Name: Mona El-Saytari
Age: 25
Job title: Growth Marketing Manager – UK, US, APAC
Company & location: Minor Figures, London
Education: University of Bristol, MRes Sustainable Futures. Oxford Brookes University, BA Business and Marketing Management
Why did you decide to go for a career in food? Thinking about it, I didn’t really decide, I just fell into it. My first job was in electric vehicle marketing in a big corporate and whilst that was great, it really gave me the urge to work for a company that touches the lives of people in humble ways every day – and what could be more real and humble than food? Especially during the pandemic it’s shown me how even in the most trying of times, food is where people go to take care of themselves and others, to start conversation and inspire change.
Explain your job to us in a sentence (or two): I look after digital globally for Minor Figures. This includes our digital campaigns, content and channels, as well as our direct-to-consumer business.
What does a typical day look like for you? As I work closely with our local marketing teams in London, Melbourne and the US, there can be some early morning and late night video calls. Minor Figures challenges standard approaches to business – we don’t aspire to be a ‘normal’ drinks or sustainability brand, and each region has slightly different needs so it takes a lot of conversation to gain clarity and unity on what role digital needs to play. A lot of my day-to-day revolves around facilitating those conversations, making things happen together with our creative and marketing teams, and then reporting back on learnings and impact.
“It takes a lot of conversation to gain clarity and unity on what role digital needs to play”
Tell us about how you went about applying for your job. I was approached by a recruiter who started the conversation about Minor Figures looking for support on their digital channels. The bulk of the process consisted of conversations with the existing team on the brand and its goals. There was a presentation stage where I had to pitch my thinking around how to evaluate and build on the current digital output, and finally some in-depth chats with the leadership team.
What’s the best part about working for a food company? The people it attracts! Working in sustainable food and drink in particular is such a great way to meet people who all have their own angle on how to use food to connect, educate and delight.
And what’s the biggest misconception people have about working in food & drink? I don’t really know what conceptions people have. I’d say we don’t go out for food as much as we should (also Covid-related) but we do come together by the coffee machine and fridge multiple times a day.
What advice would you give to other young people looking to get into the food & drink industry? I personally had the ride of a lifetime working in startups and would recommend it so much. If you can get in somewhere early doors it might be a bit messy but a great way to get really close to the end-to-end operations of a business and its early customers.
What’s your ultimate career dream? I have a big passion for local businesses, and find myself fascinated by the communities they create around them – think cinemas, cafés, local charities. I’d love to be in a place someday to be able to split my week between supporting a few different companies with their growth plans. I’ve always dreamt of becoming a teacher of some form, too.
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