MEET CHRISTINA, OUR OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE LEAD IN CUSTOMER SERVICE & LOGISTICS

Tuesday, March 07, 2023

You have been with MDLZ for over 5 years now. Can you share your career journey with Mondelēz so far?

I actually interned at Mondelēz for two summers, before joining the organization full time in 2015. I was a Merchandising Intern and came back for my second summer as a Sales Operations and Strategy Intern out of East Hanover. In 2015, I packed up a rental car and moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas for an opportunity in the Management Development Associate (MDA) Rotational Program. I remained in the Sales organization, spending time as a Retail Merchandising Supervisor (RMS), and a Customer Retail Manager (CRM) on the Wakefern Customer Business Team. In 2019, I took a leap and transitioned into the Customer Service & Logistics (CS&L) organization and have transitioned through a few roles: On Shelf Availability (OSA) Analyst, Portfolio Manager, and now as an Operational Excellence Lead. In my current role, I support our DSD Branches to progress in their iDSD Journey, or the IL6S Program designed for our DSD Network. It is hard to believe it has been 10 years, filled with different acronyms, however it is given me numerous opportunities to support both the Sales and CS&L organization and to learn along the way!

The beginning of the year is a busy time with setting goals for the year. How do you go about setting your objectives and do you have any recommendations for other?

I am a little embarrassed to admit this, but this is absolutely my favorite time of year, like a fresh chapter in the book that we are still writing. I go all in on goal setting, and focus on a few different areas: career, relationships, continued learning, service, finances, fitness, and nutrition. It may sound like a lot, but setting these intentions helps to guide my decisions and how I focus my time, both personally and at work. It also sets a foundation, I am then able to carve out a bit of time at the beginning of the month to reflect back, and to ensure I am spending my time in alignment with my values and my intentions. One major recommendation I have, is to write down not only your goal, but how you will feel when you achieve the goal. It makes it a little more tangible when you understand why you are chasing down the goal in the first place. Also, it helps you to reassess and adjust your goals to continue making small progress, instead of walking away from them once and for all.

You’ve recently taken on the Co-Lead role for Supply Chain Women. What motivated you take on this challenge?

My biggest motivation for taking on the co-lead role of SCW is the opportunity to give back to the women of Supply Chain. I have been so fortunate and grew up around many strong women, that have encouraged me and empowered me to believe in myself and take chances. I really believe that each individual is capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for. I mentioned it previously, in the MSC Culture Club Newsletter, but reminding people of their untapped potential in a hard moment is one of my favorite things. Being able to lead and be a part of an empowering community, where we are able to have hard conversations, with the goal of emboldening the women of Supply Chain to push outside their comfort zone and to bet on themselves is really exciting.

Why does the Supply Chain Women ERG mean so much to you?

Back in middle school my Dad taught me an important lesson that has stuck with me. At the time, I was doing really well in my math class, and it was early enough in the year that I could transfer into advanced math with my teacher’s recommendation. However, the time for a recommendation came and went, and she didn’t speak to me about making the change. When I asked her about it, she informed me she didn’t think I could handle the harder class, not because of how difficult it would be, but because she wasn’t sure how I would cope with getting lower scores on my exams and homework. When I spoke to my Dad about it, he was outraged, and reminded me it was always better to be push myself and continue learning, instead of getting a perfect grade on something I already knew. I didn’t know it at the time, but he was trying to encourage me to have a Growth Mindset. In the years since, I have heard many a TED talk and read many a book that discuss how women can sometimes be our own toughest critic and stand in our own way, ( i.e. the classic study that men will apply for a job when they meet only 60% of the qualification, but women apply only if they meet 100% (LinkedIn)). Supply Chain Women, and other women’s networks, are so important because they create a space to discuss these challenging topics, and allow team members to role model breaking through these limiting beliefs, inspiring others to do the same – like Sandra MacQuillan, former EVP & Chief Supply Chain Officer, said during our first Coffee and Conversation, as women we have to make sure to keep the “Door Open and Ladder Down” for other women.

Maybe for fun we could ask for your favorite childhood memory with regard to a MDLZ product.

Growing up in the Northeast, I spent many of my summer weekends down the shore with my entire extended family. However, for a few weeks every summer my parents would get a break, and my brother and I would spend the full week down in Tuckerton with my Grandma and my Great Grandma. During that time, I have endless memories of sitting at the kitchen counter, putting peanut butter on Premiums, and snacking, while listening to their stories of growing up in New York City when there were still dirt roads. As an adult, every time I see a box of Premiums I am back at the counter, spending time with two of my favorite female role models.