The Next Generation – Jr. Board Member Interview
Kiana Remagni
Bonduelle, Sales Lead in Foodservice Distribution
Kiana grew up in Canada (eh!) and recently relocated to Los Angeles, California, as part of her career progression with Bonduelle. Outside of work, she is currently planning her August 2022 wedding with her fiancé, exploring LA’s beaches and coffee shops, and spending time outdoors. Kiana has always been an advocate for women reaching their full potential and is humbled to be a part of the WISE Junior Board to be able make a greater impact in the industry. Continue reading for a look into her diverse education and career background and see how she has already made a big impact both within her professional career at Bonduelle and with WISE.
WISE: Kiana, please give us some background on your degree and experience prior to working at Bonduelle.
KIANA: I joined Bonduelle right after graduating college in September 2016 with an International Business degree. I am passionate about travel and languages, so I wanted to join an international company one day and have the opportunity to work at various business units. In the past five years, I’ve been fortunate to have had the opportunity to grow my career within the company, travel, and apply all three of my languages (English, French, Spanish) at work.
WISE: How did you find your career opportunity with Bonduelle?
KIANA: During college, I interned at my local government’s Ministry of Agriculture and Bonduelle was one of our large international clients. My boss at the time knew I wanted to challenge myself and work for an international company to get the most out of my International Business degree. He introduced me to Bonduelle at a networking event we hosted. After a few Skype interviews (pre-Zoom era), I started an entry level role as a Project Coordinator and the rest is history!
WISE: What has your experience been like while working during COVID? How did that mold your experience?
KIANA: Working through COVID has been a learning curve on many fronts. It taught me the importance of communication, both with my colleagues and with my clients. Staying informed of all the daily updates that happen in an organization became significantly more important in order to feel connected to the business while working from home. Also, from a sales perspective, it became imperative to be able to pass on important details to clients and be a source of reliability when their environment was unpredictable. It also taught me how to quickly adapt to change, prioritize the tasks that mattered most, and stay nimble when navigating the daily changes that presented themselves.
WISE: What got you interested in joining the WISE organization?
KIANA: One of my biggest career mentors introduced me to Laurie Larue (WISE Board Member & Treasurer) a few years ago in an effort to get me involved with WISE. I met with Laurie and began asking how to get involved as I learned more about the WISE mission and saw how much it resonated with my values. Laurie’s passion for the organization and her impressive career path inspired me to find opportunities to get involved with WISE and meet other like-minded individuals.
WISE: How long have you been a part of WISE? Tell us all about what you’ve done within the organization.
KIANA: I’ve been involved with WISE since 2019/2020. I’ve been involved in the pop-up Mentor Circle program, inaugural Junior Board, as well as attending the 2020 and 2021 virtual annual meetings. I look forward to the first in-person events at WISE where I can finally meet some of the great members at a networking event firsthand.
WISE: What were your thoughts about the organization as you learned about WISE and its mission?
KIANA: The WISE mission of championing diversity and inclusion really resonated with me, as a strong advocate for women in business breaking the glass ceiling. I think the tools WISE provides for positive change are extremely impactful and create a sense of community and belonging, which in turn empower members to make a difference in their workplace.
WISE: What do you think could be the future of WISE?
KIANA: I think WISE’s mission and impact will eventually expand its reach to many new companies and onboard hundreds of new members annually, and not just within the store brand industry. I see the future of WISE’s mission being at the forefront of company initiatives as they begin to tie DEI objectives to their annual bonuses and KPIs.
WISE: How would you sum up your experience in this industry, and what advice would you give to those considering joining this industry?
KIANA: Attend that networking event you heard about - you never know what opportunities or learnings will come from it! Ask a lot of questions and try to find mentorship in others who have been in your industry (or other industries) for many years. Getting involved in organizations outside of your day job such as WISE had led to many new experiences and connections – I highly recommend it!
