If I didn’t love my job, I probably wouldn’t have stayed for seven years.

But I do.

And I have since the very beginning – back when I was working in my mother’s hot dog stand, serving customers and realising that food was something I truly understood. Something I could feel.

So when a consultant from Danish Crown came by one day to buy a hot dog, I asked him: How do I get a job with you – one where I’m at a desk and not behind a counter?

He pointed me in the direction of ESS-FOOD. And that’s how I entered the meat industry.

Since then, I’ve never been bored.

Maybe that’s also why I’m still here. Because if there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s stagnation. I need to feel the pace. The challenges. And you definitely feel that here. Avian flu, logistical hurdles, markets shifting overnight – it demands quick thinking.

And that suits me perfectly.

At first, I was worried about losing that close connection to customers – the small conversations where you’d know who was married to who and how their kids birthday went. But I quickly learned that relationships are still the essence of the job.

You call. You write. You follow up. And you get to know people.

That’s what I love.

We have a culture in the EU team that feels more like friendships than just colleagues. We support each other. We cheer each other on. And even though the industry is still a bit conservative, I actually thrive in that environment. Maybe because I get to challenge it a bit.

One of the things I’m most proud of is my posting in Poland.

Three years in another culture. At first, I thought I had it all figured out. But I came home a different person. Wiser. More nuanced. More patient. And with a deep understanding of differences – and of how important it is to build bridges. Not just between markets, but between people.

And maybe that’s why I keep going:
Because I’m seen. Because I’m heard.
And because every day I get the opportunity to grow.
Not just as an Area Export Manager.

But as Anja.