When asked about her biggest anticipation, she mentioned: Gaining deeper insights into the cutting-edge financial technologies and commercial tools that HEINEKEN provides.
“I am eager to learn from all the brilliant individuals, exchange ideas, and apply what I learn.”
Verbena became part of SP Brewery in 2019 through its Graduate Development Program and worked as a Commercial Analyst before transitioning to the position of Marketing Controller.
“SP Brewery is the first Company I have worked at. The daily support I receive from colleagues, and the environment is amazing because I work alongside managers (both local and expatriate) who share their knowledge and help support young Papua New Guineans like me, to further develop our careers.”
She further made special mention to former SPB Finance Director Archer Ning, and Adnane Islam Chekirine, the current SPB Finance Director, for their unwavering support and guidance in reaching this milestone.
As she prepares for her departure, Verbena offers the following advice to young Papua New Guineans.
“Work with a company that you believe will develop your skills and knowledge as an individual.”
“The package may not meet your expectations but if the Company has a great reputation in developing its staff, take that leap of faith because you will not regret learning the skills on the job.”
In congratulating Verbena, SP Brewery Managing Director Ed Weggemans explained that SP Brewery was committed to developing Papua New Guineans to compete on the world stage.