Next up in our No Straight Line series, we speak with Randev Perera, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Stretchline China. Randev shares his journey through Stretchline and gives us insight into his various roles throughout the years.

Having worked with Stretchline since leaving school, Randev has progressed to leading our business in China – a true Stretchline success story.

Here’s what he had to say…

What job did you set out to do?

As my first job out of school, I worked as a Customer Relationship Executive at Stretchline Sri Lankan in 2002. I was always curious and wanted to learn more – after all, you can’t sell what you don’t know.

I always wanted to expand my knowledge and understanding, and in 2005, I moved to the Research and Development department.

What role do you currently do?

I’m the COO at Stretchline China. It’s my job to share my knowledge and experience with as many departments as possible and to get the team thinking about different ways to solve problems.

I’ve learned how to empower teams from my experience with different teams. If you want a truly driven team, you should give them the tools to find solutions independently. I have faith in my direct reports, both in their ability to deliver excellence and in their ability to learn from mistakes.

How has your journey at Stretchline shaped your role now?

I have gained a deeper understanding driven by my curiosity.

Working in three countries with people from very different cultures has taught me a lot and shaped my professional and personal outlook.

From those on the factory floor to those shaping Stretchline’s future, our family culture is the big throughline for me. Being part of the senior team means I’m responsible for our shareholders and every employee at Stretchline China. That sense of responsibility shapes my perspective on my role and how I approach it.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

It is important to trust the process. A time will come for you to shine, so enjoy the journey and learn as much as possible.

What advice would you give to your future self?

Embrace the challenge of end-to-end connectivity in anything and everything by staying curious, intrigued, and interested in innovation, automation, and digitalisation. Adapt and change to meet our customers’ and end users’ needs and requirements. And lastly, always ask why and don’t be embarrassed to say I don’t know.

As a result of Randev’s experiences, he has developed both professionally and personally. All the threads of various departments now connect with him, and he can share his insights, having worked across many of them. Sometimes, the not-so-straight line leads to a fulfilling career path that allows you to gain a wealth of knowledge and experience along the way.

Did you find Randev’s piece interesting? Then, stay tuned for more deep dives into the not-so-straight lines taken by our Stretchline family.