Earlier in 2018, we established ftrack in Shanghai, China to meet the demands of the local region. As we continue with our growth to provide a better product and service for the local market, we’d like to introduce our newest addition to the team, Yamin Yu, General Manager of ftrack China. We got a chance to discuss her background and experience within the industry, and what’s next for ftrack in China.
Can you explain your role as a General Manager at ftrack?
As a General Manager of ftrack in China, I will set up a solid local team to help customers improve their pipeline management and solve the common challenges faced in the region. We’re not restricted with only the post-production industry but also the wider design, games and media content companies too.
We aim to deliver smart tools to help improve management, increase efficiency, and make the creative collaboration process easier. The industry has started to grow rapidly in the last couple of years. There’s a demand for production-proven tools that are localized and affordable, making ftrack perfect for China. ftrack Studio is already available in Chinese and in the near future we’re looking to add a local development team to work more closely with the demands and requirements for this region.
Yamin Yu
What interests you the most about the Media and Entertainment industry?
The M&E industry is so much fun. You get a chance to see the whole industry adapting to change. For example, seeing studios go from a small boutique into a top studio with hundreds of staff. More recently, it’s nice to see more high-quality projects done by Chinese artists.
From CG design to composting, from asset libraries to pipeline management, it’s always exciting to provide the best tools to help customers succeed.
What was your background prior to joining ftrack?
I previously worked at Autodesk for 6 years, starting in 2006 as a Channel and Subscription manager in China. I then moved on to work for Foundry since 2012 as their Regional Sales Manager in China.
My major at university was International Business but my first job was working for a Chinese distributor of Adobe & Corel since I graduated in 1998. It’s fate to be part of this industry.
What are you most proud of in your career?
Progressing from a sales position to now becoming a General Manager for an international company. Growing up with the industry, I’ve made a lot of friends and met many wonderful customers, resellers, and partners over the span of 20 years.
What’s your view of the media and entertainment industry in China?
The M&E industry has been growing fast in the last couple of years, and I believe it will continue to grow in the next 5-10 years. Although the Chinese market is sensitive to government policy, their involvement helps the industry to rapidly adopt innovation and support success.
Our customers are fast learners, I’ve seen many of them grow from a handful of people up to hundreds just in few years. The quality of projects they’ve completed keeps improving year on year. It’s no doubt a contributing reason why the box office in China has recently overtaken the United States, giving local studios opportunities to mature and take on larger projects.
What attracted you to working at ftrack?
ftrack is a fast growing company which is exciting, but it also brings lots challenges. Just like how our customers scale up and realize the need for dependable tools to help manage their projects and pipeline – we too are scaling up in China with increased local support.
I’m excited to help the local customer-base become better and better. My previous experience will also help introduce ftrack Studio to the local market.
What are your hobbies outside of work?
I enjoy traveling around the world, tasting all kinds of regional food and meeting new people. Related to traveling, I also to visit beaches, snorkeling and diving as well. In my spare time at home I love to play the violin, and play soccer with my young boys – it’s so much fun when we play together.