A profile on Omni’s Henry Yang, on the dark days of Covid, his past, and lighting up lives.

A Light in Dark Times

Like many businesses, 25-year old electric giant Yatai International Corporation, (the exclusive importer of Omni Electrical and Lighting) found itself in danger of having to turn off its lights when the pandemic hit. “We had to figure out a way to sustain the business and take care of the employees,” he muses during a podcast, “because without employees - there is no business.”

And while most corporations tend to retrench labor to save early on operating expenses, Henry shares that their company enforced a 3-day work week for everyone - just so their people could somehow keep going. “We had many re-assigned to do any task,” he says - referring to moving frontline-personnel to warehouse duties, since the malls had closed.

Henry himself who officially leads marketing, says he can be called upon for anything. And while his day-to-day tasks involve conceptualizing marketing plans, checking ad placements for billboards and print, as well as producing commercials for tv - he confesses that sometimes, he longs for the simple life of youth.

“Those were times when all we had to worry about was school, home, and play,” he says - almost as if he could flip a switch and go right back there.

Bright Memories

Henry remembers his childhood, he recalls playing in their warehouse - stacking lights, tying boxes, putting price tags on items. Being the eldest, it was natural for him to be groomed to have a prominent place within the company but “In reality, with my childhood - I sort of fell in love with it.”

But it would be in his adolescent years where Henry developed a more rigorous, structured sense of self. During his high school and college years, Henry’s interests shifted to running. As varsity on Benilde’s track-and-field team - he recounts how he couldn’t be chased by girls. “I woke at 4am, then had to train at 5.30am, with classes starting at 9.45am.” From there it was home for homework and bed. “There really was no time,” he shares - the sudden look on his watch - a reminder of how much punctuality for him, counts.

His career track would shift to light speed for college - where he took up marketing in San Fransisco - exposing himself to a more cosmopolitan way of life, and opened his eyes to other cultures. “I really appreciated (my stay in) San Fransisco. I lived with others and learned more perspectives, more ways of doing things.”

A Lit Future

Nor firmly in the thick of things as Omni’s marketing head, Henry Yang envisions a future that’s optimistically brilliant. While the company currently positions itself as the Uniqlo of the lighting industry - a provider of everything basic from lightbulbs, to emergency lights, to extensions cords - Henry imagines the way forward being illuminated by technology.

“It’s in the works, and we’re doing our best to move forward.” Considering that Henry is just in his lates-20s, and is active in such projects perhaps hints to a softly glowing core for the betterment of society. Only time will tell on where Henry chooses to shine his light on - but whatever it is - is most certainly going to be lit.


Light your days with Omni, shop at their E-stores (OMNI official website & Lazada) and follow their socials (Instagram & Facebook) for more updates. 




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