"Sustainability is a core concept to keep in mind for all companies if they want to survive"

Rebecca Ferreri, Operations Planning Specialist at Ferrero, is also Master of Science in International Business alumni at UPF Barcelona School of Management.

What have you been doing career wise since you graduated from UPF-BSM?

Firstly, I did a graduate program in IT within PepsiCo as Business Relationship Manager for Supply Chain and Procurement in Barcelona; after one year and a half I moved to pure supply chain as Supply Planner for Juice (Naked/Tropicana/Kevita/Cononut Water) in Brussels; After three years in planning for Pepsi I moved to Ferrero in Luxembourg.

What do you do at Ferrero?

I work within operations in the central planning team for Ice Cream and Frozen Bakery; it’s not anymore pure planning but it’s more the contact role for the plants, the business units and several other stakeholders.

What did you learn at UPF-BSM that you apply to your current job?

To relate myself with people from everywhere in the world, with different mindset and ways of doing.

At UPF-BSM I learned to relate myself with people from everywhere in the world, with different mindset and ways of doing.

What are the current and challenges in the food industry? What is your take on them?

Covid pandemic has been one of the biggest challenges in these last years; it changed consumers behaviors and companies have had to face them and react as quick as possible. As consumers were forced to spend lots of time home, they were demanding more and more so companies had to be reactive, although all the shortages (raw materials, packaging and so on) they were -and are still- facing (i.e. the issues on transportation we are seeing now).

How are concepts such as sustainability or circular economy influence your work?

Nowadays sustainability is a core concept to keep in mind and a clear direction to be taken from all companies, if they want to survive in a very fast moving and challenging world.

How do you see your future in a few years?

Hopefully with more and more responsibilities in an higher position.. maybe again in another country!