“No two days have been the same”

“I’m from Dobre Miasto, a town where Cefetra Polska has one of its siloes,” Natalia says. “During my studies, I worked there for three summers before I joined the office here in Gdynia. Everything I did in Dobre Miasto, from taking samples to analyzing processes, still helps me today. I have a broad understanding of what goes on in our company.”

Natalia became the company’s first quality specialist in 2010, whilst still being a student. “I got the opportunity to build the department from there. It was quite an adventure to introduce our company to new quality systems, with new standards and certifications.”

Now, she is the quality and sustainability manager. “Even though I’ve been with Cefetra Polska for such a long time, I don’t think two days have been similar. That makes me happy. There is always something interesting going on. After some years I also took over Health & Safety, sustainability, and data protection when GDPR came into force.”

After all this time, what does Natalia consider to be highlights? “When I had just joined the company, a colleague from the trade department said: ‘We need a new certification to sell rapeseed. You are our quality representative, so it’s your role to make it happen.’  He said it jokingly, but it was a serious matter.”

“It was a big challenge to prepare the company for this certification in a short period of time. It felt like deep water for me. A lot of the information was in English, and I didn’t speak the language that well yet. But, after a couple of months, we got the certification. That was a big milestone. There have been many more since, such as the implementation of GDPR and new Good Manufacturing Practices at our siloes.”

For years, the quality department consisted of Natalia and an assistant. “Now, there are four of us,” she says. “After many years of operational work, I am glad to develop myself as a manager. We have many different tasks – keeping up with new laws and requirements, making sure we are compliant, taking care of audits, and so on. I find it interesting to see who is good at what, and to give them the tasks they enjoy. “

“From the beginning I’ve felt like I have my own small company within the company. I can always rely on my boss, when necessary, but he trusts me to make the right decisions. It is nice to experience this trust and this freedom.”

“There are quite some colleagues here at Cefetra Polska who came here during their studies and have grown into steady positions. If you want to give it your best, you really have a chance to develop yourself  and work here for years.. Cefetra does not just look at employees as employees. The company sees you as a person. That is very important.”