The FHA-Food & Beverage is celebrating International Women’s Day by spotlighting the amazing female leaders in the F&B industry. This is an opportunity to recognise the women who have worked hard and achieved success. This week, we will focus on the stories of the women who have been trailblazers and mentors in the F&B sector. These inspiring women are leading the way, and we are grateful for their dedication and commitment.
In this IWD series, we had the pleasure of speaking to Vivian Lam, Ettason’s Head of Marketing & Sales, about her experiences, challenges and greatest achievement till date.
What inspired you to pursue a career in the F&B industry?
My family is involved in the FMCG industry since I was born, which strongly influenced my interest for the F&B industry. I also firmly believe that food is truly the multi-cultural language that connects everyone globally.
What are some of the obstacles you have faced to reach to your current success?
I’m sure COVID, challenging freight rates and FX are obstacles that many have experienced within the last 3 years. In addition, the FMCG industry is constantly changing and consumer behaviour is always adapting to something new which makes competition more fierce. However, I also enjoy the challenge as that is what makes us improve and innovate.
What do you think is the most important skill?
If talking about the food industry, I’d say flexibility to adapting with new trends and embracing change.
What has been your greatest accomplishment till date?
One that I am grateful of is the educational piece we have brought to markets such as Australia, New Zealand, etc. We have been able to represent more Asian flavours on the supermarket shelf and reshaping the consumer’s understanding of different cultures via its cuisine & ingredients.
What has been your most memorable experience in the F&B industry?
The most memorable experience is building a brand from scratch, finetuning products and penetrating to supermarkets globally.
What advice would you offer to young women interested in entering the field?
There is no one formula that fits all. Allow yourself to listen and use your attentive nature to innovate, embrace and create.
We hope that our conversation has been inspiring and that it will continue to foster dialogue about the empowerment of women.
