Each issue we ask industry leaders about their working life. This month we talk to Darren O’Brien, the ANZ/Japan president of Mondelez International.
1. Tell us about your current role.
As President Australia, New Zealand & Japan at Mondelez International, I have the privilege of leading one of the country’s largest snacking companies. We produce many of Australia’s favourite snacking brands, including Oreo cookies, Philadelphia cream cheese andof course Cadbury Dairy Milk, which we’ve been manufacturing in Tasmania for 100 years. Our mission is to empower people to snack right, and to play a meaningful role building a brighter future for people and planet.
In my role, I work closely with our nearly 3000 colleagues, supporting our extensive manufacturing, supply chain and commercial functions here in Australia and across New Zealand and Japan.
2. What has been your greatest achievement to date?
The pandemic has been an incredible test of strength and determination and in my case – also leadership. I’ve been humbled by the resilience and sacrifice made by so many, from our essential healthcare workers to our colleagues in front-line industries like food manufacturing and distribution.
From the outset of the pandemic, we recognised our duty to protect our people, support our communities and ultimately, emerge from the pandemic stronger. And together, as a team, we did just that.
We transformed our operations, remained focused on our health, safety and hygiene systems, navigated unprecedented supply chain disruptions, sustained critical jobs and kept our much-loved snacks on supermarket shelves for Australians to enjoy.
3. What was your biggest mistake and what did you learn?
Underestimating the importance of providing context. The most effective outcomes are almost always delivered because people wanted to deliver them not because they had to.
As a leader even when you know what has to be done and the consequences of not doing it, the “burning platform” can provide the motivation to act some of the time, however experience has taught me if you can provide people with real context, the importance of what needs to be done and the role they can play in achieving it, you can unlock the right mindset that can make a real and sustainable difference.
4. What would you tell your 25-year-old self?
Listen more, speak less, take feedback as a gift and learn as much as you can from the experiences of others.
5. What is one goal you still want to achieve?
To lead the most sustainable snacking company in Australia. It remains a critical focus eachand every day and I’ve been inspired by our progress. Three main examples come tomind.
Transitioning to renewables to power our Victorian factories and reducing the total carbon emissions across our business by 50 per cent.
Our world-first initiative toreduce plastic packaging waste and support a circular packaging economy by sourcing 30 per cent recycled content to wrap our Cadbury Dairy Milk blocks.
And our efforts to build andsupport a thriving agricultural sector – whether itbe the sugarcane we source from Queensland, fresh milk from Tasmanian dairy farmers,or cocoa from cocoa growing communities in Northwest Africa.
There is still much work to be done, but we remain committed and inspired by our strong progress to-date.
This article first appeared in the August edition of Food & Drink Business magazine.
