Today we’d like to introduce you to Muge Ozerten.
Hi Muge, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am originally from Turkey. The company I am working for (a global company and market leader in its field) relocated me to Raleigh, NC. I have worked for the same company since 2010 and have had several roles in Research & Development and Product Management as an engineer and manager. I started my education in Turkey and continued studying in Italy. I have 2 MSc degrees and an MBA.
Besides all these, I have a passion for cooking. Turkish cuisine is very multicultural, including but not limited to Mediterranean and Middle Eastern styles. My grandmother’s father was from the north side of Turkey, and my grandfather was from the south. Whereas father of my father is originally from Bulgaria. Thanks to my family roots, we had a wide variety of cooking styles at home, and I learned a lot during that time. Living in Italy also contributed a lot to my experience. Currently, I have an Instagram account, Pinch of Muge, and I am posting recipes so that my followers can get inspired by my recipes. From time to time, I am also giving some voluntary cooking classes.
Additionally, I also have a passion for the arts. Since age 12, I have had an interest in painting. At university, even though I held a degree in the engineering faculty, I took many courses in visual arts and visual communication design, which supported my background in arts. I would like to have an exhibition of my paintings one day.
From time to time, I mentor juniors at work and attend some seminars arranged by my university to inspire more people for their success at work while running after their passion, which can be very well related to their work. One of my main motivations at work and in my personal life is to inspire more and more people so that we create more values in what we are doing today for a living, where these values can change from one person to another. While someone’s values can be family, health, and peace, others may be sustainability, wealth, and diversity. What is essential is to create an environment where we inspire each other to achieve more values.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Every path has its challenges. Every work, innovation, and creativity has its own though hard times. One of the biggest challenges I had was learning Italian during my studies because my master’s degree was in Italian, and I had to learn Italian during my master’s. I learned Italian and successfully graduated from one top universities in Italy. Since then, nothing has seemed impossible to me. Besides this, every new position I hold at work comes with new challenges, including relocations. Overcoming these challenges makes me stronger. So I always like being challenged.
Please tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others.
I am the global product manager for dry-type transformers in a company that is the worldwide market leader in its field. Transformers are devices which are stepping up and down voltages. For instance, you need to increase the voltage level to transmit it through long distances and decrease it to the appropriate level for the end users so that the devices in our homes, such as kitchen appliances, can work through the plugs. Some variations of transformers are designed to be served for different applications in different segments, and dry-type transformers are one of them.
In my current role, I interact with customers and marketing colleagues to better understand our customers’ needs. I define the strategy for this product while ensuring our customers are happy with our products and service and my company is running the business successfully.
I have worked for this company since 2010 and have held several roles. During my career, I relocated from Turkey to the USA. I changed roles every 2-3 years to develop myself and support my company for continuous development. I could invest more time in cooking and arts & crafts during this time. I was leading the research and development team in Raleigh, where we created an excellent work environment by delivering so much success. And we achieved this by not ruining our work-life balance and with a fantastic, diverse team. This is what makes me so proud of myself.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Self-motivation. I learned how to motivate myself even at the time when I feel I am desperate. I discovered myself. Outside of my daily business and work, especially when we could not socialize face to face, I realized how much I can still enjoy interaction with people remotely through my Instagram account Pinch of Muge. I recorded videos, created recipe animations, discovered new recipes, and shared them with my followers. I am working on a recipe book and an online recipe engine where people can benefit from my recipes besides following me through my Instagram account.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pinchofmuge/
