How I went from Corporate Social Responsibility to Enterprise Risk Management

So, what do you do? That’s the question most of us get asked on a regular basis. What does your company do is probably the follow-up. It speaks to our innate curiosity about other jobs, companies, and careers. Fairygodboss recently talked to some members of the ON Semiconductor team about what they do, how they do what they do, and what they love about their job (and the company).

Meet Nehal Shah, program manager, Enterprise Risk Management (ERM). ON Semiconductor is a leading supplier of semiconductor-based solutions, offering a comprehensive portfolio of energy efficient power and signal management, logic, standard and custom devices. Nehal talked to Fairygodboss about her career path, what excites her about her job and why she loves learning new things.

Tell us a bit about your job. What are your priorities at work?

I’m the program manager for ERM at ON Semiconductor. My priority within ERM is to help the company identify, assess and manage risks and opportunities that help preserve or create value. These can be risks that are tactical and shorter-term or far off risks that our employees do not necessarily consider in their daily routine (e.g. climate change, artificial intelligence, etc). 

Describe your overall career path. What were you doing previously?

I started working at ON Semiconductor in 2015, while in the Masters of Public Administration (MPA) program at Arizona State University. Upon graduation, I was hired as a full-time program manager for corporate social responsibility. I helped launch the company giving and volunteer programs, conducted social audits at our manufacturing sites and coordinated social reporting and assessments. In 2019, I transitioned to a new role within the ERM department. I realized that what I enjoy most professionally is building and growing smaller programs within the company. While the ERM program was established in 2015, I saw several opportunities for both the program and myself to grow. 

What about your role today excites you the most? And beyond your specific role, what do you love most about working for your company?

Being able to learn new things every day. In my current role, I’ve learned more about risk and related decision-making skills, strategy, and cognitive biases. Beyond that, what I love and appreciate most about ON Semiconductor is its strong focus on ethics and social responsibility. The company really emphasizes the importance of giving back to the communities in which we operate. One of my personal favorites has been Semi High Tech U. In this program, approximately 20 high school students are invited on-site and our employees teach the students a STEM curriculum as well as soft skills like resume writing and interviewing. 

How do you prioritize and deal with your to-do list each day?

I always plan ahead and prioritize based on the amount of time the task will take and how urgent it is. I set calendar reminders for myself to alert me that I have an upcoming deadline.

What’s something you’re particularly good at that has nothing to do with work?

I think my husband may be biased, but he says I’m good at cooking and trying out new recipes. I recently baked an Earl Gray tea cake with dark chocolate and orange that turned out pretty well! 

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