The rapid expansion of the King Living global footprint over recent years has not only presented opportunities for the business but also the people within it. One of those people is Michelle He who started at King Living in 2017 as a Financial Accountant and is now the Global Manufacturing Financial Controller.  

Michelle oversees the financial operations of the King Living manufacturing plants in Thailand and China. 

“With King Living expanding so rapidly, it’s important to enhance the efficiency of our manufacturing plants,” she explains. “The statutory financial reporting requirements are also very different in each country so I manage localised accounting and finance teams who look after daily operations from a finance function perspective.” 

Michelle shares her career journey and experiences at King Living, along with why she sees finance team members as the “silent heroes”. 

A thriving career

Prior to joining the King Living team, Michelle’s experience was in retail finance for fashion, duty free and food. After originally starting at King Living as a Financial Accountant, she quickly discovered the career opportunities that come from a vertical integration model. 

“I’ve worked as a financial accountant and in accounts payable and stock controlling,” she says. “Typically you would have to leave a company to get such diverse experiences. Vertical integration allows me to work in different roles and areas of the business to develop different skill sets.” 

It didn’t take long after she started to get involved in larger projects, namely around processes and the new ERP system. 

“The new ERP was a big change and quite a large project,” she recalls. “At that time it was a completely new thing for the business to manage inventory through that system. As a result, I became quite interested in inventory management. 

‘At the same time on accounts payable, we were dealing with payables across five different countries, each with their own tax codes and complications. It was another big project to automate and streamline the workflow to bring it in line with the business expansion.” 

While she was on maternity leave in 2023, Michelle was having conversations about her next step within King Living. The role of Global Manufacturing Financial Controller was newly created and aligned perfectly with her skill set. 

“Transitioning to the manufacturing side of the business was a completely new challenge for me,” she adds. “That’s one thing I really love about King Living – your talent is always respected. If you have ambition or passion to work in the business, there will always be a position for you to keep growing and exploring.” 

Silent heroes

Michelle’s career has centred around finance roles. But she knows that finance is not her limit in terms of how she can add value to the business. 

“Finance people deal with massive and complicated data,” she explains. “We have to be incredibly accurate and professional in terms of the output we give to internal stakeholders and external authorities. There’s a huge responsibility that comes with the work we do. 

“That work isn’t as visible as a designer who designs new products or a sales person generating more than the budgeted sales. But the contribution is no less valuable or important.” 

One achievement Michelle is particularly proud of was to lead the team on recovering millions of dollars paid in a foreign market in the course of business operations. 

“I often refer to finance people as the ‘silent heroes’ of a business,” she adds. “The money we recovered is then cash for the business to fund future projects and growth. It is also an incredible learning for a business like us with global footprint.” 

Endless opportunities 

Michelle is a believer in never putting boundaries on yourself in your career but rather trusting your instincts and following opportunities. 

“It's your choice where you get to go in your career and what you achieve,” she advocates. “In a business like King Living there are endless opportunities covering the full value chain. There are no limits to what you can achieve.” 

While she admits that the work doesn’t come without its challenges, she is grateful for all the experiences she has had at King Living. 

“One day you’re dealing with a tax, the next logistics and the next navigating manufacturing. Each of those is challenging but I have access to senior leaders within the business to really enhance my own knowledge and skill set.” 

When she started at King Living, Michelle never expected to be where she is now, at the frontline of global growth. But she’s grown and developed both personally and professionally, and is excited about the road that lies ahead. 

Explore current opportunities with King Living or discover more King Living team member profiles: 

• Maryam Esfahani: From agency to in-house: a career evolution with King Living 
• Mathew Milne: A global retail career with King Living
• Ili Ibrahim: Leading and learning at King Living
• Kahn Morkaya: From business owner to thriving career at King Living