Meet Four Inspirational Women who are Making their Mark in the Food Industry

At Unismack we are proud to champion women within the food sector. We are also fortunate to have several successful female leaders within our team today, all of whom make a huge difference to our business and the people they work with. This International Women’s Day, we spoke to four fantastic role models about how they got into the food industry and why they believe it’s a fantastic career choice…

Sue Warren has been Unismack’s Strategic Development Director for over a decade. She first entered the food sector at 13 years, working at weekends in pubs and restaurants. “I love food and I got to see how foodservice operates from the bottom up,” she said. Securing a sales role with a foodservice company really helped Sue to build her career across all areas of business, from sales and distribution to production, retail and more, “The food industry is so diverse,” she added, “it offers so many avenues for women of all ages and all walks of life.” Sue is also a mentor and finds supporting people, remarkably rewarding. “I would encourage any woman thinking about a career in food to go for it. It’s a passionate, fast-paced sector where technology meets sustainability and innovation – and you get to eat it!”

Angeliki Petsa has been Customer Services Director at Unismack for nine years and for her, a career in food was a very conscious choice. “Having served several businesses sectors throughout my career, I was driven to food as it’s one of the most competitive and dynamic sectors out there,” she said. Yet Angeliki believes that career choice is often more about openness and culture, “People want an employer that instils confidence and trust, one that values them and their wellbeing,” she added. Angeliki enjoys sharing knowledge with her customers and her team, “No two days are ever the same, the food sector is a creative learning environment, and I’d love to see more women step into this amazing world and make a difference.”

Despina Papadopoulou is Unismack’s HR Director. Having worked across many sectors, she believes working in the challenging and diverse world of food, provides wide-ranging opportunities for women. “Women are often proactive with their health, and food is the main contributor to our health, so it’s a great match for many.” For Despina, working in HR was love at first sight. She enjoys the ‘human’ aspect of her role and coaching and mentoring others. “The food industry is leading the way in innovation and has many diverse career openings for women where they can be creative, develop new skills, increase analytical thinking and boost communication.”

Eleni Liatsou is an Operator Assistant at Unismack and moved into the food sector because she noticed very early on the raft of opportunities available to women. “There is so much recognition for women in this industry, especially within production positions like mine that were traditionally male-dominated roles. I’m proud that I’m not only doing as good a job as any man could, but I’ve managed to develop my role too.” Being part of a strong team is also important for Eleni, “The cooperation and solidarity is amazing, my team feel like my second family – I’d highly recommend the challenge and dynamism of the food sector to women.”