Employee Profile

“From the beginning Cargill supported me in my growth, trusted me and gave me the freedom and responsibility to thrive. The Cargill development philosophy is founded on has allowing every employee to own their development, which to me, is key in a person’s successful career journey.”

I started as an HR trainee eight years ago. I had four roles in the past eight years where I was able to add value and contribute to Cargill’s success while seeking happiness and personal development at the same time

Describe your work responsibilities and the importance of your role.

As L&D Program Manager in EMEA, I’m responsible for development programs across the functions in our region. Each of the programs develop our talent at Cargill. One of the main responsibilities is being the program manager for our European Graduate Program in EMEA, where we develop young graduates entering the company. The program is highly valued because it contributes to and supports the growth of future leaders for Cargill.

Describe your day-to-day activities and the skills needed to perform well.

As a Program Manager, I have the pleasure of having a lot of variety in my daily activities. I am responsible for the program set-up from start to finish, which means that I meet with leaders from different businesses and functions to understand the needs they have to shape the content of our programs. After determining those needs, we move into the design phase where we look into session topics. Our “Leaders Teaching Leaders” principle allows me to connect with Cargill leaders who help facilitate the sessions. A variety of skills come into play during this, including facilitation, program management, communication influencing and change management.

Describe your career path. Where did you start and how did you get to where you are today?

I started as an HR trainee working as the Expatriate Coordinator for Belgium in Global Mobility. After two years, I moved into Learning & Development where I started coordinating different programs and learned about program design and facilitation. Four years later I wanted to explore a new field in HR which brought me to the role of HR Operations Lead for Belgium. There I led the payroll and compensation team. Two years later I moved to the role where I am today, program manager as part of the Functions Learning Team. In the past four years I’ve combined my role with an HR generalist.

What do you find most rewarding about your work?

Every day is a pleasure to come to work, the people at Cargill are amazing and the work I do allows me to help others develop and grow.

Why did you choose to join Cargill and what keeps you here? In other words, how has a career at Cargill helped you to thrive?

The culture of warm people, respecting others and having strong values definitely keeps me at Cargill. Cargill cares a lot for its people, you can feel this every day. A focus on development and helping others thrive is key to Cargill’s values and very much aligned with my personal.

What advice would you give someone interested in a career at Cargill like yours?

Be curious, be courageous, be open, take responsibility and initiative, enjoy what you do, be humble and search for what drives you every day.

Share an interesting tidbit about yourself such as hobbies, volunteerism, favorite foods or activities, accomplishments inside or outside of work.

My core driver in life is being energized in everything I do and seeking healthy balance in all facets of my life. This might be anything from eating healthy, to taking a walking break at work or have an inspiring conversation with people around me. Being energized is definitely a core part of personal development which I value a lot and blend in day to day activities in and outside work.