Professionals in CFD with Yingchen Li

In this edition of Professionals in CFD, we feature Yingchen Li, software engineering director for the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) research and development team at Cadence. With over 17 years of experience in the field, Yingchen has risen through the ranks—from starting as a developer to her current role as a director, where she continues to balance hands-on coding with management responsibilities. She champions the philosophy that a manager’s role is to support their team from the ground up, rather than control from above. Join Cadence marketing writer, Veena Parthan, in this interview as they discuss Yingchen’s remarkable career path, her extensive expertise in CFD, and her perspectives on leadership.

Veena Parthan: Yingchen, could you tell us something about yourself?

Yingchen Li: Certainly! I was born in Xi'an, China, a city famous for the Qin Dynasty's Terracotta Army. I grew up there and spent around ten years at Xi'an Jiaotong University, where I completed my education from a bachelor's degree to a PhD.

My university is renowned for its energy and power engineering program, which covers a wide range of fields, including turbomachinery, power generation, automotive engineering, and nuclear power. I earned my bachelor's degree in energy and power engineering over four years and then spent an additional six years in a combined master's and PhD program focused on turbomachinery.

Although the institute offered various specializations, I chose to concentrate on turbomachinery because of my fascination with thermodynamics and aerodynamic technologies. My inspiration came from NASA rockets, which fueled my aspiration to work in this dynamic and high-tech industry.

Veena Parthan: You have a well-rounded and impressive educational background! When did you first become interested in CFD, and how did your career journey with Cadence begin?

Yingchen Li: My interest in CFD started during my undergraduate studies, and I explored it further during my master’s and PhD programs. I joined Numeca (now part of Cadence) in Belgium as a researcher in 2008, shortly after completing my PhD. It has been a rewarding 17-year journey with the company.

Veena Parthan: Seventeen years is quite a journey! What is your current role, and how has your career evolved over that time?

Yingchen Li: I started as a developer, working on a Cartesian grid method for fast simulations. I then transitioned to the multiphysics team, where I began working on a radiation model based on a client’s request. That experience pushed me to build more flexible and innovative features, such as user-defined functions, so customers could better customize solvers.

Gradually, I stepped into management roles, balancing hands-on technical work with project leadership. Alongside, I returned to adjoint methods, building on my PhD research, and co-led a collaborative project with a university to develop optimization software.

Later, I led initiatives to integrate pressure-based solvers (PBS) into our CFD solutions, further expanding my responsibilities and advancing my career. The rapid advancements in GPU technology were a game-changer, allowing us to leverage the well-architected code of the PBS more effectively.

After years of working on this project, I transitioned into management and eventually took on the role of director. My career progression included increasing project ownership, mentoring teams, and managing server-related initiatives. Despite moving into management, I continue to maintain my technical skills to better support my team.

Veena Parthan: That balance between leadership and technical depth is impressive! If you weren’t in a technical role, what career would you choose?

Yingchen Li: That’s a tough question! I have two ideas. First, I’d love to open a pastry shop—I find cooking enjoyable and creative. My second choice would be pursuing quantum theory, a subject I’ve always been fascinated by. Studying space, stars, and the mysteries of science would be exhilarating.

Veena Parthan: Both paths are very different but equally creative. What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Yingchen Li: I enjoy sports and go skiing with my family every winter. In the past, I was an avid runner and regularly trained for relay marathons here in Belgium. Although my running routine has changed, my colleagues and I still participate in team relay races every year, which remains a highlight for me.

Music is also an important part of my life. With my children learning piano, I enjoy practicing with them. Additionally, I love gardening; planting flowers and vegetables is one of my favorite pastimes when the weather is pleasant.

Veena Parthan: Lastly, what advice would you give to someone looking to transition from an individual contributor to a manager?

Yingchen Li: First and foremost, you must genuinely enjoy leadership; it’s important to derive joy from your team’s successes. Second, be an excellent listener. Working with people from diverse backgrounds requires active listening to understand their perspectives before sharing your own.

Also, recognize the distinction between management and leadership. Management is about ensuring tasks are completed on time, while leadership provides vision and direction. Successful managers know their role is to remove obstacles.  Managers should create an environment where the team can do their most brilliant work, much like an inverted pyramid where the manager supports from the bottom up, rather than control from the top.

Veena Parthan: That’s such a wonderful perspective! Thank you for sharing your story, and it has been great talking to you.

Read our previous conversations with CFD professionals who are shaping the future of simulation and leadership in technical fields.