From Beijing to Wuxi: a story of openness and commitment

3 min read

When Qiu Lei Dong joined Barco in Beijing in 2004, he started as a testing engineer. More than two decades later, he has built a career spanning Operations, production engineering, industrialization, and now team leadership in Wuxi.

Looking back, he credits Barco's culture of openness and the opportunities to keep learning and developing. “Barco always encourages employees to develop their own career plans and provides opportunities for personal growth,” he says.

Growing with Barco

Qiu Lei started in Operations before moving into production engineering and industrialization, building technical expertise along the way. For him, Barco has always been a place where people are encouraged to learn, speak up, and take ownership of their development.

My advice to newcomers? Don’t hesitate to ask questions and speak up, whether it’s about successes or challenges. Openness helps everyone learn and grow.

Qiu Lei Dong, Team Lead PEI

A culture of openness

One of the things Qiu Lei values most about Barco is its open culture. “You never have to worry about sharing ideas. Leaders and colleagues are always ready to discuss and improve together,” he says.

That openness helped him take on new responsibilities throughout his career. It also reinforces what makes him proud to work at Barco: the company’s reputation for quality. “Our products are known for excellence. Being part of that makes my job rewarding,” he says.

Taking on a new challenge in Wuxi

In 2024, Barco opened a new plant in Wuxi, China. For Qiu Lei, this meant making a difficult choice: relocating to Wuxi or leaving the company.

“My family lives in Beijing, so it wasn’t easy,” he says. “But I love Barco and wanted to stay. I rented an apartment in Wuxi and travel back every week or every two weeks.”

The transition came with personal challenges, but also strong support. “During this process, Barco’s management team, including HR, recognized the difficulties involved and provided valuable support, which made the transition much easier,” Qiu Lei says.

From expert to team leader

Another milestone followed in January 2025, when Qiu Lei became a team leader. The role added new responsibilities, from solving technical and process-related issues to coordinating across departments. Handling complaints is now part of his role, but he sees them as opportunities to improve.

The biggest change, however, is his focus on people. “I’m shifting my focus from my own work to supporting my team,” he explains. “I want to create opportunities for them to grow, just as I did.”

After 22 years at Barco, Qiu Lei remains committed to helping others learn, develop, and succeed. “This is the DNA of Barco: working together with colleagues and partners to create win-win or multi-win outcomes,” he says.