Meet Sophie — Senior Manager of the Coupang Taiwan EHS team

Hello, my name is Sophie. I’m the Senior Manager of the Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) teams for Coupang Fulfillment Centers (FC)s in Taiwan. I am in charge of all wellbeing and occupational health (OH) measures, our teams are leading the EHS standards and processes, as well as the health promotion programs. Our health professionals are present in both Coupang Taiwan headquarters as well as FCs. I joined Coupang in March of 2024. 

We’re curious to hear more about your journey to Coupang. What attracted you the most?  

Before joining Coupang, I was previously working for a global multinational information technology company as their occupational safety & health lead for the Taiwan branch. When I got contacted by Coupang, I got curious and spent some time browsing the Taiwan Newsroom website and read through the press releases. I got the impression that people at Coupang were very passionate. 

During my interviews, I got to learn about the diversity and professionalism of the team. I understood the core values and they fitted with my own, it seemed like the right path for my career and growth. During the interview process, one of my interviewers shared his career path and his experience was similar to mine, we both came from global companies and then we fell into a routine and wanted to join a new place to learn and grow. Another interviewer asked me the question ,“What is the most important you would like to address, achieving value and your personal goal here?” This left a strong impression on me as it made me believe that my development was important.  

Other companies usually focus more on sustainability because all settings and policies are already in place, but for a growing company, they focus more on Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG), this helps better understand our company’s achievement. Coupang Taiwan is a growing company, but we still put a strong focus on wellbeing and keep proving that it is at the center of our values. 

How do you think your career background has been helpful for your work at Coupang?    

For the last 9 years, my career has been mostly within big companies.  Before starting my career, I studied nursing, and I also have previous work experience within the medical field. I also studied in the UK for my master’s degree at the University of Southampton where I majored in leadership and management. My goal was to learn skills that I would be able to bring to the medical field here in Taiwan. In Taiwan, during nursing school, job outcomes are usually focused on the medical field and if one wants to go for occupational health, there is the perception that there are opportunities in only high risk-industries, but that is not true. My first corporate position showed me that I could work within occupational health at any company, and I learned a lot from then on. 

How is Coupang’s EHS setup different from that of the general industry or the companies you’ve previously worked for?  

In terms of EHS, I would say that at other companies, there is a focus put on high-risk issues. Here at Coupang, safety is at the center of our work, and the wellbeing of all our employees is essential. We continuously build on existing models and processes to make sure we reach our goals and provide the best work environment possible. 

Since joining Coupang, is there any memorable or proud moment you would like to share? 

Since joining Coupang, I have achieved some personal goals. Our team, although we started small, has built up OH systems at Coupang and installed processes on how to deliver it by following Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) guidelines. This has enabled us to analyze risk potential and issues, and to plan for what is coming next to better benefit our employees.  

Thanks to the PR team, we have been able to internally build programs to deliver to employees, get their back feedback, we are able to be more organized to tell our stories and deliver our message company wide, as well as externally. Starting 2025, we have been expanding our team, so I have been sitting in interviews with candidates who are interested and excited to join us. They learned from the company’s social media and press releases about what we are doing for the employees, and they felt inspired to join.  

Six months after joining, I also had people around me calling me saying, “Hey, is that your company?” And it made me feel proud. 

Any advice you'd like to give to your female colleagues in Coupang?  

At Coupang, the wellbeing of our female employees is important. Coupang, by providing a safe and inclusive environment for women, is ahead within the commerce and logistics fields, and continues to strive to better its environment for all employees. Some women focused initiatives include maternal health protection programs and employee resource groups, that are comprised of women core team members from all departments. Our goal is to create a female friendly environment here at Coupang where each employee is supported.