We are excited to feature Amanda Lock for the August Females in Food member spotlight. Amanda’s inspirational leadership, willingness to help others, and positive energy have been at the forefront of her career in Human Resources. In this short Q&A, she opens up about her career journey, accomplishments, and the advice she has for those starting their career in F&B.
Q. Tell us about your current role.
A. In my current role I am the HR Business partner for my Business Group in the Americas with DSM.
Q. How did you decide on a career in the food industry? What has your career path entailed?
A. I like to say the food industry found me and it’s been history since. I started my career at a Cargill beef processing facility in Milwaukee as an HR Associate. I took on different roles with increasing responsibility during the five years I was at this site. From here I had the opportunity to move and transfer to another business in Charlotte, NC. Here I had multi-site and union responsibility which was new to me, while still supporting the manufacturing teams. After a couple years in Charlotte I moved to Minneapolis where the headquarters were and was able to support different functions in the business and currently I am back Milwaukee, working for DSM as the People and Organization Business Partner for all functions in the Americas.
Q. What accomplishments are you the most proud of?
A. I am most proud of my resilience and perseverance. I’ve faced several professional challenges within a short period of time, like working through a federal audit, immigration concerns with our workforce, and a union campaign. I’ve been a part of a couple of teams to successfully negotiate union contracts.
Q. What are your areas of expertise for Females in Food members to connect with you on?
A. I have plenty of experience with employee relations and conducting investigations. I am passionate about employee development and finding solutions to help individuals and organizations. I am trained in using the 9-box tool as well as the leadership tool, Management Drives.
Q. What do you enjoy doing most in your free time?
A. It’s hard to pick one thing, but since I am a people person it would be spending quality time with my family and friends having great experiences.
Q. What advice would you give your younger self? Or What advice do you have for those who are just coming into the food industry?
A. Advice I would give to my younger self is to find and use my voice more. Working in male-dominated industries can be intimidating but the leaders want to hear your voice. To someone coming into the food industry I would say learn as much as you can. Volunteer to be on different projects and task force. Get to know the employees and don’t be afraid to take risks, whether that is applying for a new job or moving to a new city where you don’t know a soul. It is so rewarding!
