2020 Star Women in Grocery winner Stephanie Egan (Q&A)
Rising star
Stephanie Egan
Director, Marketing
Piller’s Fine Foods
How did you get into the food/CPG business?
I joined the Piller’s team in 2012 after graduating from the honours Bachelor of Business Administration program at Wilfrid Laurier University, where I specialized in brand communication. I jumped at the opportunity to work with a trusted Canadian food brand, and was thrilled to find a company local to the Waterloo, Ont. region with strong community ties.
Proudest moment?
In 2018, I was awarded the Edward Huber Memorial Award, which recognizes a Piller’s sales or marketing team member for exemplary performance through outstanding effort and devotion. I was proud to be recognized by Piller’s leadership team and my peers for the work I had accomplished with our Piller’s Masterbrand initiative.
Your best quality?
I am driven to succeed, quick to take action, and focused on how to get things done.
Best advice ever received?
Play to your strengths and organize around your weaknesses. This rings true in work and personal life. There’s always going to be things you naturally excel at, and other skills that prove to be a challenge. The best leaders are self-aware, understand their weaknesses and build teams with diverse skill sets, where team members can rely on one another for support, learning and growth.
Career highlight/greatest achievements?
In 2017, Piller’s embarked on our largest masterbrand refresh in the company’s 60-year history. The project touched all aspects of the Piller’s brand including refining brand positioning, a new logo, and packaging updates for over 150 products. It was an incredible learning experience to lead the marketing team and the company as a whole through this transformative brand change.
What do you like most about your job?
Since joining Piller’s as a young marketer, I’ve always enjoyed being part of a small marketing team because it lends itself to having exposure in all areas of marketing. It’s great to be involved in a project from conception to execution, and I know that having the opportunity to learn and practise a diverse set of marketing and leadership skills has been helpful in my career progression.
Click here for the full list of 2020 Star Women in Grocery award winners.