International Women’s Day at Spud

In honor of International Women’s Day, we wanted to feature some of the amazing women at Spud. Did you know 52% of the workforce at Spud are women, and people are assigned female at birth? We thought it best to hear from some of the women at Spud themselves, to learn about how they navigated through challenges and who inspires them!

Meet Monika Russel – CFO

Tell us about your career path. 

I had very limited expectations of myself at the start of my career.  My self-confidence was low and I never saw myself in a leadership role.  Thankfully, I have excellent mentors and I borrowed their confidence in me as I said yes to progressively challenging roles.  I still have periods of self-doubt but am so grateful to have people around me who believe in me and keep me going.

What is the most important piece of advice that you have been given?  Don’t try to do it all.  It’s easy to fall into the trap of working nonstop to try to get everything done but the more you finish, the more there is to do.  Instead, it’s important to set clear, realistic intentions of what you need to accomplish and be okay with leaving certain things for another time.

What is one message you would give to any young woman or girl reading this post?  You don’t need to try to be one of the boys to succeed.  Believe in your skill set and the value of your unique talents and find places where you can shine while being true to yourself.

Meet Tara-Marie – Warehouse Supervisor 

Tell us about your role, and career path.

I manage and help guide 21 team members at the Edmonton Spud Location. I help with employee HR relations, recording and ordering supplies for the production line, all the way to helping cover a shift if a team member is not feeling well and the team requires support.

I initially applied for Spud in March 2019 and was contacted in June 2019. I was hired in July 2019 as an ICQA Team Member. In a few months, I was promoted to ICQA Coordinator where I have many accomplishments to note. In November 2022, I was promoted to Warehouse Supervisor, where I hope to continue growing and learning.

Favorite Part of Job:

Assisting people with their growth in their positions at Spud.

Most Rewarding part of the Job:

Seeing people confident in their roles and owning it.

The hardest part of the Job:

When someone with potential does not see it.

Why do we need more women in leadership?

I believe we need more women in leadership to help further diversify the workspace which can lead to a more representative and inclusive workforce for all persons to collectively enjoy a great working environment in which they can be loyal too.

What is the most important piece of advice that I’ve ever been given?

“If you are upset about something for longer than 5 minutes and cannot collect yourself, you only have yourself to be upset with at that point because you are the only person who can let it go, move past it, and grow.” – Roland Schieble. (Potentially said by someone previously)

Roland was a previous boss I had when I first graduated from high school, and into the workforce who unfortunately passed away due to terminal cancer. This advice he gave me helped me with many things not only in my occupational life but in my personal as well. It’s helped me to stop, reflect, and really break down how to move past those emotions, to a place where I do not take things personally and respond constructively to the situation with the greater picture in mind.

Meet Puneet – Talent Acquisition Lead

Why do we need more women in leadership?  

Meet Linda Frantzen – Store Manager, Blush Lane