Name: Kayla Stott
Hometown: Tomah, WI
Major and Graduation Date: Food Science, May 2021
Favorite ISU class: Food Chemistry with Dr. Boylston
Job Title & Company/Organization: Operations Process Analyst at Cargill
Major Job/Position Responsibilities: I work on a team of analysts who support operational continuous improvement in Cargill’s protein facilities in the U.S and Canada. I am responsible for facilitating projects within the deli and case ready meats business. During these projects, I work with interdisciplinary teams in operations, supply chain, third party warehousing, analytics, and sales to understand the business need. I then work closely with the production facilities to understand their day-to-day processes and help translate the needs of the business into the processes at the plant. Due to the integration of technology with facilities, I also help in ensuring that what is physically happening on the production floor (whether that is consuming raw materials, creating production, or shipping finished goods) translates accurately into the plant floor and ERP system. Along with projects, I also regularly facilitate training with plant and corporate leadership around our reporting and analytics tools. This allows both groups to trend data over time and understand what areas their facility or business segment have room to improve in, which often result in cost savings projects.
What you like most about your job/position? One of my favorite parts of my job is getting the opportunity to travel to different types of protein facilities within Cargill and see the full transformation of products from raw material to finished goods. I also enjoy the variety of tasks and projects that I am involved with. No day is ever the same and I am constantly challenged to learn new things and grow my skill set. Prior to this role at Cargill, I was a food safety, quality, and regulatory supervisor in a production facility in Fort Worth, Texas. I enjoy continuing to get to use my in-plant experience to be a liaison between the plant and corporate leadership to better the business overall. Lastly, I also enjoy working in such an important part of the agricultural industry and getting to see the industry from a "behind the scenes" view that the average consumer does not see.
What advice would you give to current students pursuing a career in Agriculture and Life Sciences? Take advantage of as many networking opportunities as you can while at ISU, whether that is through the career fair, on-campus organizations, or internships. Many of my connections at ISU and within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences created opportunities for me after college. Also, keep an open mind as sometimes you may be surprised by what areas you are interested in and have a passion for.