Making Compliance Fun and Engaging!
Katherine Jiang, Tokyo Electron’s Employee of the Year in 2025

Tokyo Electron (TEL)’s Employee of the Year is a long-standing internal award established in 1988. It honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the organization through exemplary and distinctive actions. In this article, we interview Katherine Jiang, compliance specialist at Tokyo Electron Shanghai (TEL Shanghai) and a recipient of the Employee of the Year award in 2025. Katherine shares why she pursued a career in the legal field, how she has made compliance fun and engaging, and what the importance of women is in the semiconductor industry.

Bridging Legal Expertise with Business Acumen

What led you to pursue a career in the legal field?

“After majoring in law at university and starting my career as an in-house counsel, I have enthusiastically continued exploring the legal field because of its mix of professional alignment, intellectual challenge, and the opportunity to make strategic impacts.

In my first job, I realized that corporate lawyers sit at the intersection of business and legal principles, requiring a deep understanding of both. This duality appealed to me because it allows for practical problem-solving: whether drafting contracts that mitigate risks or advising on compliance with regulations. The work is intellectually stimulating, as it demands constant analysis of legal frameworks and their application to real-world business scenarios.

Moreover, there is a chance to contribute to a company’s success. Corporate lawyers play a pivotal role in shaping policies, protecting intellectual property, and ensuring ethical operations. For example, negotiating an equipment sales agreement or resolving a reported case through investigation can directly influence a company’s growth and reputation.

I also recognized that this career path offers stability and progression. Unlike litigation lawyers, whose work can be unpredictable, corporate lawyers are provided with a structured environment with clear career milestones. Yet, it remains dynamic enough to keep me engaged, as new challenges like export control compliance or data privacy regulations continually emerge. In essence, becoming a corporate lawyer means embracing a role where I can bridge legal expertise with business acumen, ensuring that a company operates both effectively and ethically.

Now, I specifically joined TEL Shanghai because I felt that TEL's vision in the semiconductor manufacturing equipment industry, its diverse culture, and its expectations for my role aligned well with my personal career development plan. What I have encountered and experienced in TEL thus far has proven that deciding to work at TEL was the right choice."

Making Compliance Fun and Engaging!

Can you tell us about Compliance Week and why it is so important?

“Efforts to raise employees' compliance awareness require continuous educational efforts, and as the term 'compliance' has always sounded so serious, I proposed marketing compliance in a fun way.

To fulfill this goal and address geographic constraints across our offices in mainland China, I developed company-wide activities by combining online and offline methods:

• Videos from Executives


• Fun Animations introducing the importance of compliance


• Theme-based lectures delivered by internal experts from the Marketing, Environment, Health, and Safety and Legal departments


• Everyday online mini courses via QR codes with quizzes to win prizes


• Parties with engaging compliance-themed games

and so on.

After the establishment of a continuous annual Compliance Week event, our second event in mainland China was successfully concluded in January this year. As a new initiative, we added role-playing exercises to simulate how employees at TEL Shanghai would respond to potential crises as well as daily online games with chances to win prizes.

Compliance Week introduced enjoyable learning methods, differing from traditional warning methods, to achieve a high engagement rate. Furthermore, active participation from top management effectively conveyed the message that our General Managers value compliance. The success in mainland China inspired and encouraged other regions, and as a result, similar events have been held in Tokyo Electron Taiwan and Tokyo Electron Korea. Undoubtedly, compliance week is now a landmark project towards fostering a compliance culture at Tokyo Electron Shanghai and its branches, logistics center, and Tokyo Electron Kunshan around the slogan; Do right things in a right way.”

The Importance of Women in the Semiconductor Industry

TEL’s vision is to be “a company filled with dreams and vitality that contributes to technological innovation in semiconductors.” From a DE&I perspective, what is the value of pursuing such a vision?

“As a working professional, I often witness the underrepresentation of women in semiconductor design and engineering roles. TEL’s emphasis on dreams and vitality creates a culture where innovation is not just about technical expertise but also about diverse perspectives. Women bring unique insights to problem-solving: whether in optimizing chip architecture for energy efficiency or designing user-centric interfaces. By fostering an environment where these contributions are valued, TEL transforms the industry’s landscape.

Moreover, the vision’s focus on technological innovation aligns with my belief that women should be at the forefront of shaping the future. Semiconductors power everything from smartphones to AI systems. Ensuring that women have a seat at the table in their development is crucial for equitable progress. For instance, women-led teams might prioritize sustainability in manufacturing or address biases in AI algorithms, leading to more inclusive technologies.

TEL’s vision also offers a role model for young girls. Seeing a company where women thrive in technical leadership roles can inspire the next generation to pursue careers in STEM. This, in turn, creates a virtuous cycle of innovation—more diverse teams, more creative solutions, and a stronger industry.

The value of this vision is not just about technological advancement but about redefining who gets to innovate. As a woman, I find immense purpose in contributing to a company that turns this vision into reality."

The Power of Diverse Expertise in Driving Innovation and Growth

“To those without a science or technology background but would like to support TEL’s growth, I would emphasize that our company thrives on diverse expertise. While technical knowledge is valuable, TEL equally values cross-functional collaboration. Skills like problem-solving, communication, and adaptability are indispensable.

From my personal angle and experience, non-technical background candidates can contribute in several ways:

• Operational Efficiency: roles in project coordination, logistics, or quality assurance rely on organizational skills to streamline workflows.


• Client Engagement: building relationships with global partners requires cultural awareness and negotiation skills.


• Administrative Excellence: functions like legal & compliance, finance, HR or General Affairs ensure regulatory adherence and smooth operations.


• Innovation Support: fresh perspectives from non-technical fields can inspire creative solutions for process refinement or commercial feedback.