Q: What brought you to ofi? Please feel free to tell us a little about your career background here, what attracted you to ofi in a few sentences. Can you speak to the intern to full-time pipeline/your journey here?
Shannon: I first heard about ofi when I attended an Institute of Food Technologist (IFT) event as a Junior at Fresno State. I sat with 2 members of the ofi Innovation team and saw just how much they loved their jobs and the culture of their team. During the remainder of my time at Fresno State, I ran into them at several more events and I knew that I wanted to work here someday.
I was offered an Internship in the Innovation department right after I graduated and l loved every minute of it. It was so exciting to be involved in a research project with such a large impact.
Horacio: I needed more HR experience since I had just graduated and ofi gave me the opportunity to intern here. 6 years later, here we are! I have the greatest team and manager! Learning and working alongside them is what has propelled me to where I am now.
Q: What’s the most exciting part about your job?
Shannon: The most exciting part of my job is being creative and solving problems. I love the moment when you have a crazy idea of how to make something work and achieve the results you're looking for. It's exciting to work on a team of creative people who all get a thrill out of doing things that have never been done before.
Horacio: I love being part of the acquisition work! This involves ensuring new employee data is accurate and aligned to our system to ensure they transition smoothly to ofi and helping make sure they get paid correctly. The best part is traveling to meet our new team members and helping onboard the new team!
Q: What has been your favorite moment at ofi so far?
Shannon: My favorite moment at ofi so far was at the end of last year when I took the time to reflect on the year's accomplishments. It was amazing to realize how much our innovation team had accomplished, how many challenges we worked through, and how much we learned. I was also proud to look back on my personal growth and realize how far I had come professionally.
Horacio: HR meets! Our team spreads throughout the US so most of our interactions are virtual. So, when we meet in person-we get to put a face to everyone which helps us connect more and we’re able to foster a greater working relationship going forward.
Q: Our company's purpose is ‘be the change for good food and a healthy future.’ In what way do you live our purpose through your work?
Shannon: Through my work, I have the privilege of using our ingredients in new and innovative ways. I’m always thinking about how our consumers can incorporate our raw materials and finished products into a healthy lifestyle. It’s important to consider the impact we have on our community considering how many products in a grocery store contain ingredients from ofi.
Horacio: My role plays a part in the employee experience. So, any process or procedure that I can help improve for our HR team who supports our employees in our locations are small wins that help create a more positive employee experience.
