What is your role at Ekibio? I am a Quality Process Specialist at the Peaugres site.
What does your job entail? We have 4 production units at the Peaugres site (biscuits, pasta, packaging and a new one for precooking). I am in charge of making sure hygiene measures and working procedures are respected. I guarantee that products to be sold are compliant with the required regulations, and check there are no product anomalies. There could be a problem with the packaging, the product weight, the humidity levels, compliance with the specifications, and so on. When an issue is detected, we try to identify the origin, and we stop the product from being sold until a decision is made for that specific batch, then we decide whether to release it for sale or not. I work with the marketing, research & development and logistics departments.
Can you describe your typical day at Ekibio? I spend 40% of my time at the office and 60% on-site, in the factories. I record data, research, and make sure regulations are respected. Then, I stop by the workshops or the production lines, to speak to staff about regulatory issues, indicators. Also I have a role to play when something new is introduced on the line, I manage consumables related to hygiene... my job is quite varied.
Can you tell us about your background? After passing my A level with a scientific major, I went straight into the world of work. I started working for Ekibio in 2002 as a logistician, in the reception team. I held this position for 8 or 10 years. In 2011, I became a controller for raw materials and packaging, but my goal was to go back to my studies and get a diploma. So in 2017, I started an apprenticeship and I was awarded a degree in EHS (environment, health & safety) and I changed for my current job.
You’ve been working for Ekibio for over 18 years, you must have seen some changes within the company? When I started here, there were only 35 of us working on the site! There was only one site: Peaugres site, with two production units (biscuits and packaging). Today, I think we can multiply the number of employees by 6 and the size of the company by 7 or 8.
What do you like about your job? When I come across a problem, I try to find the origin and a solution to correct it. That means participating in ongoing improvement. I absolutely hate fatalism and prefer to try and achieve progress. That’s a key aspect of my job. I also like the people-oriented aspect of my job that has allowed me to create a relationship of trust with the production teams, we say when something isn’t right, but we also make sure to congratulate each other when we succeed...
How do you imagine the next few years? When I went back to my studies, I realised I was capable of getting a degree and it made me want to go even further, to get even more training and improve my knowledge, acquire new skills and be able to take on new challenges...
What do you like about Ekibio? The company has been on a growing trend but not so long ago, I still knew everyone on the site. To give you an example, our former CEO, Didier Perréol or Thierry Chiesa called me by my first name, a proof that Ekibio is still a “human” company and we are not just a statistic. I also participate in the company’s work council. Before the sanitary crisis, we had planned on organising evenings, sports and festive activities and it’s a great way to meet colleagues and get to know them. The average age of Ekibio employees is quite young and there’s a great atmosphere at these events.
