Tell us about Patricia.
I am a food industry engineer. I have been in the pet food industry for nearly 25 years, five years with PPF.
What defines your work at PPF?
My work is defined by a blend of strategic oversight, leadership, and hands on work. I lead the product development team which consists of over 35 talented individuals who make the impossible possible. The team is based across Europe with members located in each manufacturing facility. The team is organized into categories, and we work in tandem with the Category Managers who are also part of product development and our Commercial Team.
We are responsible for bringing product innovations to the market and making our customers' concepts a reality. This is so much fun but can also be a bit overwhelming at times. Our work is not limited to product development, we also stay abreast of regulatory changes to ensure our products stay compliant, and we contribute to PPF operational excellence which encompasses quality, efficiency, and cost.
How do your personal values and PPF’s values connect?
This is a super important question. When you find common ground between your values and the ones of the organization you are able to achieve fulfilling and motivating work.
Personally, I believe that people's growth is one of the most satisfying parts in a leadership role and therefore the first sentence in our purpose touches me deeply: We believe in our people...
Believing in our people indicates commitment to their potential, growth and wellbeing.
I also love excitement, learning new things, and achieving ambitious results. PPF being an agile and adaptable organization, provides a dynamic work environment that fosters learning and taking ownership. Our values resonate with the organization’s culture: Results focus, team work, Entrepreneurial spirit, sense of ownership, and continuous improvement.
What are you proud of in your work at PPF?
I am proud of how we have taken product development to next level. In the past 5 years the business has transformed significantly, and the external business environment has been turbulent. The team has lived up to the new requirements of this transformation and environment. We have successfully evolved our ways of working to gain efficiency and reliability, and we have further enhanced our expertise to match and exceed our new customers’ expectations.
Tell us about your approach to managing client relationships.
This is the most challenging and rewarding part of my job. I have worked with brands throughout most of my career and in that case the most difficult discussions happen within the organization. With PPF, the most difficult talks happen outside the business. Product development is the face of the company and the one responsible for meeting clients’ needs. Clients can be demanding and often believe they know best. Navigating successfully these discussions requires not only technical expertise but the capability to understand the customer perspective and needs. Once you achieve this you can build stronger and trustworthy partnerships .
What is the most satisfying development in your career with PPF?
To see how the team has grown and evolved. To see how we have contributed to the business to conquer new territories in terms of categories and customers. Today we have customers in our portfolio that 5 years ago were beyond a dream. The sky is the limit!
How has your team developed in the past five years?
Our development is most visible in the team’s physical growth and expanded knowledge base. We frequently discuss helping our people grow. We create cross-functional positions and promote agility and rapid skill development, often moving our people across production facilities for specialized training. We develop new positions and reorganize existing positions when needed, always focusing on meeting our business' upcoming needs.
What defines PPF’s purpose?
The passion for pets, our ultimate consumer. The commitment to people our most valuable resource. And our responsibility towards the environment, we only have one planet.
Tell us about balancing product development with legislative compliance.
I often say that it is safer to eat pet food than human food. The legislation surrounding pet food production is rigorous and constantly evolving. Our team has management-level regulatory and scientific advisors. PPF’s growth is happening within a regulatory landscape that changes continuously. Our approach to regulation is proactive by ensuring our presence in national associations. This gives us the opportunity to influence decisions and to have access to information early enough to be prepared for changes rather than being in a reactive mode.
What do you like most about PPF?
The passionate team and the can-do attitude of the organization.
Who inspires you?
A Book : Mindset from Carol Dweck (you can be all you want to be)
A Person: Angela Merkel (besides being competent and have a sense of duty, she represents integrity and trustworthiness values that are almost lost in politics these days. She basically kept Europe and the world together)
A Family member: my grandmother (I loved her and she was wise)
Other: time alone in company (it is a contradiction but it is this time when you are with someone and you can also be alone 😊. This time is magnificent)
