Passionate about inspiring individual brilliance, Edwin helps us do MORE

As the biggest food service business in Africa with over 20 000 customers, Food Partners-RCL FOODS’ out of home division-has a dedicated marketing, customer and operational team to serve a multitude of businesses in different channels from quick service restaurants, contract caterers, hotels, retail delis to forecourts and bakeries. Proud to be part of this team is Edwin Ukama, our Channel Marketing Executive, whose passion for inspiring individual brilliance and contributing to people’s career growth helps us do MORE.

We interviewed Edwin to learn MORE about him and his journey so far…

1. Tell us more about yourself and what you are passionate about

I am passionate about doing my little MORE to make our societies and communities better. I believe that every day, we have the opportunity to collectively create a better, happier work environment and ultimately help people grow in their careers.  

• What are you enjoying most about your current role?

Firstly, I love that at Food Partners, we work with best-in-class teams that inspire individual brilliance and celebrate integrity and diversity. Secondly, as a Channel Marketing Executive, I enjoy being exposed to the variety of businesses and business models that exist in the food industry. There is so much to learn about how food is consumed in the ‘out of home’ environment with people’s eating habits giving us a lot of insight into societal trends.

• Tell us MORE about your career journey so far…

In 2004, I started my career at a well-known multi-national consumer goods company in Durban where I was exposed to sales and marketing across a diverse range of products. I then worked briefly in the Logistics space as a mobile operator but soon returned to consumer goods because this is the space that I am most passionate about. Throughout my career journey, I have been fortunate to have worked across wholesale and retail trades across all income levels, but the highlight of my journey so far has definitely been being exposed to the South African Food Service market in my current role.

• What is your proudest/most fulfilling moment at RCL FOODS?

My proudest moment is not about me. Soon after joining RCL FOODS, I was able to promote a deserving employee who had shown great potential. Nothing makes me feel more fulfilled than seeing the people that I am responsible for, succeed.

• What is the best piece of career advice that you have received?

Never sacrifice long term potential for short term gain. With instant gratification as a behavioural trend, people have become short-term focused but it is important to understand that in order for a business to be sustainable, you need to plan ahead and think long term.   

• What do you love most about being part of the Food Partners team?

I love that we are not simply a food service provider but rather are business to business partners with our customers, offering brands and products that cooks and chefs know, trust and love. Our team is made up of driven, determined people who do extraordinary things daily and enjoy working together. It also doesn’t hurt that we get to taste a lot of incredible food 😉

It’s having passionate people like Edwin on our team that enable us to deliver innovative and consistent quality meal solutions to the Food Service industry.

To find out more about Food Partners, click here: https://rclfoods.com/brand/food-partners/