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DIXIE, A Rising Star! The year was 1988, when Dixie and I first met at the Chinese Embassy along United Nations Avenue in Lusaka. Dixie was the youngest in the group of seven guys. I was the oldest and the most travelled guy. I told them a few stories about life overseas, what to expect and what not to expect. Even though none of us had ever been to the Far East, Dixie thought I was the guy to hang out with because of my travel and knowledge of the world outside Zambia. While he was thinking of how we can become buddies, I was also thinking how I can be of any help to him. Born and raised in Mufulira, Zambia, Dixie and his family lived in several communities in this copper mining town before settling in Lusaka, the nations capital. His parents were from Eastern and Central provinces. His father, was an educator, a school headmaster. As a child Dixie was inspired to read various books and he developed good study habits following his father's footsteps. He attended Libala Secondary School in Lusaka. After finishing his secondary education he spent most of his time working on his father’s farm and applying for scholarships. Then one day he got a break, a visa and a ticket to China! First mission, learn Chinese language in one academic year! This was a mission impossible. "Mudala, you think we can do this in nine months?" he later asked me after we landed at Beijing Capital International Airport. Beijing is a city covering 18.8 thousand square kilometers, with a population of nearly 14 million. This was the perfect place to be immersed in Chinese culture and language. Later, we learned that Beijing had a long history as the imperial center of the Middle Kingdom. The Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, and the tombs of 13 Ming emperors, have all been listed as world cultural relics. In addition, the city's quadrangles, roast ducks and other local refreshments all became attractive to us. Learning Chinese language at BLCU was tough but we pushed ourselves as we wanted to enjoy what the city had to offer. We did it! Finally after a year in Beijing, Dixie "Boy Boy" and I took a long train journey to Hangzhou Province. There, Dixie enrolled in the Mechanical Engineering program at Zhejiang University. I left Dixie and China in 1989, without saying goodbye to him under the darkness of the night. The story surrounding my infamous midnight departure, brought mistrust, fear and mixed feelings with the authorities. This later proved to be a very heavy blow to the young fella who looked to me for guidance and inspiration, as he later told me. He remained the only foreign student among a sea of Chinese classmates. However, he pushed on and continued to study hard. After graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1993, he went back to Zambia. Without a job and fewer prospects of getting one, he looked at a post card I had sent him in 1991 from New York City, and remembering some of my many stories about Europe, he decided it was time to make a move. It was at this time that he decided to migrate to Germany. He sold his household items to raise money for an air ticket. The task of learning German was threatening but what can be more daunting than learning Chinese. While learning German, he did odd jobs to make ends meet but kept focused on his studies. He graduated from Julius Maximilan University, Würzburg in 1995. During that time he also worked as Design Engineer at NOELL GmbH to pay for his studies. He later moved to U.K. and worked for REHAU GmbH / REHAU (UK) Ltd from 1995 to 1997 as a production coordinator. In 1996 he moved to the UK where he joined Showa Honda Group as a Product Engineer working through the ranks to Global Sourcing Manager within a short time. His major break came in November 2004 when he landed a job as Corporate Commodity Leader at PERKIN ELMER Inc, Llantrisant, South Wales. This positioned him into an international sourcing expert. Traveling extensively in Europe, Asia and Africa with quartery visits to Boston, Massachusetts, USA the company's heardquarters. May 2006, I received a phone call while on the train from my office in Atlantic City going home. This was a very special call from Dixie in the U.K. telling me about his new job offer. "I have been offered a position as a Divisional Vice President Strategic Sourcing", said the voice on the other end. "I 'll be in charge of operations in China and Brazil", he continued. "I 'll tender my resignation effective June 1, 2006," he added. Dixie and have exchanged paperwork showing salary package and bonus incentives of our new appointments. His major break came in November 2004 when he landed a job as Corporate Commodity Leader at PERKIN ELMER Inc, Llantrisant, South Wales. This positioned him into an international sourcing expert. Traveling extensively in Europe, Asia and Africa with quartery visits to Boston, Massachusetts, USA the company's heardquarters. May 2006, I received a phone call while on the train from my office in Atlantic City, NJ going home. This was a very special call from Dixie in the U.K. telling me about his new job offer. "I have been offered a position as a Divisional Vice President Strategic Sourcing", said the voice on the other end. "I 'll be in charge of operations in China and Brazil", he continued. "I 'll tender my resignation effective June 1, 2006," he added. Later, Dixie and I exchanged paperwork showing salary packages and bonus incentives of our new appointments. He arrived in Shanghai, China on Friday, July 14, 2006 (after a short visit to New York, North Carolina and Illinois), not as a student this time, but as Senior V.P. Strategic Sourcing at Weir Group Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd. At 37, he became the youngest Zambian-born, corporate V.P. outside Zambia. I am glad to have been a positive influence in this young man's life. We wish him well as he continues rising the corporate ladder in his career quest. Another major achievement for Dixie in 2006 was the completion of Master of Science degree in Procurement & Supply Chain Management from Glamorgan University, Cardiff. Dixie who has now been living in Cardiff, UK for more than 12 years, spends a lot of time these days in China where most of his work is concentrated. |