Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 28 April 2021 – En De Liow, a PETRONAS Trackside Fluid Engineer who works closely with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One (F1) racing team, gave an inspiring talk to more than 200 students from Despark College, a local leading automotive and aircraft maintenance college.

PETRONAS Lubricants International, the global lubricants manufacturing and marketing arm of PETRONAS, in collaboration with Despark College designed the meet-and-greet session with Liow with one objective in mind – to help shape industry-ready graduates.

Students were able to gain insights into the automotive industry as well as learn from Liow’s experience as a PETRONAS Trackside Fluid Engineer whose role is to provide technical support to the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 racing team who recently won its seventh consecutive F1 World Constructor’s Championship. His role as a PETRONAS Trackside Fluid Engineer also analyses the Primax Fuels, Syntium engine oils and the Tutela functional fluids that are used in the F1 cars pre- and post-race to ensure that the car is functioning at its optimal condition.

Giuseppe Pedretti, Regional Managing Director Asia, PETRONAS Lubricants International expressed, “As an organisation, we want to empower students and young professionals to help their discover their inner talents. As we strive to develop high-end fluid technology for our partners and consumers, we also believe in equipping the next generation with real-life industry insights and perspectives. This, in turn, can help to enrich the students who aspire to be our future movers and shakers of the automotive industry.”

Liow, who spoke about the importance of being a team player and making the most out of his opportunities, shared, “I’m extremely blessed to have been part of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 racing team. This is truly a money-can’t-buy experience. With that, my hope is to share, inspire and empower young talents who especially have high interest in the automotive industry to pursue their passion and to keep working at honing their skills and talents in that direction.”

Since the onset of the global health crisis, college and university students in Malaysia have had to experience virtual learning for over a year, bringing with it a range of challenges. For students studying in vocational schools that involve mastering practical hands-on skills, these challenges are intensified.

Commenting on the collaboration, Ahmad Firdaus Mansor, Business Development Manager of Despark College commented, “Being in this industry, our students’ well-being and education growth are our utmost priority. We appreciate collaboration opportunities such as this because they are important for our students and for the larger automotive scene as we want to ensure that we grow with them on this journey to prepare industry-ready graduates with a deeper understanding of the automotive industry.”

This initiative of the meet-and-greet session with Liow, was organised to bridge the gap by providing real-life industry exposure and insights into the profession.

ABOUT PETRONAS LUBRICANTS INTERNATIONAL (PLI)

PETRONAS Lubricants International (PLI) is the global lubricants manufacturing and marketing arm of PETRONAS, the national oil corporation of Malaysia. Established in 2008, PETRONAS Lubricants International manufactures and markets a full range of high-quality automotive and industrial lubricants products in over 100 markets globally. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, PLI has over 30 marketing offices in 28 countries, managed through regional offices in Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, Turin, Belo Horizonte, Chicago and Durban.

Currently ranked among the top 10, PLI is driving an aggressive business growth agenda to secure its position as a leading global lubricants company at the forefront of the industry. For more information, please visit www.pli-petronas.com.