Monday, February 27, 2023

Please introduce yourself

My name is Verônica Pricoli Scheel and I currently work as Section Leader of the moulding and packaging lines of Toblerone plant in Bern, Switzerland. I’m responsible for ensuring that key business results are achieved in terms of safety, quality, cost, delivery and morale. By breaking down these plant targets into production line targets, I help employees understand and reach their individual performance goals.

When did you join MDLZ? And why did you choose to join MDLZ?

I’ve joined MDLZ in January 2019 and started my career here as a Continuous Improvement Engineer. At the same time, I started a new life moving from Brazil to Switzerland and this was my first experience in the FMCG industry. I’m grateful for the company’s culture in giving fair opportunities to all qualified people across the globe. I’ve chosen MDLZ because it has an international culture and many iconic global brands, and we share similar values.

What is your current role and what makes it exciting?

Being responsible for more than 50 people indirectly is never boring. Time flies by because every day I face a different challenge and deal with unexpected situations. In addition, it’s a gratifying experience being able to choose and believe in the right people and to see them grow and excel at what they do.

What personal qualities or skills make you successful in your position?

Having self-knowledge, being authentic and charismatic, asking proactive for feedback, offering support to any department in need and showing interest in learning outside my area of expertise were crucial factors that contributed to achieve my professional goals so far.

How has your career developed at MDLZ?

I would describe my career development as fast paced, similarly to the production beat. All my previous managers trusted in my potential, gave me autonomy to implement my ideas and allowed me to take big responsibilities. Being their deputy during absence enabled me to grow and find my passion for leading people.

What makes working at the Bern Toblerone plant so unique?

Bern is unique because although it feels like a family business with only around 200 employees, it’s responsible for producing all Toblerone bars sold worldwide. On the other hand, we are a true representation of diversity with over 30 nationalities in the factory.

How do you describe the culture at MDLZ?

I can define the culture at MDLZ by meritocracy. You are rewarded and recognized for delivering great results. Moreover, the open office and flat hierarchy concepts make the local management levels accessible to all employees. Anyone has the chance of engaging with the plant manager and other leadership members. Beyond the work environment, there is a recreation club, called Toblerone Freizeitverein, that organizes exciting events like ski and hiking weekends.

And finally, why do you continue to choose MDLZ?

I continue at MDLZ because I see opportunities here to move into cross-functional roles, which I believe is the perfect combination to expand your horizons in the business, keep the work interesting and see your purpose in it. I consider it a privilege to work for such an impactfull brand as Toblerone and in its current growth scenario it’s a great opportunity to be part of strategic projects. Having gained a lot of experience in manufacturing, I see myself pursuing my professional development towards commercial areas to broaden my end-to-end vision.