October 26, 2020
Cohort Spotlight: Kyla Betts
How IFSL Helped Kyla Betts Achieve the Building Blocks Needed to Accelerate Her Career
Kyla Betts, Quality Supervisor at Kerry, is part of the inaugural cohort in the Integrated Food Systems Leadership (IFSL) Program. Like many professionals that pursue IFSL, Kyla knew she needed a greater understanding of the intricacies of the food system in order to move forward as a leader who would make an impact.
We sat down with Kyla to hear how the learnings she’s gained from IFSL have given clarity to her career aspirations and why she recommends IFSL to food systems’ professionals.
What prompted you to enroll in the IFSL Program?
In summer 2019, I was considering grad school and exploring programs for food system professionals. My undergraduate degree is in Biology, and my career experience at Kerry –the global leader in the development of taste and nutrition solutions for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical markets–has expanded my knowledge of food manufacturing, but I knew there was a lot more to learn.
When I came across the IFSL program, it seemed like a great holistic program designed for working professionals. One goal I had for enrolling in IFSL was to ensure I was headed in the right direction on my career journey. When I set out on the IFSL program journey, it was a personal and professional exploration to see what areas were of most interest in our vast food system.
It was also really helpful to have encouragement from my employer, Kerry Taste and Nutrition, both through tuition reimbursement and with leaders supporting my IFSL learnings, like my capstone project, where I was able to merge a work project with our final IFSL assignment.
How have your learnings impacted your role as a Quality Supervisor for Research and Development at Kerry Foods?
The additional knowledge that I’ve gained about the food system has given me a better understanding of why food professionals need to work up, down, and across – both in their organizations and with their external stakeholders – to make an impact for that’s needed to fuel our global food system.
The biggest learnings I’ve been able to put into practice are the leadership skills I’ve added to my toolbelt. It’s been really valuable to develop self-awareness, to hone my strengths and in turn, develop best practices and strategies to manage resiliency, and to lead from the middle.
What we learned about leading from the middle entails effectively influencing peers and leaders in order to move a company’s goals forward. This portion of the program was helpful for me to learn strategies to compromise and negotiate. It highlighted the importance of asking and understanding other department’s needs in order to move our collective goals forward.
As you approach the end of the IFSL Program, do you have new goals you hope to accomplish as a food system leader?
I feel really inspired to break down silos, and this program has opened my eyes to be aware that there are a lot of opportunities to learn from those around us.
As for career aspirations, I’m wrapping up the program confident that quality and food safety are areas that I’m passionate about and want to continue pursuing. The knowledge I’ve gained in the program has piqued my interest in the legal and regulatory side of food; potentially, I would like to pursue work in the government sector or law and writing of policy.
Do you have any big takeaways that you’d like to share with anyone considering the program?
The team of peers and relationships I’ve developed through the program are an incredible asset that I highly recommend for food professionals. This spring, our cohort was able to share pandemic response learnings with each other; the collaboration and network has been really beneficial, and these professionals are a group I’ll be able to tap into throughout my career.
Integrated Food Systems Leadership (IFSL) Program
Designed for working professionals, the IFSL program is an exciting graduate certificate program that fosters leadership, collaboration, and innovation across the food system. Applications for the next cohort are due July 15, 2021. Download a program brochure or schedule a consultation call for more information.