Posted:
Pra Ori On Women In Leadership, Inspiration, And Being True To Yourself This Women’s Month
National Agric & Breed SHERQ Manageress, Pra Ori’s career at RCL FOODS began when her dream of studying medicine was dashed by a lack of funds. In keeping with her interest in medicine, she decided to pursue nursing, and from there, the progression was natural. “Diseases and the science behind them intrigued me and I ventured into the scientific field and quality embraced me,” she explained.
After working with the South African Bureau of Standards and later Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, and Technical Assessor for SANAS, Pra realised that her calling was SHERQ. Pra’s belief is that “At the end of the Rainbow is more food, to more people, more often; one that includes less waste, a decreased carbon footprint. Instead, an improved environmental impact, improved employee morale & safety to deliver the best quality chicken.”
| Since becoming SHERQ Manageress in 2018, Pra has made an impact to RCL FOODS by helping us do MORE. One of her proudest moments was certifying the farms to Food Safety System Certification (FSSC) standards, despite a tight six-month deadline. “Although I would have preferred a longer timeline for implementation, together with the outstanding team I support, and remarkable agriculture and breed teams on site, this goal was realised within the timeframes,” she said. “The most fulfilling moment was the joy of seeing the FSSC flags on our sites and the proud accomplishment on the team’s faces. That teaches one the power of unity and teamwork!” Surrounded by such a team, Pra can’t help but be inspired, but her greatest inspiration is her mother. An active anti-apartheid citizen, extraordinary businesswoman, family-focused mom, and overall inspiring leader, we understand why. “She taught me to break boundaries and be different, even at the time when women were subservient, she rose above all the norms,” she explained, proudly. “She taught me that circumstances do not classify you; character does. She taught me to juggle my family and career, but to never drop the ball on either, being led by her example. She taught me to be strong through the obstacles and no matter what I am going through, to dress in my power outfit and take the bull by the horns. The most important lesson she taught me was to be grateful for all I am and all that I have.” This Women’s Month, Pra hopes to see more companies embracing salary equality and diversity, saying that women in leadership bring their own unique value to any team. “Woman leaders bring skills, unique perspectives, cultural diversity and innovative ideas to the business, but including the capacity to understand and to connect with the feelings and aspirations of their employees during crises,” she said. “Female leadership styles most commonly used is transformational leadership and these leaders inspire people to do better, be better and feel better.” With all that said, this Women’s Month, Pra wants to encourage fellow women to “Know the woman you are, know what you stand for, and shine your magnificence out into the world!” And with that, we say that the more women are true to themselves and bold in their work will result in us being able to do MORE! |