Our recent 'She is PepsiCo' campaign launch celebrated how women can build and grow frontline careers here at PepsiCo, supported by a culture that nurtures their development. Our three She is PepsiCo award winners shared how they've grown their careers with us and why they think we're a great place to work.
Ewa Doroslawska, Process Manufacturing Technician, Coventry
Ewa Doroslawska moved from Poland as a teenager before joining PepsiCo in 2003. She’s now a Process Manufacturing Technician, working on Sunbites wholegrain snacks at our Coventry factory.
Aged just 19 when she settled in the UK, Ewa first joined PepsiCo as a packer. She spoke very basic English at the time, and was happy to have found work through an agency. But within a few years, Ewa’s natural inclination towards working with tools and fixing things meant she’d become a General Operator (GO), working across Multipack, Primary Packaging and Process.
Looking back, Ewa says she felt she was brave to make the move. “I was just a young girl, really,” she explains. “I spoke very little English, and it was difficult at first.” Little did Ewa realise at the time, but this bravery is something that’s stood out again and again in her career with PepsiCo.
Putting quality control at the heart of her work
In 2014, Ewa achieved her dream of becoming a Process Manufacturing Technician, and today she oversees the production of Sunbites, made exclusively at our Coventry site.
“I feel incredibly proud when I see our products on the supermarket shelves, or when I’m with friends and see them eating Sunbites. I tell them, ‘I made this!’” she says. “Maintaining that quality is extremely important to me and my team when we’re on shift. It’s our responsibility to ensure Sunbites are the best they can be, so consumers get the quality they expect.”
The people and the flexibility of shifts
“Working with people makes me really, really happy. I love my job because of who I work with. We support each other all the time. It’s a great feeling when we work together to fix something. I learn a lot from the different people I work with and I’m always grateful they take time to support me and explain how things work – even when I ask a lot of questions or voice my opinion on something,” she adds.
Ewa describes a typical 9-5 job as “not for me”, preferring the flexibility shift work gives her. “It’s time to do the things I want, such as meet friends, be a mum to my nine-year-old son, watch movies, go on short trips… shift work gives you quite a lot of free time. Even though the days can be long, time passes quickly as you have lots to do!”
Change in manufacturing
“There are a lot more women. The world is changing and it’s great to see more women coming into frontline work because when I started there weren’t many. Women are becoming more confident, and I’m proud to be a woman. Taking the first step is often the hardest bit,” but she’d encourage any woman to try. “There is a lot of support here to help you learn and progress. Be brave and go for it!”
And her message is to believe in yourself and keep trying: “You have nothing to lose and if you get the role, you get it, if you don’t, then you just try again. I do see a lack of confidence in other women all the time, including myself, so I encourage us all to believe a little more in ourselves. Don’t be scared because everything is in your hands, and you can do it.”
“Although I’m shocked to have won this award, I’m also happy, and proud of myself! We need to keep fighting for our successes every day and keep building our confidence. I believe this campaign will help many women who decide to work on the frontline in the future and who want to progress.”
Manjit Kaur, Manufacturing Technician, PC / Sensations, Leicester
“My first job was chopping potatoes on the wet belt at Walkers, cutting large potatoes so they would be the right size for the fryer. But it’s in my nature to ask questions and learn about how something works, so I soon spoke to my manager about moving to a role in the multipack packaging area,” she explains.
“Whatever I do, I try to do it to the best of my ability and look for opportunities to learn”, and with an attitude like that, it’s no surprise that Manjit soon found herself moved to a high-speed packaging line, considered one of the hardest areas to work in on-site.
Rapid progress
“Working on one of the hardest lines in the factory, there was a lot going on. And, for me, this was great as there were lots of questions to ask and a lot to learn, especially for the ACP machine. I wanted to know how it operated, what it did, what the sensors were made of and what all the parts were called… basically all of it!” she recalls.
Soon Manjit began training her colleagues on how to use the machine, and even put together a training programme so others could learn from her experience. Over time, she began getting requests from people on how to improve their machines, even earning the nickname ‘Magic Manjit’ from colleagues.
