International Women’s Day | Q&A with CCEP’s Dimple Makani and Emma Roberts

Originally Posted at Talking Retail by Tony Corbin / March 08, 2023 

Dimple Makani is a sales manager within grocery and was the first Asian female field sales manager in CCEP’s GB business. As well as championing equality and diversity for women of colour in the business, Makani is part of CCEP’s Parents and Carers network.

Are there still glass ceilings to be broken?

“In the 12 years I’ve been working at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP), there has been a huge push around diversity and equity within the business, as well as in retail and grocery more broadly.

“A lot of energy has been put into creating an inclusive workplace culture where everyone’s welcome, driven via CCEP’s JustBe network – an internal group of allies who drive engagement in the business’ Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (ID&E) strategy.

“CCEP has stepped up to the challenge, and more and more colleagues are engaging in important topics such as gender and race. “There is still more work to be done to create a fully inclusive workplace, but we’ve made great progress, and I’ve personally felt empowered to help drive this change.

“I feel like I am part of something bigger than just my day-to-day job in field sales and believe strongly in the mantra that you need to have challenging conversations to make a positive impact. I will continue to live by this and work to remove any glass ceilings which still remain for women and women of colour in the industry.”

Do you think some successful women might want to avoid highlighting their sex/gender?

“Encouragingly, many women at CCEP see their gender as an asset rather than a barrier, while many view themselves no differently to their male colleagues, which I believe is a real mark of how far we’ve come over the last decade.

“However, I do think it’s important on days such as International Women’s Day to celebrate the achievements of women within the organisation. It’s a proven fact that diversity drives high performance in the workplace.

!The more diverse a team is, the more likely we are to be able to come up with new ideas and view problems from different angles in order to solve them.

“Women have a unique set of skills that are vital in the workplace and we should be highlighting these, as well as the broader diversity that exists in our businesses and our communities more generally.”

Do you think women of colour have more obstacles to face professionally?

“When I first started working at CCEP, I was the only Asian woman in the team I was part of. This made it difficult to find role models or others who shared my experiences. However, the business has been working hard to proactively increase representation among multicultural groups, including women of colour.

“I’ve played an active role in this work, including through CCEP’s Equity Programme, which aims to break down the barriers facing multicultural colleagues.

“The programme recognises that simply aiming to create equality in the workplace fails to take into account that not everyone starts in the same place and some people face barriers that others do not. Instead of trying to treat everyone the same, we instead need to create equity.

“The pilot brought together 25 colleagues from under-represented ethnic groups across the business, along with their managers, to take part in structured learning. It’s now been rolled out to 380 people managers and leaders.

“Through initiatives such as the Equity Programme, women of colour have been pushed to the forefront at CCEP and given the support and tools to help us thrive. This culture shift, supported by the allyship of my colleagues and the business, has enabled me to become the first Asian female field sales manager at CCEP in GB.”

Is there enough support for professional parents, particularly mothers, in 2023?

“While I’ve been at CCEP, I’ve seen a real evolution in the support offered to parents and carers, as well a drive to ensure that this support is easily accessible for everyone.

“Before having my first child, I felt I put my career on hold and didn’t put myself forward for as many opportunities as I could have done, as I knew I wanted to have children and would soon be taking time off. When I returned to work, I struggled to balance caring for my baby alongside my work commitments. Despite policies in place to support me, I didn’t know what they meant to me in real terms.

“However, things have changed so much and there is a significant emphasis on equal opportunities for all colleagues, irrespective of whether they have caring responsibilities – now or in the future.

“I’m now part of CCEP’s Parents and Carers network, which aims to be the bridge between HR and staff, helping them understand the support and policies available and how to access them. I’m proud of what has been achieved so far and excited about the plans we have for the future.”

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Emma Roberts, trainee sales manager, grocery at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) GB

Emma Roberts is training to be a sales manager, working with a team looking after independent convenience retailers, as well as bars, restaurants and takeaway establishments in Lancashire. She also runs her own dance school with her twin sister, who also works at CCEP. As an individual with dyslexia, Emma is also passionate about celebrating neurodiversity within her team.

In addition to your CCEP role you also run your own business. Where did this drive come from?

“Prior to joining Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, I worked as a dancer on cruise ships. But when this stopped, I realised I wanted the stability of a Monday to Friday job, which also offered me the flexibility to follow my passion for dancing.

“As I progressed quickly in my career, moving from a part-time merchandising role to a full-time sales position, I realised how much I loved the job. I knew wanted to drive forward my career, but I didn’t want to give up on my other dream of running my own dance school. But I’ve learnt that having two passions doesn’t mean you have to choose one over the other. You just need the right support to balance them both and achieve the best work life balance for you. This is something CCEP has helped me do. I’m always busy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!

“When people think of flexible working, they usually think of mothers who balance their caring responsibilities with work. But there are so many different reasons why people request flexible working arrangements, and I’m so grateful that I’m part of a team which respect and support me to be the best I can in both my roles.”

In the past there was a lack of understanding around dyslexia, do you find that people are more understanding and supporting today?

“I didn’t learn that I was dyslexic until my third year of university, and because my degree in dance was primarily based on practical assessments rather than my written work, I didn’t ask for or receive much support.

“When applying for my current trainee manager role, I was worried that my dyslexia might hold me back and make it more difficult to complete my written assessments. However, I’ve received so much support from CCEP to help ensure that my dyslexia doesn’t present a barrier to the career path I want to follow. Everyone is so understanding and has helped make the necessary adjustments to support me.

“Since joining CCEP and working with many people in the field, I’ve learnt so much more about neurodiversity in the workplace, most of which I was never aware of despite having dyslexia. Through the training programme for my sales manager role, I’ve received formal training on diversity in hiring to help ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity, including those with neurodiverse conditions. I’m also helping to lead on activity around neurodiversity at CCEP, including making communications more accessible and showcasing the achievements of people who are neurodiverse, to help in our overarching ambition to make the workplace more inclusive.”

Originally Posted at Talking Retail by Tony Corbin / March 08, 2023