Advancer spotlight: Pha Khem

Advancer spotlight: Pha Khem

Earlier this month, our Advance inboxes simultaneously pinged with the subject line: “There were snakes on my plane!”. It was our colleague, Pha, who had just come back from her trip to Australia and was eager to share a few “Aussie goodies” with us (and yes, some were in fact snake-shaped!).

Besides bringing teams together through sharing treats from her home country, Pha’s active involvement, creativity and positive energy have made her an unmissable presence at Advance since she jumped on board two years ago. We caught a moment with Pha to ask her some questions about life in and outside of the office…and even managed to learn about some of her secret skills along the way.

For starters, how long have you been working at Advance and what’s your role?
I’ve been here for two years now and I’m working as a Project Manager. As a PM, I handle the administrative side of projects, from budgeting and booking resources to setting meetings and timelines. It might sound boring, but it’s incredibly important: without those things in play, we can’t achieve our goals and deliver on time/to budget.

Were you working as a PM before starting at Advance?
Yes and no! I’m originally from Melbourne, Australia where I worked as a dietitian before moving into project management in a couple of government roles connected with health and medicine.

When I moved to Denmark 7 and a half years ago, I couldn’t practice as a dietitian. So I leveraged my native English skills and began working at a small copywriting agency here in Copenhagen, which was my entry point into marketing and advertising. I had a dual role there as copywriter and project manager since the agency was quite small. I then worked as a freelance copywriter for McCann Health Nordic, and I joined Advance as a PM after that.

“Having worked as both a creative and a PM helps me hold respect in our teams because I’ve been there, and I know how challenging it can be for both sides.”

So you have a background as a creative! Does that help you in your current role?
Absolutely. Having worked as both a creative and a PM helps me hold respect in our teams because I’ve been there, and I know how challenging it can be, for both sides. From a creative standpoint, I know that writing something impactful takes time and is often not a linear process. From a project management perspective, I understand the importance of deadlines and meeting the client’s needs. It’s easier to hold grace for one another when you know how to swim in both lanes.

What kind of projects are you currently working on?
I’m currently the dedicated PM for DEXIS, an international company that offers dental solutions worldwide. Our main projects are quite big, and they run for about 4-6 months, so they take up most of my time. I’ve also recently joined the Coloplast team as a PM, and I’ve even gotten the chance to do some copywriting on a few different projects. That definitely keeps me on my toes!

Seems like you’ve got plenty on at Advance! What about outside of work?
Besides raising a boisterous three-year-old, I am involved in the community through an NGO I started called White Ribbon Danmark. We aim to prevent men’s violence against women by promoting mental wellbeing in boys and men. We’re hosting a fun run in June to raise funds for the organization (you can sign up here!).

My proudest recent achievement, though, has been publishing my memoir, Fleets. I’ve been working on it for years, and it took both my creative and my project manager brain to get it over the finish line. It’s so special to share my story with others and I couldn’t have been prouder when I was finally holding the first printed copy in my hands. This personal venture included a collaboration with two of my colleagues at Advance, too.

“There is so much talent in this house, it is inspiring, and I am so impressed with all the different skills that are brought to the table.”

What’s your favorite part about working at Advance?
The people. There is so much talent in this house, it is inspiring, and I am so impressed with all the different skills that are brought to the table. There’s also so much love between Advancers, and it’s incredible to actively experience that. For example, there’s not one department at Advance that doesn’t have a Fleets reader in it.

We’re such a diverse crowd in terms of age, nationality, experience, and ways of working. I haven’t gotten to uncover all the talent that we have in-house, but I get excited each time I see a new name on the team when starting up a project.

What’s your favorite way to connect with colleagues? 
One of my love languages is feeding people. I was in Australia recently and found myself standing in a giant supermarket, thinking “what can I take back for my colleagues at Advance?”. Naturally, I chose something nostalgic from my childhood and quintessentially Australian. I love bringing people together by sharing those memories and moments.

We also take turns preparing Friday breakfasts at Advance, and I often can’t help myself and go the extra mile when it’s my turn. Whether it be smashed avocado on sourdough toast—an homage to my hometown, Melbourne—chili baked beans, hash browns or crepes, Advancers usually appreciate the extra effort.

Last question: besides writing, cooking, and sneaking snakes onto planes, do you have any other secret skills that we should know about?
Apparently, I’m a great hand model. I’ve been cast multiple times by the LEGO® team as a hand model for their shoots! I’ve also done a few voiceovers for various Coloplast projects. It seems the Australian accent is a hit.