Meet Carmen Bordas, a valued member of our Funai Cebu (FCI) team.

In this spotlight, we get to know Carmen both inside and outside of work, from her key role in Senior Quality Manager to her interests and hobbies.

Learn more about her journey, accomplishments, and what drives her daily at Funai!

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1. Tell us a little about your role at Funai.

I recently became Senior Quality Manager, and I’m based in our manufacturing facility located in Cebu, Philippines. My new role now includes to champion and advocate quality for the global FMS organization, focusing on quality management, control, and assurance of our processes, components, and products in the manufacturing site. I aim to mold Funai Microfluidic Solutions (FMS) into an organization recognized for world-class quality.

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2. Are there any accomplishments or projects you’re particularly proud of?

This is a good question. It's my 20th work anniversary with Lexmark-Funai this month. And as I look back, THAT is an accomplishment in itself. On top of accomplishing some vital projects, it's the numerous opportunities and learnings I have gained both professionally and personally that have made the greatest impact. When I stayed on after Funai bought this facility, it gave me another unique opportunity. Lexmark and Funai both have very good quality best practices. I can see how the best of both companies can merge, becoming an even better organization. While this isn’t an achievement YET, this is at the top of my “To Accomplish” list. It is the vision that I’m executing to achieve operational excellence in our manufacturing.

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3. What’s your educational background, and how did it lead you to your current role?

‍I’m a licensed Chemical Engineer from the University. Chemical engineers are adaptive chameleons because we can find many niches in various industries. I started as an Inkmix Analyst for Lexmark, and it paved the way to fields of Process Engineering and Improvement, Training, Quality Mgt and Engineering, Failure Analysis, Print Quality and Reliability, Product and Component Mgt Engineering, R&D, and GMP/ HACCP among others. This wide-ranging exposure essentially led me to where I am: ensuring quality at all levels of our manufacturing process.

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4. What hobbies or interests are you passionate about outside of work?

As a working wife and mother, I stay very busy. But I like to read biographies if I do find some free time. My interests cover a wide range because I enjoy learning from other people’s experiences and get inspired by seeing people believe in themselves and overcome their challenges. Some of the biographies that come to mind include cultural icons (Princess Di, Whitney Houston), leadership icons (Steve Jobs, John Maxwell), and intellectuals (John Nash, Oppenheimer).

 My commute to work is long, so I also listen to many podcasts. My favorites include candid life conversations like skypodcast, inspirational speaker Simon Sinek and organizational psychologist Adam Grant. These help me better understand and manage my new role at Funai Cebu (FCI) to better empower the culture.

 Lastly, I enjoy Yoga and graphic design. Now that Funai has a marketing team, I would really like to contribute more to our marketing efforts. I enjoy being creative and find this type of activity to be interesting and a ‘stress reliever’.

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5a. What’s something most people might not know about you?

‍For those who have not known me very long, I am an introvert. When taking the survey for Meyer Briggs personality types, I am classified as INTJ, or “an Architect.” We are quiet, imaginative, strategic thinkers and solution-providers. And with the roles and responsibilities I’ve had to take on over the years, I’m slowly changing to become more assertive (INTJ-A), confident and extroverted. The transition from Lexmark to Funai has helped mold me into a better version of myself.

‍5b. Introvert? Didn’t we see you with an acting role in the Funai facilities promotional video?

I definitely would disagree that I’m an actor. [laughs] When we transitioned to Funai in 2013, we needed to rebrand quickly and market the Funai name and new facility. This led to a new company video to demonstrate our abilities and capabilities. Everyone knows who Lexmark is, and we wanted to put the new spotlight on Funai. We needed actors, so I left my comfort zone and became part of the AVP. We just refreshed that video this year and I decided to have myself taken out! [laughs]

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6. What longer-term goals are you hoping to achieve?

I’m a planner. I start by organizing things, but from a professional standpoint, I hope to be instrumental in launching a breakthrough product and to hit that sweet spot of success in our quality programs. This would help us deliver an FMS product of renowned reputation and achieve growth that we feel our business is capable of.

 On a personal level, I’m a simple person but a dreamer. I have dreams together with my family, but my main wish is to see my daughter achieve the best version of herself, the same way I have. I want to see her find her niche, and currently, she’s torn between writing, creative arts and STEM subjects. She’s dabbling in these fields right now, but she’s already thinking about college even though she’s still to graduate from Jr. High School this year.

 I leave the rest up to “whatever comes” because change is the only constant. This attitude pushes me to adapt and become more resilient to whatever comes my way. I don’t have a specific personal plan or goal except to enjoy the journey while dreaming of bigger and better things. Perhaps that’s the goal: building and living a stable life with my family.

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7. How has your time at Funai helped you grow, both professionally and personally?

My first job was at Lexmark. Then, we transitioned to Funai. And, with my 20th year in this facility, I can literally say I wouldn’t be the person I am without these companies. There have been some ups and downs. When Lexmark decided to sell to Funai, a lot of uncertainty for employees came with it. For me, it provided unique opportunities to grow in both career and personal aspects.

 Each experience, as well as my colleagues and mentors, has made me who I am. I feel blessed and lucky to be offered so many opportunities through the years.  Now, I have opportunities to coach and mentor new talents and drive pivotal programs and projects for FCI. There have been struggles and changes, but I’m still here. We can’t know the future, but I’m proud of Funai and FCI. We’ve become very resilient and are taking the right steps to grow our business in inkjet and beyond.

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8. If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would they be and why?

Brené Brown: For her insights on facing professional/personal challenges head-on with vulnerability at its core. Her TED Talks, podcasts and books are gems. At this stage, I’m more focused on overcoming challenges, being whole, and staying strong/resilient while being healthy internally.

 Adam Grant: For his expertise on organizational psychology, culture building, and understanding trends. His ideas are not old-school and likes to focus on keeping the company culture current through innovation and optimism. Adam gives me positive ideas; if we are not scared to change, we will always be willing to reinvent ourselves to meet our organizational goals.

 Simon Sinek: For his stimulating thoughts on leading and inspiring teams with a purpose, long-term vision and service. He offers practical advice in looking at the big picture for organizations and teams to adopt during challenging and uncertain times. I think it is timely for both FCI and me as he presents more ways to improve and become a better person, leader and influencer.

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9. What’s your go-to motto or piece of advice that keeps you motivated?

Motto: “There’s always another day to rebuild, redo, and improve.”

Motivation: “(Always have a bit of) curiosity, caffeine, and existential crisis!”

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10. Lastly, what are you looking forward to most in the upcoming months at Funai?

Like I said before, change is the only constant, I’m sure that FMS will encounter more challenges and struggles, but it’s up to how we react to these challenges. I’ve always been a fighter. If something goes wrong today, I’ll try another day or the next day. That is true for FMS. We’ll always have challenges, and this will help FMS to become stronger to “rise from the ashes” and become an even better company than before.

The meeting of the best of both worlds is potentially a reality.

Last words?

I am positive Funai will continue to be successful, we just need to keep finding more opportunities for Funai to thrive.

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Thank you for getting to know Carmen Bordas a little better!

We’re proud to have such dedicated and passionate individuals on our team.

Stay tuned for our next spotlight to meet more of the amazing people who make Funai Microfluidic Solutions a great place to work!

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