International Women's Day 2023

When did you join Atplas: October 2020

Previous roles at Atplas: Procurement Manager

Current position at Atplas: Head of Supply Chain

Tell us a bit about yourself:

I am Rhian. I am 39 years old, I am married and have a son who is 7 years old. In my spare time, I enjoy swimming, walking and days out with family and friends.

Tell us a bit about you and your role here at Atplas

I have been with the company for just over two years. My role at Atplas has recently changed, in February I was promoted to Head of Supply Chain. My new role includes Procurement, Planning and Warehouse with 7 direct reports, I am really excited for my new role and the challenges and opportunities for improvement it will bring. It is our responsibility to source the correct material and components in line with specification and timing to meet our customer needs, to plan the production areas to manufacture and/or assemble products and to despatch goods to our customers on time to ensure customer satisfaction.

What is your proudest achievement whilst working at Atplas?

Soon after joining Atplas, the complexities of the Covid 19 pandemic and global supply issues were challenging. I am proud that with the support of the team in Atplas, we managed to maintain continuity of supply despite these challenges. I also consider the changes within my team to be one of the proudest achievements. Prior to me joining the company as Procurement Manager, there were challenges to overcome but we achieved it and now the Purchasing team is stable, settled and more engaged, with open communication and teamwork being the main focuses. One of my reasons for joining Atplas was to be able to manage my own team. I feel proud that I have achieved that with success and I feel excited to be able to continue this with my new team.

What does the International Women’s Day mean for you in your work life?

I am fortunate to work for Atplas, it is a company where praise, progress and promotion is done based on skill and knowledge regardless of gender. I am fortunate that there is equality in opportunities within our business and it is pleasing that Atplas and AVK support International Women’s Day.

Why did you choose to work in a manufacturing environment?

At first, it was not a conscious choice to work in manufacturing. When I started at my first employer in the automotive industry, I joined because it was a language speaking role. Soon after joining and becoming involved in the day to day challenges that manufacturing and the supply chain environment bring, I became very interested in the manufacturing and supply chain area and found it interesting and rewarding to be able to satisfy customers’ needs from a delivery and quality of service perspective. 15 years into my career, I still thoroughly enjoy all aspects of working in a manufacturing environment.  

What’s the most important piece of advice you’d give to a woman thinking of starting a career in manufacturing or supply chain?

I would say if you enjoy a dynamic job role, with challenges and opportunities for improvement, then go for it and believe in yourself.

How was working at Atplas help you further your career?

Joining Atplas has given me an opportunity to grow in my career, from starting to manage my Purchasing team to expanding my team and role. I thrive from learning and improving, so being part of the Atplas team which allows me to grow and bring innovation to processes within my team is very interesting and rewarding for me. Every day at Atplas is different, which provides me with the opportunity to learn new skills or knowledge on a daily basis which I find engaging.

On International Women’s Day, what is the most important message you want to send out to young women thinking about their careers?

To any young women thinking about their career, I would say believe that you can do it, and always be open to learning, growing and improving – with that determination and initiative, you can achieve anything you want to achieve.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

At Atplas it is great to see that there are women achieving secondment roles, promoted into supervisory and management roles. For me, working at Atplas has the benefit of being a gender equal employer. I don’t believe there are any barriers to being successful, the company and the senior management team are supportive of all employees.

I am proud to be in leadership position within the business and be part of the drive towards business objectives. I am part of a supportive and innovative team, I am thankful to Atplas for the opportunity of promotion I have had recently, and I am looking forward to the exciting path ahead with my new team.

Thank you, Rhian, for sharing your thoughts with us, and for being an invaluable asset to team.