Tell us about Beáta.

I have been with PPF for almost eight years, working in five roles. That experience has given me many opportunities to learn and to develop myself. I became PPF's Snacks Category Manager in 2021 which I have been enjoying a lot.

If there is such a thing as a typical day for you, what would it consist of?

These days, I spend most of my time integrating the organizational processes of one of the companies PPF acquired. This involves a lot of collaboration with new colleagues and departments, and I am proud to be a part of it.

Passion is mentioned often in PPF’s narrative. What are you passionate about?

I am passionate about my team, colleagues, and the PPF family. We are a team of experts across this organization. We have all been here for a long time, and I enjoy the working relationships we have developed.

What is it you value about being at PPF?

I value our ongoing growth and development. We have faced challenges as part of our exciting transformation into a leading pet food company. However, we are learning valuable lessons. It's a privilege to be part of this period and contribute innovative ideas, even to the executive committee, which maintains an open mindset. I also value the trust placed in my position, granting me the freedom to take action. Additionally, our strong ESG strategy drives positive change.

What does the PPF brand stand for, for you personally? What does it mean for you?

To me, PPF embodies reliability, expertise, professional service and cooperation with our customers, and an enduring commitment to continuous development.

What is your purpose, day-to-day?

I drive strategic category development and innovation across the snacks category. My interpretation of my role as a category manager based in HQ is to help the regional markets to win in the marketplace. My work at PPF is about meeting the customers’, pet owners’ and the pets’ needs and creating value for all of them.

Snacks is a product category with a lot of emotion behind it. Our products are central to the relationship between pets and pet parents, so we pay a lot of attention to their needs. Fortunately, many dogs around our office are anxious to try out product samples. It is a privilege to be part of this.

What are the ways that PPF innovates?

We ensure that our portfolio aligns with the latest trends. For example, the increased awareness of ESG throughout the market has prompted our use of recyclables and mono materials to create more sustainable packaging.

Alternative protein sources, such as insect-based recipes, along with plant-based and plant-forward recipes, are also changing our product offerings. 

We have ongoing plans to further grow our market share. However, this can happen only through a concept-level analysis of opportunities and how we can create fantastic products to meet market and customer demand.

What is next for you?

As we grow, there is the inevitable transition to new ways of working. Whatever challenges we have ahead of us, our expert team can manage them. We can collaborate and solve any problem.  It is interesting to see and experience our transformation into one of Europe’s leading pet food companies. That transformation means a new system, new methods of organization, and new processes. Open-mindedness is incredibly valuable for all of us, as is the encouragement to start and lead initiatives ourselves. Each of us has the freedom to act.