“I liked making sure my machine ran as efficiently as possible, and would compete against my colleagues, many of whom were men. I showed I could run a machine just as well as a man – in fact, sometimes better! I earned respect, and I continued to progress,” she says.
Progressing her career
Through channelling her competitive nature and independent spirit, Manjit soon became a Management Technician and a Team leader. She says: “I’ve got the drive to solve problems and get ahead of things before they can go wrong. I think anyone like this would be good in an engineering job.”
“It doesn’t matter if you’re male or female, you can still reach the same goal if you have the inclination. If you have the willingness to learn, and you want to put your all into it, then you can get to where you want to be.”
Supportive culture
“With the help of others, you can succeed here at PepsiCo. The team support is amazing. My confidence has grown professionally and personally. I recently stood in front of an audience of 200 colleagues and performed a TikTok dance routine! That’s not something I could have done 10 years ago.
“I don’t know where the confidence came from, but I do know having people there who know me well, and who I work with in a close team really helped; my team were shouting ‘Go on Manjit, Go on Manjit’.”
As for being one of our winners for 2024? “You never think you’d get this kind of reward, so it’s an amazing, amazing thing. Really brilliant. I’ve told my kids about it, my family about it, and they’ve all said, ‘It’s amazing to achieve this.’ And it is!”
Alex Praja, Manufacturing Technician, Snack A Jacks, Skelmersdale
Moving from her native Romania in 2018, Alex was searching for a job in engineering when she joined PepsiCo – although she nearly didn’t apply. “I didn’t feel confident. I felt I didn’t have the language or maths skills,” she says. But, with the encouragement of a friend who already worked here, she was successful.
And once she started at the Skelmersdale factory, she knew 100% that it was the career for her: “I like the problem-solving aspect of my work – keeping things running and fixing them if they go wrong.”
Hard work and perseverance
After settling in, Alex decided to study to improve her English and maths skills so she could secure a permanent role. Although she found this challenging, and initially failed the requisite tests, she explained, “I decided I’d never give up improving and learning everything I could about engineering. And if I was to fail, I’d just keep trying until I succeeded.”
This mindset has carried her through to a position as a Manufacturing Technician (MT) today, and exemplifies why she’s one of our She Is PepsiCo winners.
Onwards and upwards
When she secured a permanent role, Alex made it clear she was ambitious. “I let everyone know I wanted to learn. I had a great manager, who would share his knowledge but also encouraged me to learn about things such as bearings, gearboxes, chains and motors at home. When I came in the next day, he’d ask for examples of how I thought things could be fixed or improved.”
Alex disagrees with perceptions that engineering is a male-dominated career, saying it’s for anyone who likes problem solving and wants to succeed, although she admits to having her own preconceptions too.
“If I’m honest, I was a little bit scared when I’d passed the assessment for the MT role. I thought ‘This is a man’s job – what am I doing!’ But that didn’t last long as I knew deep inside, I can do this. It’s not about if you are a man or a woman, it’s about what you like doing and what you can do. Anyone who is willing to learn can succeed.”
And to anyone else wondering whether this is a career path they could follow, Alex is adamant you should follow her footsteps and give it a go: “I would encourage any woman to take their chance - if you think you might like it, try it. You have nothing to lose.”
Supportive environment
“I was so nervous for my interview. But I’m surrounded by colleagues who always go out of their way to help me. I feel valued and that I belong. My boss believed in me and kept telling me I was going to be alright because it was clear I know what I’m doing. I sometimes lack confidence, but it really helps when your colleagues go out of their way to help you.”
It's this culture of celebrating success and raising the bar on talent and diversity that’s led Alex to volunteer for the Head Start programme, which offers a route into work for young people coming out of the care system.
“I know the value of someone helping you. I’ve been in a similar situation, so to help someone with no experience and from a foster home felt good. The kid I supported was very shy when he first came into the factory, but he did so well – and he chose to stay and work here. I am glad I helped.
“If you want to move up, you get all the support you need here at PepsiCo. It feels like people appreciate your work and they want to see you progress. I know how much it means for someone to be there and say, ‘OK you’ve got this, you’re good’. I’m always grateful.”
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