“Make technical sexy”. That was the mission that Deborah Kotulla’s boss assigned to her years ago and she’s been fulfilling it ever since. And as you’ll hear on this episode of the Oh For Food’s Sake podcast, instead of fishnet stockings and tight dresses, this mission was about a whole lot of hard work and communication. Join us for this fun interview that shows just what a wide-ranging and pivotal role technical is!
“Make technical sexy”. That was the mission that Deborah Kotulla’s boss assigned to her years ago and she’s been fulfilling it ever since. And as you’ll hear on this episode of the Oh For Food’s Sake podcast, instead of fishnet stockings and tight dresses, this mission was about a whole lot of hard work and communication. Join us for this fun interview that shows just what a wide-ranging and pivotal role technical is!
Debs gives us her career journey which has spanned technical roles in many aspects of food, from chilled to ambient. She gives us her take on risk management in food production and lists some of the highlights of her career so far. You’ll also learn about Deb’s “bend but don’t break” mantra and why she uses storytelling to illustrate her technical expertise. If you’re starting out in the food industry, make sure to listen to the end to hear the advice that Debs would give her younger self!
We so enjoyed having Debs on this episode of the Oh For Food’s Sake podcast and hope that you benefit from her wisdom and humour just as much as we did! Subscribe to the podcast to hear more interviews with diverse guests who are thriving in all areas of the food industry.
Timestamps
[0:45] Welcome to the podcast, Deborah!
[3:20] Deb’s career journey
[6:26] Moving from bakery to sandwiches and sushi to Asda
[8:51] Risk management and what makes you successful in a technical career
[11:34] Deb shares a career highlight and her approach to work
[14:15] Technical innovation and product: What Debs loves about her job
[17:07] “Bend but don’t break”: Deb’s mantra
[19:22] Building a virtuous circle through good relationships with suppliers
[21:37] “You’ve got to make technical sexy”
[23:42] Data vs Storytelling in technical
[26:10] Where’s the risk in technical?
[28:25] Why core grocery and core chilled will take you far in your technical career
[31:51] “It depends what the glass is full of”
[33:32] Asda’s Green Machine team
[36:36] How do you balance out the needs of a diverse team?
[41:02] The career advice that Deb would give her younger self
[44:24] The ‘how’ vs. the ‘what’ you do
[47:24] Where to go to connect with Deb
Links and Resources
‘Man dancing in field’ leadership video
Our previous episode on delegating
You can follow us here on instagram
If you would like further support with myself, Amy for food industry coaching and facilitation find me here on instagram or LinkedIn
For food industry Consulting from Lucy you can find her here on instagram or LinkedIn
See you next time!