Meet the Team

We continue to shine the spotlight on the next generation at Cefetra.

18 November 2020

Despite challenging times, we have continued to welcome a fresh batch of graduates and new starters to the diverse and ever-changing world of Agriculture. Cefetra continue to safely maintain business and grow our team, keeping momentum going forward and supporting the supply of agricultural goods, grains and various raw materials.

We are welcoming starters and graduates to the diverse world of the Agricultural sector, and as they grow together we celebrate the young people in our business. It has been an even more challenging time for some as they have joined the team in the midst of a pandemic and were thrown in at the deep-end, but they have certainly adapted well, stepping up to the challenge and are excited for future times at Cefetra.

Today, we introduce to you the lovely Eva and Ellis from the farm buying team.

Name: Eva (based in Somerset)

Team: Farm Buying

What do you love most about your job?

I enjoy the work, it’s a comfortable environment to work in. You learn a lot from farmers as you speak with them, and it’s an incredibly varied role – which is what you want from a job! The world of Agriculture always involves variation and problem solving, which is immensely interesting, it’s not the same every day which makes it more thrilling. You build strong relationships with the farmers. From crop Barley issues, storage at to harvest issues, there’s always something going on that you need to proactively deal with.

Five words that describe you?
(or 7 in Eva’s case).
1) Efficient- do things with the best outcome.
2) Diligent
3) Friendly
4) Smile and talk a lot
5) Like to have a laugh
6) Work very hard – get ahead of your work
7) Impatient – don’t like to see a pile of work- working on 50 things at a time.

Where did you join from (if from College or Uni what did you study?)

I was born in Slovakia, in 2008 I moved to Northampton, I’ve lived in Corby and have spent 3 years in London.

What area are you working in at Cefetra?

Admin, which can include anything and everything! I help a lot of the buyers out, you tend to cross over a lot roles in Cefetra – we all work hard to support each other.

Tell us what you love about your role?

Friendly people, environment, learning constantly, you can constantly progress in different directions and get stuck in to different types of jobs – it’s definitely not samey and it certainly turns on your brain!

What are your aspirations?

I want to do a financing course, and touch on more of the events side. I thrive at problem solving so I want to challenge myself, however my role is constantly developing and evolving so I’m excited to see what direction that goes and to progress here at Cefetra!

How have you got on with working from home in 2020?

Adapted well, by rotating 1 week in the office and one out of the office. Work is flexible here, and our systems and operations at Cefetra have allowed it to work well. There was trouble with the phone system at the start, but it’s been 90% success working from home. It’s easy to get used to but I enjoy being in the office with my colleagues as we’ve forged great relationships. It’s amusing to see how people dress at home in their casual wear and seeing what’s going on in their backgrounds, be it kids or pets trying to steal the limelight. It has changed my perspective on working life too in general.

Name: Ellis (based in Glasgow)

Team: Farm Buying

What do you love most about your job?

It’s relationship centric, there is an opportunity to meet lots of interesting people, a great deal of problem solving is involved, and you’re required to think outside the box, thinking on your feet and applying your initiative.

Five words that describe you?

Concise
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Where did you join from (if from College or Uni what did you study?)

Uni Strathclyde, I studied Production Engineering and Management, and gained a Master’s in Business.

What area are you working in at Cefetra?

New business development, thinking about what we should be doing, researching and exploring new routes to market, and opportunities to take.

Tell us what you love about your role?

The relationship-centric side and forging new connections.

What are your aspirations?

Developing my industry knowledge and skill set through day-to-day activities. I intend to take on skills from other industries that are transferable to this role, having an engineering background means that I have an alternative perspective on things.

How have you got on with working from home in 2020?

Everyone has been pleasantly surprised with how well it has worked with us working from home, reminding people to mute or unmute their mic has been amusing. Interior design skills have changed for people during the course of lockdown – at the start people’s rooms were not that professional then they developed and took on a life of their own.

Name: Emma Strachan (based in Glasgow)

Team: UK Grains

What do you love most about your job?

I am new to the role, but every day is very varied! You’re always working on different types of task or there’s a new hurdle to overcome. The fast-paced nature of the role and constant challenges is always good – the team have been amazing answering my questions as I ease into the role. It’s very different to what I was doing before, the team have been so helpful they don’t mind you asking questions.

Five words that describe you?

Organised, good listener, very approachable, kind and friendly, a perfectionist!

Where did you join from (if from College or Uni what did you study?)

I was a Logistics coordinator and manager for a high-end interior design company.

What area are you working in at Cefetra?

I’m part of the Grain team, dealing with – Execution, Stock and Logistics.
I’ve been in the office most of the time since I started in July and have been able to have that interaction that you need when starting a new role.

What are your aspirations?

At the moment to learn the role as best that I can, be a valuable team member, and be relied on by others, so that I too can be the point of contact for the rest of my team.

What’s it like to work at Cefetra how would you describe the work culture?

Everybody is so so friendly and helpful with any questions that you have and will show you exactly what you need to do. It’s been different starting during Covid-19, for instance you go on your lunch and can’t sit and talk with each other properly, but everyone is still so chatty– the culture is really great.