Giant Food’s Post

Some amazing stories to share. How does one take the ember of ambition and grow it into an inferno of success? Join this discussion and find out!

Last week, Forbes posted their 2024 list of America's Best Employers for Women, and it was no surprise for me that Cargill ranked at #17 and was the highest ranking for Food and Beverage companies. It was no surprise because I have felt fully supported through two maternity leaves over the last 3.5 years--and instead of negative impacts to my career, I have continued to see growth and promotions during that time. I see the impact of Cargill's support of women in the number of women in leadership roles both in corporate and production locations. From fair hiring and promotion practices to building mother's rooms in production facilities to providing bonding leave for birthing parents, non-birthing parents, and adoptive parents to leadership development programs for women--I see Cargill putting policies into action that are making significant progress toward equity at all levels of the company. I deeply appreciate that Cargill has given me a place to thrive--and grow my family at the same time. https://lnkd.in/gWKH8r9e #Cargill #foodandbeverage #foodindustry #womeninscience

Did you get a chance to attend the Women's Foodservice Forum (WFF) virtual Lunch & Learn today? Monica Rothgery was our guest speaker on the topic of "Turning Hard Times into Triumphs", she shared so many great stories and lessons learned. The session is available on-demand on WFF Connect (wff.org) and worth watching! Her newly published book is titled, "Lessons from the Drive Thru: Real Life Wisdom for Frontline Leaders" #WFFLimitless #WomenSupportingWomen

Have you registered for the 2024 NextGen Restaurant Summit yet?! Join me in Atlanta on September 4-5. I am on a panel with Brandy Blackwell from Another Broken Egg Cafe, Ginger Flesher Sonnier, M.Ed., Natalie Hansen, CFE, Cai Palmiter, MBA, dawn petite, Shauna K. Smith and Cheryl Whiting-Kish as we focus on Women in Restaurant Leadership: State of the Union There are so many thoughts on my mind for us to talk about during this time and I know we won't get to it all. Let's start the conversation online first about... ➡ The challenges and successes of female trailblazers in the restaurant business. ➡Strategies for achieving work-life balance in a demanding industry and the importance of mentorship and networking in advancing careers. ➡ Innovative practices and trends introduced by women in the restaurant industry. ➡ Personal experiences around gender bias and discrimination. Leadership Styles: The Female Perspective ➡ Different leadership styles and how they contribute to business success. ➡ Future trends and opportunities for women in the restaurant industry. ➡ Managing crises and navigating difficult times in the restaurant business. Explore the agenda and register for the event here: https://lnkd.in/euyYBXcu #NextGenSummt2024 #WomeninLeadership #RestaurantLeaders

The Importance of Standing Firm on DEI 🌍🤝 In a recent DEI meeting, the very current topic of Tractor Supply’s sudden reversal on its DEI commitments came up. A decision that serves as a powerful reminder of why DEI is non-negotiable. Read more about the story here: https://lnkd.in/etTZRKsZ Publicly reversing DEI commitments can lead to significant challenges: Eroded Trust: Reversing DEI efforts can shatter the trust of employees, customers, and the broader community. Cultural Impact: DEI shapes the culture of inclusivity within an organization. Backtracking sends the message that inclusivity is optional, which can undermine morale and engagement. Leadership Responsibility: As leaders, we must embed DEI into our core values, ensuring these initiatives are resilient and supported at every level. There’s a tug of war in many organizations today, but it’s crucial that we all choose to have a voice in supporting DEI initiatives. These efforts are not just buzzwords! They are essential to building a workplace where everyone can thrive. Let’s make our workplaces, places for our people....after all, any organization is only as strong as its people. How will you ensure DEI commitments are upheld? #DEI #Leadership #CorporateCulture #InclusionMatters #EmployeeEngagement

From strength to strength

🍬🏆Nominate a star for the Confectionery Woman of the Year Award! 🏆🍬 Are you inspired by a remarkable woman in the confectionery world? Here is your chance to honour her achievements! The Confectionery Woman of the Year Award is calling for nominations to recognise the brightest and most innovative female leaders in our industry. This prestigious award celebrates those who demonstrate exceptional innovation, leadership, and a deep commitment to the confectionery sector. It is more than an accolade; it is a salute to the women tirelessly sculpting the future of our sweet industry. 🌟 Who Can Nominate? Nominate yourself or it can be anyone who admires a woman's outstanding contributions to the confectionery industry. Whether you are a colleague, a friend, or an admirer of her work, your nomination can shine a spotlight on her dedication. 🌟 Criteria for Nomination: ·Achievements & Contributions: Notable successes, initiatives, or projects spearheaded or influenced by the nominee. ·Leadership Qualities: Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor and inspire others. ·Community & Societal Impact: Contributions to societal betterment, community upliftment, or advocacy for pressing issues. ·Presentation: A well-articulated, structured, and engaging story of the nominee’s journey and impact. 🌟 Why Nominate? By nominating, you not only celebrate your/her achievements but also inspire countless others in the industry. Let us join hands to highlight the influential women who are making a difference! ✨ How to enter: Please use the following form https://lnkd.in/eKbxzmMj The deadline for nominations is 2nd February 2024. Do not miss this opportunity to acknowledge the incredible women shaping the confectionery industry. #Confectionery #chocolate #foodscience #foodtrends #foodmanufacturing

