How to become a digital transformation lead: Yifei’s story

Part of Careers

Meet Yifei, 31, a digital transformation lead working at Sanofi, a pharmaceutical company based in Reading. Find out more about how she uses French and Mandarin Chinese in her role. Part of our Bitesize world of work series.

Yifei works as a project manager, overseeing new digital healthcare solutions for patients. She was brought up in China and lived in France during her master's degree. Her Mandarin Chinese and French skills have enabled her to build relationships with lots of colleagues and clients from around the world.

I use my Mandarin Chinese when doing research about new technology. I can read local news reports without having to wait for English translations, so I’m ahead of the competition!

  • Communication skills are an essential part of Yifei's role because it involves coordinating with people from all different areas. Being curious and open to learning is also important, as it’s such a rapidly changing industry
  • Yifei was born in China and grew up speaking Mandarin. She learnt French in university but she really improved when she moved to France to do a master’s degree, where she got to use the language every day
  • She started learning English when she was ten and continued learning through secondary school and university. Most of her master’s in France was taught in English so she learnt how to study in her second language. She now lives in the UK, which has continued to help her develop her English skills
  • Yifei's language skills have been particularly useful because her company has offices all across the world, including a head office in France and a large office in China
  • Although her main working language is English, she often uses French to begin meetings with her French colleagues in the UK and global offices. She finds this helps to build rapport with people because it's easier to develop a personal connection when you speak their language
  • She uses Mandarin Chinese when doing research about new technology at work. She can read local news reports without having to wait for English translations, so she's ahead of the competition!
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Top tips

  • Don't be put off from applying for opportunities within the technology sector if you've not studied STEM subjects at school
  • Learning a language can help open your mind and change your mentality. For example, Yifei had to learn to deal with situations where she wasn't speaking her mother tongue all the time, which encouraged her to try new things.
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A digital transformation lead can also be known as a business project manager. Business project managers plan and organise people, tasks and resources to complete a project on time and within budget.

What to expect if you want to be a business project manager

  • Business project manager average salary: £28,000 to £75,000 per year
  • Business project manager typical working hours: 37 to 39 hours per week

What qualifications do you need to be a business project manager?

You could get into this role via an apprenticeship, a university course, working towards this role or a graduate training scheme.

Sources: LMI for All, National Careers Service

This information is a guide and is constantly changing. Please check the National Careers Service website for the latest information and all the qualifications needed.

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