Tetra Pak said there is an opportunity for more women to join the F&B manufacturing industry, to bring more diversity and help drive transformational change.
“Manufacturing industries have not always been the most attractive career choice for women, owing to the stereotypes and legacies of this heavily male-dominated sector. But now there is a brilliant opportunity for more diversity and for female innovators to help protect our global food supply chains for generations to come,” said Laurence Mott, executive VP, development and engineering at Tetra Pak.
Marie Sandin, vice president engineering and plant automation at Tetra Pak, said, “Our global food systems are facing many challenges – in terms of climate change, food safety and hygiene and distribution. We can make a difference in all of these areas, but our impact will be far more effective if we involve more women in the movement. The Covid-19 pandemic has shone a light on critical environmental issues as well as the importance of food safety and availability and we need all hands-on deck to address these evolving challenges.”
Tetra Pak food science lead in USA & Canada Abigail Dagadu said, “I see an opportunity for women to enter the food science discipline and make an impact. Drawing from my own experience, my role is to look for innovative solutions to some of the world’s most important issues today: from food insecurity and famine to metabolic diseases, like obesity and diabetes, it’s a chance to drive real societal change, and I would encourage all young women with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) qualifications to consider a career in the F&B industry.”
Mott said, “We have a number of women in leadership roles across automation and digital, program management, systems engineering and materials and packaging, and our Future Talent graduate program is helping usher in the next generation of female engineers and leaders, - but we can still do more. The success of a company depends not only on the competence of its people but also the diversity within.”
Tetra Pak supports International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) on June 23, an international initiative celebrating the work and achievements of female engineers. The day is an opportunity to raise the profile of women in innovation and highlight the career opportunities available.
Tetra Pak has published a brochure, Voices of Innovation, to showcase examples of female employees from all over the world, in different roles and from varying academic backgrounds, discussing how they’re helping futureproof the global food supply chain.