#WomanCrushWednesday: The Unstoppable Carla Vernón! Meet Carla Vernón, the extraordinary Chief Executive Officer who stepped into the spotlight at Honest in January 2023. As the first Afro-Latina CEO of a publicly traded U.S. company, Carla brings a fresh wave of leadership, perfectly mirroring the diversity of Honest's consumers. Driving Change, One Honest Step at a Time: Carla is on a mission to redefine the game, focusing on driving category growth, business innovation, and profitability. Her goal? Inspiring everyone to love living consciously. Get ready for an Honest revolution! From Amazon to General Mills: Before taking the helm at Honest, Carla rocked the boat as the Vice President of Consumables Categories at Amazon.com, Inc. With P&L responsibility for a range of categories, she left an indelible mark. Prior to that, she spent over two decades at General Mills, Inc., earning her stripes in various P&L leadership roles. A Visionary in the Natural & Organic World: Carla's journey includes a stint as the Operating Unit President of the Natural & Organic Division at General Mills. Now, as the CEO of Honest, she's all set to make clean and natural products more than just a trend—they're about to become a lifestyle. Championing Diversity and Profits: Leading Honest is no small feat, especially with the evolving landscape of clean and natural products. Carla's task is to make Honest profitable while giving its diapers and beauty products a makeover that resonates with the times. Catch Carla's Insights: Dive into the world of Carla Vernón by checking out her latest interview with Ainsley Harris in Fast Company. It's a rollercoaster of insights, challenges, and a peek into the mind of a game-changing CEO. https://lnkd.in/gCqb52p7 If you find this valuable, please like, comment, and share! Who is your Woman Crush Wednesday? Carla Vernón is not just a CEO; she's a force to be reckoned with. Get ready for an Honest era that's as bold, vibrant, and authentic as the woman leading the charge!  #WCW #BoldLeadership #HonestRevolution #productchaste

An #IWD2024 luncheon hosted by the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) to celebrate all that we have achieved as Wesfarmers OneDigital and Catch amongst exceptional women leaders and allies. There is much to be proud of as we reflected on the past two years working together to strengthen our #data and #digital capabilities within the Wesfarmers retail divisions. And in the spirit of how we run our #OneDigital team meetings - where we start with the numbers and end with the numbers - here are some stats from Virginia Leaf, Chief Executive Women (CEW) scholar, GM of Finance and a panellist - presenting both a challenge and opportunity for Australian #retailers when looking into their #leadership pipeline: "...75% of our consumer spend is by females, but only 14% (of retailer) #CEOs are female. I think in any industry you can really achieve great customer outcomes with a breadth of thought in senior decision making levels. But clearly, working in an industry that has a predominant female consumer base, having more females in those senior decision making roles - with such an understanding of the customer needs and wants - would clearly translate to (more) innovative customer experiences." A strong reminder that today's theme for International Women’s Day 2024 - 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧: 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧. 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 extends beyond today. It's one to take into every retail season. Each and every year. 📸 L to R: Jinni Leaf, Zoe Rowley, Nicole Sheffield, Dean W., Chelsea King, Andrejka Kapusta, me.

🗣️ "I didn't have any allies in the room". This year for IWD, we invited the women of Modern Milkman to get together and have a candid, real conversation. We heard from some of our leaders, Lucy Mooney, Amy Kershaw, Gemma Hulbert and Rachel Hartley about experiences over the course of their careers and as women in leadership, and covered other topics like being a working parent, imposter syndrome, building confidence, and empowerment. Thank you for sharing your stories and being genuinely vulnerable and authentic. With the theme this year being ‘Inspiring Inclusion’, we also talked about how to create more inclusive experiences for the women of Modern Milkman in terms of benefits, office space, flexibility, events, and general day-to-day interactions. Below are some quotes from our team. Our key takeaways: The importance of male allyship 🫶 Meaning understanding, empathising, and acting in support of others. Be curious 🌱 That’s how you’ll grow. If you’re feeling unsure, just give it a go. Chances are, other people are feeling the same. Make time to reflect 🧠 Take the learnings, celebrate the successes, and don’t undervalue your talent. Family comes first ✨ As a manager or business, be understanding, trust and empower your team to work around family commitments. Thank you to Vivien Dagnall (Assoc CIPD) for being a great host and to everyone that came to the session 💙 Lovely little Gooey treats didn’t go amiss either 🙌