A cross-cultural calling

In late 2011, when Anyaporn Papan joined the Thai subsidiary of Chinese cellphone maker OPPO Electronics, the brand was barely known in the country and its sales volume was small, compared with other major players.

Six years later, Papan is proud that the company's products have gradually gained the trust of Thai consumers. OPPO phones now hold market share of more than 10 percent in the Southeast Asian country: "The sales volume is exhilarating. Now, most Thai people know our brand. I feel proud of that."

When she joined the company, Papan realized it faced an uphill battle because made-in-China products were a seen as low-quality goods at the time.