Having started at Treasury Wines as a casual packaging technician, Emily quickly worked her way into a full-time position and having proved herself, now is a Packaging Team Leader at TWE Barossa. In this role, she oversees the safety and quality of the production process of its high-speed bottling lines that produce up to 24,000 bottles per hour for brands including Penfolds and Pepper Jack, and coordinates specialised tasks such as gift boxing and bottle waxing.
All Things Production
Emily fell into a career in operations from a young age. After following the typical teenager path of working at the local supermarket chain, Woolworths, Emily got her first taste of manufacturing after becoming a machinist with R.M. Williams making their crocodile belts and bags. She quickly became interested in the entire process of the manufacturing cycle. In particular, it became clear to Emily that she enjoyed quality improvement and paying attention to the finite details of production, a natural talent that led her on to jobs centred upon identifying and perfecting small details.
As she shares, “When I started at TWE, I was like there is no way I’m going to be able to do this job; there’s so many bottles. How am I going be able to pick up on anything? But now I walk through stores, and see other products, and I’m like: that label’s crooked!”
Along the way
From Emily’s perspective, moving through various positions, including many casual roles, has been crucial in shaping her leadership skills. In particular, gaining hands-on experience in different parts of the manufacturing process, especially during a contract at R.N. Williams, helped her see how “all it works”, understand the full production cycle and the importance of the “overall process of products coming together”.
Working in more junior positions has also given Emily a deep appreciation for teamwork and reinforcing the fact that that every individual matters and “every department is important”. From this, she places a huge significance on the importance of cohesiveness, collaboration and appreciating absolutely everyone for their “role in the outcome”.
A challenge that gives back
Emily admits that being a leader, especially where there is a “difference in personalities”, setting the standard for positive communication and building relationships isn’t easy. What she’s found works best is to find common ground with each team member, which has helped foster an environment of trust and respect where different personalities can thrive together.
Despite the inherent difficulties of leading a team, Emily has found immense satisfaction from being a people leader stemming from the accomplishment that comes with teamwork. A key joy for her is when her team’s efforts are recognised. As she shared, “Given that quiet achievers don’t always get recognition if they go above and beyond, built-in systems of celebration can be a great way to celebrate everyone.”
Advice for her younger self
If she was talking to her younger self, she would say ‘seek feedback sooner. “You won’t always like what you hear, but it can really open your eyes to how you’re perceived. Once you’ve taken time to reflect on it, you can often see some areas to work on that can make a lot of difference. And growth isn’t always going up the chain; it can come in many ways. Don’t be afraid to say yes to a left turn. It may turn out to be the best opportunity for you.”
As an emerging leader, Emily shares she struggled with a lack of confidence earlier in her career, but now has realised the importance of investing in her own confidence to be a good leader. With the help of mentoring and learning how to back herself, she’s realised her many strengths, ” I never thought I had a lot of confidence, but I’ve come to learn that my confidence is one of my best features, … It’s just amazing to sit back and reflect on how much I’ve grown”.
