With a new factory in Porto Viro, Lerøy Italy is ready to make inroads in the Italian market. Fronting it all is the Italian Irene Monetta.
Having been appointed General Managerof the Italian operation, Irene is the youngest person ever to serve in such as role in the downstream segment at Lerøy. The Italian fisheries sector is also highly male-dominated, especially when it comes to General Managers. Despite this, she has found that the people on her team are both open-minded and welcoming of the change.
“They realise that women can conquer the world if they so decide. I think they see it as an advantage that I’m a woman,” she says.
Although she is now feeling confident in the role, she initially questioned whether she was the right person for the job. She felt that she had a great deal to prove, but rather than let the doubt get to her, she chose to use it as motivation.
“That’s what has been driving me on. I don’t like to fail, so I will always try my best,” Irene explains.
Extended stay
Irene’s career at Lerøy began with an internship back in 2012. The plan was to stay for three months and then return to Milan to complete her master’s degree. When she had completed her internship she was invited to stay on in a temporary position.
“Irene quickly stood out as a major sales talent during her early days at Lerøy. She understood the market opportunities and was a hungry and pro-active sales agent,” says CEO Henning Beltestad.
This opened up new career opportunities, and Irene was given increased responsibilities, including for the Italian market. After a few years at Lerøy Irene left to work for a different seafood company.
“That was a major loss to us,” Henning says.
Back again
Her absence would be short-lived, however, because after a year away she was headhunted back to Lerøy. Although Lerøy had been a market-leader in setting up sales and distribution centres in most key markets in Europe for quite some time, one big market was still missing: Italy.
“There was no doubt in my mind. I had to go to Oslo and bring Irene home. That was the start of a new journey for Irene and for Lerøy,” says the CEO.
“I was pregnant when he called. I started my new job only three months after giving birth. Now when I look back at the things I’ve achieved, I feel that I’ve been able to show what I can do,” Irene says.
Bigger product range
Lerøy Italy aims to fulfil the needs of Italians whose requirements are currently not being met. By exporting whole fish, Lerøy has long enjoyed a strong position in the Italian market, but with individual portion packs, ready to prepare and eat – an untapped market segment for Lerøy in Italy – the company is hoping to expand its market share.
“This was the natural next step in bringing us closer to our customers and giving them products of a higher quality and with longer shelf life compared with importing the same products,” Irene explains.
After operating for only six months, the factory received IFS Food certification (International Featured Standard), a recognised standard for verifying the safety and quality of food products and production processes. Work is now underway to obtain additional certifications, standards and quality seals. With the new factory and a physical presence in the country, Lerøy is already making strides in the Italian market.
Local presence
As a leader, it has been important for Irene to communicate Lerøy’s values, corporate culture, focus areas and information to customers. The start-up phase was particularly challenging, and she needed to spend much of her time at the factory with her staff. Irene usually lives in Norway with her partner and daughter, but whenever possible she visits the factory every two weeks.
“That would not have been possible if I didn’t have a partner who understands and supports me and who takes on extra responsibilities for our daughter. But of course, it is a difficult situation as a mother,” she says.
Irene normally sets off on a Monday morning and stays in Italy until Friday afternoon. That allows her to spend the working week in the factory before going home to her family on the weekend. She has also taken her family to visit the factory to let her daughter see where she works when she is not at home. Irene explains that it was important to show her that it is only a job that is keeping her away from home sometimes and that she knows mum will always come home.
Role model
Although it has been challenging at times, the family are making it work. Irene hopes that when her daughter is older, she will be able to understand how determined her mother was to follow her dreams and to see everything she has been able to achieve by her early 30s as a woman in a male-dominated profession.
“I will tell my daughter that she can do anything she sets out to do! I’m very ambitious, and as a businesswoman I wouldn’t have wanted to miss out on the opportunity to run a factor for Lerøy Italy, even though it’s challenging and takes me away from home sometimes,” says the general manager.
Lerøy wish to further inspire more young women to see the varied career opportunities that exist within our industry. Lerøy aim to increase the share of women in all parts of the Lerøy Seafood Group, from apprentices, on our facilities, trawlers and out to senior-level positions.
Read more about Lerøy's policy regarding equal opportunities in the Sustainability Library.