Meet Eva, our Iberia Demand Planning & Fulfilment Manager

Friday, October 11, 2024

Can you tell us about your career at MDLZ and how you reached the role of Demand Planning Manager?

I started my career in 2003. I worked as a telecommunication engineer for a few years and had just finished an MBA. During that time, I knew I needed to change industry. Kraft was implementing a new role for Marketing Execution called Product Change Management (PCM), and it was the right one for me. It gave me end-to-end visibility from commercial to production to logistics operations. I met many people from different functions and learned from product development formulas to packaging to advertising. In PCM, I saw all categories as I became a Senior and coordinated Iberia for a while.

Then, in 2009, I moved to lead the Demand Planning and Fulfilment (DPF), also cross-category at the time we bought LU Biscuits. The early days were super interesting as we had to merge two forecasting cultures, two teams, and two cities, Madrid, and Barcelona. Demand and fulfilment are highly dynamic dual roles. On the one side, business demand predictions change every day, leading to our results and impacting our ability to achieve our business targets. On the other hand, supply issues come up nearly every hour, and we need to resolve them to ensure optimal sales at the lowest possible cost.

It is a fascinating role with high impact and high visibility. After 15 years, every day is an adventure and learning opportunity.

What advice would you give to young women aspiring to leadership roles in the food production industry?

My advice for younger generations is to search for what suits their strengths and be authentic. If you know yourself better and leverage your strengths, you will do well & thrive. At the beginning of a career, one may not even know one's strengths, so ask for feedback and reflect. Don't forget to ask your family, friends, manager, and colleagues.

Why do you continue at Mondelēz?

There are many reasons why I stay at MDLZ:

• Career: There are opportunities if one is willing to explore, work hard, and be open to challenges. It is true that they may not be readily available at the time one would like or that you need a detour to reach what you want. However, with hard work, good career insights, and patience, things do happen. I have managed to support many team members in their development, and this is a good reason to stay.
• Another would be the dynamic roles I have been in: PCM and DPF have daily challenges, from production failures to demand elasticity to new system implementations. IT IS FUN!

Once you close your laptop, what do you do in your free time?

Outside MDLZ, I like being a mum of three, doing yoga, climbing the mountains, and going to the sea.