Shehroz Kamran, ELS engineer, Pakistan

Years with AD

Attitude

Driven

Character

Curious

What attracted you to your chosen work?

I’ve always been attracted to work where I can see the connection between an idea and a real outcome. I enjoy understanding how things work, finding ways to make them better, and then seeing that improvement come to life. That mix of problem-solving, creativity and tangible impact is what drew me to engineering and manufacturing.

What skills did you develop early that are still useful today?

At Avery Dennison, I developed a much stronger mindset around safety and problem-solving, and these are skills that still guide me today. Working in an environment where we are always striving for zero injuries has taught me never to compromise on safety. I also learned to look beyond the immediate problem and focus on finding the root cause. One line from my mentor, Danish Mukhtar and Khizer, that has stayed with me is, “Make mistakes, but don’t repeat mistakes.” It taught me that mistakes are part of learning, but the real goal is to learn from them and ensure they don’t happen again.

How have you grown in your career at Avery Dennison?

Since joining Avery Dennison, I’ve had the opportunity to work on several key projects. I started as a Process Engineer in the PFL department, where I worked on projects such as Autoscheduler, Live Traceability and Zero Access Guarding to improve safety, as well as the PFL Inkjet project — the first machine of its kind at Avery Dennison after the Panyu site.

Moving into the ELS department has given me a much broader view of the site. My focus has expanded from improving individual processes to implementing Lean practices, developing a culture of improvement and looking at opportunities from a site-wide perspective. At the same time, being part of developing a new site through Project Site Extension has given me a completely new way of thinking about processes, layouts, automation and opportunities for improvement from the very beginning.

In just one year, I feel I’ve grown not only in my technical knowledge but also in how I approach processes, identify opportunities and pursue improvement.

What's the biggest stretch opportunity you've taken on?

Moving from Process Engineering into ELS while taking on Project Site Extension has been my biggest stretch opportunity.

I was used to working closely with existing processes and finding ways to improve them. With Site Extension, I had to step back and look at the bigger picture — developing the production layout, thinking about material and process flow and identifying automation and improvement opportunities from the start.

It pushed me into areas I had not worked in before, but it also gave me the confidence to take on challenges outside my usual comfort zone and look at problems from a much broader perspective.

Their mentorship has helped me realize that career growth is not only about building technical knowledge. It’s also about taking ownership, working with different people, understanding the bigger picture and having the confidence to step into unfamiliar areas.

What role has mentorship played in your career?

Working with the right mentors has changed the way I look at my career. Danish Mukhtar and Khizer Butt have encouraged me to take on challenges I initially didn’t think were within my reach and helped me look at problems from a broader perspective.

Their mentorship has helped me realize that career growth is not only about building technical knowledge. It’s also about taking ownership, working with different people, understanding the bigger picture and having the confidence to step into unfamiliar areas. That mindset has helped me become more confident in taking on challenges beyond my usual responsibilities.

What's the best career decision you've ever made?

Joining Avery Dennison has been one of the best career decisions I’ve made.

Before joining Avery Dennison, I had experience in the textile industry, including at Artistic Garment and Feroze 1888. I wanted to experience working in a truly global organization and learn how things are done on a larger scale. Avery Dennison gave me that opportunity.

In a relatively short time, I’ve been exposed to new technologies, different ways of working, major projects and now a completely new scope through ELS. Looking back, joining Avery Dennison was the decision that opened up a much bigger path for me.

As you think about the next steps in your career, what are the most important actions you plan to take?

As I think about the next steps in my career, I want to continue developing myself across both Operational Excellence and Project Management. Working in ELS while also getting exposure to project management has shown me how challenging and valuable both areas are, and I’m inspired by the way my manager brings them together. Building towards a role where I can manage both ELS and projects is something I would like to work towards.

For now, I want to build the experience and skills to get there by taking on more complex projects, strengthening my leadership capabilities and gradually assuming greater ownership of responsibilities.

What do you enjoy most about the work you do?

What I enjoy most is seeing an idea move from discussion to reality. There’s a different kind of satisfaction when you see something you worked on actually being implemented and making a difference.

But what makes the experience even better is the people and the culture around me. At Avery Dennison, there is a strong focus on people — their safety, their growth, their recognition and creating an environment where they can enjoy what they do. The work-life balance, team activities, picnics, rewards and even cricket tournaments are all part of that.

For me, it’s not just about getting the work done. It’s about growing together, enjoying the journey and being part of a place where people genuinely matter.

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