A love of science and food becomes a career of possibilities

As she neared the end of her time at Rangitoto College, Ji Won was already considering food technology at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University.

“My aunt had studied food technology and had an exciting career in this industry, so I knew it was something I might like to do. After attending the Manawatū Open Day and seeing the facilities including the Food Pilot, labs and the general campus, it confirmed that I wanted to come down to Palmerston North to study.”

She recalls the Bachelor of Food Technology with Honours being both challenging and fun, and says one of the parts she loved most from her experience was the diversity of courses.

“We learned a lot about the science and engineering of food, but also about adjacent and important disciplines such as nutrition, finance, project management, sensory science, presentation skills and how to work with lots of different people.”

She also loved working with friends and what she describes as the ‘insanely fun labs’.

After finishing her undergraduate degree, she was accepted into the Fonterra Graduate Technical Programme to do her master’s degree. Unlike a typical master’s, the Master of Dairy Science and Technology had a big focus on an industry project.

“We were each given a manufacturing or innovation problem to solve for Fonterra. By using technical and scientific knowledge to solve a real business problem, I found it incredibly rewarding to add value back to a company,” Ji Won explains.

After completing her master’s degree, Ji Won took on a variety of roles with Fonterra that allowed her to apply her technical expertise in different ways. She began in the sustainable packaging programme, managing a portfolio of sustainability projects across Fonterra’s global product range, before moving into the Cheese Foods Team as an associate research technologist. There, she worked in the lab and pilot plant to develop and test new cheese formulations.

Eager to broaden her experience beyond technical development, Ji Won later moved into a strategic advisory role supporting the Research and Development Leadership Team and Director of Research and Development. The position gave her valuable insight into business leadership and decision-making before she ultimately decided to return to university to pursue a PhD in business.

Looking back, Ji Won says that she is most proud of tackling such a diverse set of roles and challenging herself to say yes to experiences that pushed her outside her comfort zone.

“My time at Massey taught me that if I put my mind to it, so many things are possible! Beyond the technical knowledge, the biggest skill I learned was how to work with a variety of different people, solving problems together in a diverse group when things don’t go right, how to communicate effectively and how to present in an effective manner. Public speaking is not as scary as it first appears!”

Ji Won describes food technology as a challenging, fun and rewarding degree that teaches valuable skills for a successful career in the industry.

“There are so many opportunities once you graduate. I have classmates who have found a variety of jobs and are based all over the world with their food tech degree. Also, remember to have fun and don’t be afraid to make mistakes at university!”