Hanna Blackwell

Before joining the grad programme, what were your expectations?

I expected that I would get the opportunity to work on business essential projects, gain industry experience and knowledge.  I thought I would gain hands on experience in the lab and factories as well as get the opportunity to visit the different Frucor sites in Australia and New Zealand. I also felt that the culture/people would be a supportive/together environment for people new/still learning.

What has been your biggest “aha!” moment?

My biggest AHA moment would probably have been when I realised how many co-packers we use and that not all our drinks are packaged onsite.

What have you really enjoyed, that you didn’t think you would?

I have really enjoyed packaging. I didn’t learn much about packaging at Uni. It has exceeded my expectations both in what I thought it involved and I have learned far more than I thought I would.

What have you gained from being part of Frucor Suntory’s graduate programme?

Being able to work across a wide range of different departments has allowed me to make connections with people throughout the entire business, in turn expanding my network – which may be relatively small when you’re new to the industry. Going through different positions is great as it allows me to see what I can actually do and where I could potentially go with my degree (as food science is quite broad).

How well has our graduate programme set you up for the future?

The graduate programme has been great. It’s given me a broad understanding of the operations of the different departments, and how each of them fit within the business. The experience I am gaining at Frucor is helping to craft my future. Because whichever job I go into next, I feel that I’ll have an overall understanding of business operations.

I like that Frucor Suntory also focuses on your independent development (IDP) and actively supports our personal and career development.

What is one piece of advice you would give students who are applying?

Don’t feel disheartened if you haven’t done any internships or worked in the industry before – I hadn’t, and I still got in. You just need to make sure you are showing us who you are as a person and give it your all but also make sure that we are right for you and you can see yourself happily working at Frucor Suntory.