Joëlle Abega-Oyouomi is the first African woman to head Nestle’s Factory in Central and West Africa. Abega-Oyouomi joined Nestle in 2001 as a food technology engineer. In that position, she worked on product development at the Research and Development (R$D) Centre in Abidjan. She has put in the effort to get to this new position. Abega-Oyouomi has acquired the requisite skills and knowledge to get here.
Between 2003 and 2009 she acquired more skill at the R&D Center in Shanghai, China, and at the Nestlé Research Center in Lausanne, Switzerland – from which she gained international research and development experience.
She returned to Côte d’Ivoire in 2009 as Nestlé’s R&D Product Development Manager and later moved to Ghana as the Central and West Africa (CWA) Regional Manufacturing Services Manager.
She was subsequently appointed as the Head of R&D in Abidjan, where she helped to transform the center’s dairy business for healthy cereal solutions, drive its confectionery business with cocoa plant science, and refocus the facility’s commitment to bringing affordable nutrition to African consumers.
Commenting on her appointment, Abega-Oyouomi said this is an opportunity which she is ready to take and learn new skills. “I am happy to have this new management opportunity to bring me out of my comfort zone and help me grow and face new challenges, while still contributing to support our company’s growth in the region. It is also a good chance for me to use new skills that will complement those I previously developed. In doing this job that I love, I also hope that I inspire other young African women to realize that all dreams are attainable.”
Nestlé said Abega-Oyouomi is professionally qualified for the position. The company said it is also committed to “empowering women and enhancing gender balance” in its technical and management sectors.
This article was culled from Africa Business Insider
