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Women in Leadership - Catherine Pearce, Technical Manager
Name: Catherine Pearce
Role: Technical Manager
Company: Ebrofrost
Please tell us a little bit about yourself: I have a degree in Food Science and have worked in the Food Industry for 35 years starting in New Product Development at Weetabix and Trebor, and then in Quality Assurance at Sainsburys, Brakes, Taywell ice cream and Ebrofrost until I retired in 2019.
Why did you decide to go into your chosen field? I really enjoyed all the sciences at school and was fascinated with manufacturing processes of food so Food Science was an obvious choice as a career. I studied Food Microbiology, Biochemistry, Chemical analysis of foods and Food Processing as part of the degree course.
I started in Product development but over the years I moved into Food Safety as products became more complex and supermarkets changed the face of the industry as product innovation excelled into what it is now.
What qualifications and work experience did you need to reach your current position? Initial qualification was my degree - BSc (honours) degree, and once working in industry I did a HACCP (Hazard analysis Critical Control processes) course. I trained in Quality Auditing, and then did various Food Safety and Quality Assurance training as I worked alongside the technical teams of the various supermarkets in the development and production of own label products.
What do you enjoy most about your job/role? Never a dull moment dealing with quality and food safety issues and reacting to issues in the manufacturing plants.
Are there any obstacles you had to overcome in your career? Having a family and balancing being a mum and having a career.
Why do you think it is important to have strong female representation in your industry? Women in industry are important to give a balanced management style dealing with the range of personalities and reacting to day to day issues alongside our male counterparts.
What advice would you give to those wanting to take a similar career path? Don’t underestimate yourself - if you have a passion for the field then you will succeed.
Is there anything else you would like to add about your job or about Women In Leadership? Women in industry need to show other women what is possible - we have so much to offer!
