Lily Xie, assistant technical manager, China

Years with AD

Attitude

Dedicated

Hobby

Sports

What attracted you to your chosen work?

I joined Avery Dennison in 2020 as a GOLD Program trainee, starting my journey with rotations across the Operations Team. Through this experience, I have grown significantly and built a solid foundation. What truly inspires me about Avery Dennison is its inclusive and diverse environment, the encouraging mentorship from leadership and the contagious enthusiasm of my colleagues.

In the Technical Team, hands-on projects allow me to gain deep insights into the core of the technical domain. I enjoy exploring emerging technologies alongside my team, embracing innovation and collectively providing technical support and process improvements for every product we deliver. It is immensely fulfilling.

What skills did you develop early that are still useful today?

My experience at Avery Dennison has cultivated a strong foundation in critical thinking and logical analysis — skills that I seamlessly apply across cross-functional initiatives and dynamic projects. It has empowered me to deconstruct complex challenges, look beyond the surface and thoroughly master both the "how" and the "why."

How have you grown in your career at Avery Dennison?

Upon graduating with a master's degree in 2020, I joined Avery Dennison as an Operations GOLD Trainee. My career journey includes impactful rotations in Production Planning & Control (PPC) and Operational Excellence (OE), followed by hands-on experience in the Production Team. Currently, I am a member of the Technical Team supporting the NS Paper production line.

What's the biggest stretch opportunity you've taken on?

One of my biggest challenges at Avery Dennison was entering the technical and printing domains without an engineering background. Coming from a liberal arts background in literature, the industry and technologies were entirely new to me, especially alongside seasoned colleagues with extensive experience. Starting with a blank canvas, I eagerly absorbed technical knowledge and built my expertise through hands-on experience. By taking on key operational and technical projects — such as the Automated Scheduling System, AGV Material Handling System and Color Management System — I have gradually painted my own vibrant career journey.

Joining Avery Dennison is undoubtedly the best career decision I’ve made. Every single step counts, and every experience shapes a valuable chapter in life.

What role has mentorship played in your career?

Since I joined, Donna Zhang, Plant Manager of the Nansha Plant, has served as my mentor and guide. I am deeply grateful for her support in coaching me from an inexperienced fresh graduate into a leader in the Technical Team. Whether it comes to personal growth, professional values or technical execution, she has mentored me with incredible patience, offering unwavering encouragement whenever I faced setbacks or hurdles.

What's the best career decision you've ever made?

Joining Avery Dennison is undoubtedly the best career decision I’ve made. Every single step counts, and every experience shapes a valuable chapter in life.

As you think about the next steps in your career, what are the most important actions you plan to take?

Moving forward, I am committed to making choices that foster personal and professional growth. I will prioritize continuous learning, stay humble and bring positive energy to my colleagues and friends. Ultimately, my goal is to remain a strong pillar of support for my team and a strategic driver for the company’s business growth.

What do you enjoy most about the work you do?

What I enjoy most in my day-to-day work is troubleshooting production anomalies and tackling tough technical challenges. I love diving deep into each case to identify root causes and implement corrective solutions. More importantly, I strive to extrapolate these insights, transforming isolated fixes into comprehensive, systemic frameworks and technical knowledge. That process is deeply satisfying.

Manufacturing Appreciation Month Reflections

What is a product or project you’ve worked on that makes you proud when you see it out in the real world?

Seeing the packaging boxes for specific clients on the market brings me immense pride, knowing their full journey from development to mass production to retail stores. Our Nansha Team leads the product development and sampling. Once the client approves, we establish process parameters to enable smooth mass production. From file layout and color simulation to precise color reproduction, surface finishing, die-cutting and box folding — every stage represents our team's hard work and expertise.

If you had to explain the impact of your daily work to someone who has never heard of Avery Dennison, how would you describe it?

My daily mission is to deliver products tailored to customer needs — whether it is a colorful hangtag, a packaging box or a label carrying critical customer information. As part of the Technical Team, we ensure these products meet strict color fidelity standards while ensuring they possess the required physical durability for performance.

What is a misconception people often have about modern manufacturing that you’d love to debunk?

A common misconception is that manufacturing remains a traditional, labor-intensive industry. In truth, modern operations are built on smart manufacturing and integrated software-hardware automation, with AI integration becoming standard practice on the shop floor. Our facilities are continuously empowering themselves with cutting-edge technology to deliver agile, high-efficiency solutions for our clients.

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