The milling industry, which is seen as a male business, has witnessed a woman’s touch. Barilla Mill Manager Betül Eryilmaz, who broke the taboos in this sector, became Turkey’s first female mill manager.
Barilla Mill Manager Betül Eryilmaz, one of the first female managers of the Barilla Gıda Bolu production facility, broke new ground. Betül Eryilmaz, the only female mill manager in Turkey, is taking firm steps forward in her journey in the sector.
Eryilmaz shared her perspective on gender equality in the business world with examples from her own career journey in the “Good Practices in the Business World” panel. Stating that the support she received from Barilla during her career journey is the best reflection of the brand culture, Betül Eryilmaz said, “As a female engineer, I encountered a gender barrier during the job search process. My dream was to pursue a career in Barilla, where I also had my internship. I applied for Barilla's Shift Manager job posting as a woman. I expressed my uneasiness in my first meeting with the Human Resources Department, as I was applying for a position that is generally considered ‘masculine’. The response I got was; ‘Being a woman is not a disadvantage, on the contrary, we want to ensure gender equality’.
After one year as Shift Manager, I have been continuing my career as a Mill Manager for two years. I was met with both surprise and admiration from a team that has never worked with a female manager, or even from our suppliers who have never witnessed a female mill manager before. What makes this position special for me is that, apart from being the first female mill manager in Turkey, I am still the first and only female manager among Barilla’s 9 mill managers around the world.”