How behind-the-scenes staff help d.light succeed
We are privileged to have scores of talented professionals in these behind-the-scenes roles—in finance, human resources, administration, and more—who are passionate about d.light’s mission and our customers.
One such employee is assistant finance manager Amy Liu, who works in our office in Shenzhen, China.
Amy grew up in a small town in southern China called Pingxiang, which is located along the border of Jiangxi and Hunan provinces. Her family was not well off, so it was significant when she attended university and earned her accounting degree. After working for a Shenzhen factory for a few years, Amy joined d.light in 2010 as an assistant accountant.
“I was quite intrigued by a company like d.light,” Amy said. “It’s running a charitable cause without itself being a charity. It is quite rare, especially in China, to come across a social enterprise like d.light.” She was curious to learn how a business could balance its social mission and its need for revenue.
Initially, Amy’s primary responsibilities included tax planning and managing expense reimbursements for the still-small China office. As d.light’s operations expanded rapidly in the following years, so did Amy’s role. She was promoted to accountant, then senior accountant. In 2015, she became an assistant finance manager.
Amy is now the company’s global consolidation expert. She generates company-wide financial reports and oversees all tax requirements for the office in China. Her financial acumen has helped d.light take advantage of government subsidies, rebates, and grants, providing savings and revenue for the company that have been funneled into serving more customers.
“What I enjoy most about working at d.light is that, as long as you are willing to learn and embrace new challenges, there are a magnitude of opportunities for growth and exposure to new things,” Amy explained. “As d.light’s offices are scattered in a number of very different countries, and sales made to even more, it was fascinating to understand and witness firsthand how things work, not only in accounting and finance, but other aspects as well.”
Her work in d.light has very much been a group effort. “Within the d.light family there are many that are willing to mentor and help you develop. Whatever difficulties you face, someone will always lend a helping hand,” she said.
Amy’s personal livelihood has improved through d.light, but even more importantly, she’s grateful for a role that is both enjoyable and meaningful. She doesn’t interact regularly with d.light’s customers, but she has been impacted by their stories all the same. She explained, “The experience at d.light has taught me to keep an open and objective mind, and it reminds me to put myself in others’ position and empathize.”
We are grateful for the hard work of Amy and our other operations staff. They keep the engine of d.light running so we can continue to change the world!
