It happened nearly two hundred years ago in the beautiful village of Bournville, Birmingham in the United Kingdom (UK) – Cadbury Dairy Milk was born. And today, Annelize de Wet is living her dream job as a consumer scientist for Mondelez International right there.
“My number one focus is to bring the consumer’s voice to everything we do,” says Annelize, a Food Sciences alumna in the Department of Sustainable Food Systems and Development. In the company – an incorporation of Cadbury and the Kraft Food Business (since 2012) – she is leading a team of sensory and consumer scientists. They are supporting the business agenda for chocolate in Europe and North America.
The team plays a critical role in decision making for new product innovations, quality improvements and renovation programmes, as well as productivity/margin projects.
Offering the right snack, for the right moment
She says it is very rewarding to work in a positive environment with multicultural, skilled professionals, working towards a common goal. “We are leading the future of snacking around the world by offering the right snack, for the right moment, made the right way,” Annelize remarks, excited about her role in this process where they have access to state-of-the-art facilities and the newest advancements in digital tools and techniques. She is proud of the scientific rigour they apply to their decision making processes – “this is very satisfying for any scientist, I would say”.
Passionate about the field in which she has been working for the past 23 years, Annelize believes that studying Food Science at the UFS has set her on the path to her specialised career in consumer science. Being introduced to the world of quality sensory evaluation as an exchange student in Virginia in the United States (US) in her third year and receiving a recommendation for a position in consumer science at Clover SA by one of her lecturers, Dr Carina Bothma, were key in her decision to pursue this career.
For Annelize, the epiphany of success is working in a role where you have a strong sense of belonging, feel passionate, stretched, and motivated, and are making a difference in reaching common goals. She built a successful career, guided by the words once shared with her, ‘When you decide to do something, do it well and finish it.’
Strong sense of belonging and satisfaction
In her profession, she has experienced a number of highlights, but says it is difficult to single out one. She is, however, very proud of her team’s recent achievements, winning the prestigious Global Research and Development Award for best execution of a renovation programme on the Milka Chocolate brand, competing among more than 2 500 employees. Furthermore, she enjoys the opportunity to travel to interesting, beautiful, and rich cultural destinations such as Egypt, Nigeria, Botswana, Swaziland, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, France, Poland, Belgium, Russia, and the US.
“Being in the UK, I am experiencing a strong sense of belonging and satisfaction. Working in this environment is really encouraging. Themes such as diversity and inclusion, work-life balance, health and wellness, mental health, careers and development are being prioritised in the UK,” she says.
Overall, it has been exciting, yet challenging to relocate to the UK, states Annelize, who has made England her home for the past seven years. “While we miss the warm, friendly culture and people in South Africa, we wouldn’t have it any other way, as we see a promising future for our family,” Annelize concludes.