As we mark Women’s History Month, we are sharing stories from some of our female scientists working at Glanbia.
Birgit O’Connor, Product Strategic Management Director at Glanbia Nutritionals leads the Product Strategic Management of Premix for EMEA. She joined the team two years ago and is based in Orsingen, Germany.
As Product Strategic Manager, Birgit and her team are the interface between the local operations team and the commercial team and are responsible for the development and implementation of both the global and local product strategies.
Growing up on a small dairy farm, Birgit learned about foodstuffs and ways to process them for longer stability.
“I was always fascinated with micro-organisms and their ability to transform food products. As a German, we of course made our own sauerkraut. So it wasn´t a big surprise for me to pursue a career in nutritional science after working for some years in accounting. I signed up for Brewing and Beverage Technology at the Technical University of Munich and was one of only three female “pioneers” in this field. After my engineering studies, I was awarded a full Ph.D. scholarship by the InBev-Baillet Latour Fund, allowing me to delve deeply into the science of malting and brewing.”
Birgit believes that a career in nutritional science is an exciting career path as there is opportunity for continuous learning and work within a space that is always seeking innovative solutions for customers.
“Developing a functional ingredient is not only about solving a technological problem but is also adding real value to a customer’s product. For example by enhancing taste and stability, we are giving the customer the icing on the cake.”
Learn more about career opportunities at Glanbia here