Sometimes – not often – one has the good fortune of meeting someone whose genuine curiosity for the world around her manifests in an immediate, easy, genuine connection. Unathi Mzendana, Commercial Director: Nestlé Health Science, is one of those people.
She enthuses, “I love meeting new people, being in different locations and learning about new cultures. And I love food! I think I’m a foodie because it’s another way I get to know more about different cultures and form connections with people – over food. I’m all about great experiences!
“Last week, I met with customers and stakeholders in Cape Town to hear about what they’re working on. I was so energised after those meetings – making connections fuels me!”
A marketer by training (Unathi has a post-graduate qualification in Business Administration), she’s spent ten years working in Nutrition. She believes her start in 2014 as a Brand Manager on Nestlé CERELAC – Nestlé’s founding product and the epitome of a purpose-driven brand – is serendipitous.
“I learnt so much that transitioning to my role in Nestlé Health Science was a natural progression. I find real purpose in empowering healthier lives through nutrition. Our impact on consumers, healthcare practitioners and patients’ lives, is what ignites me.”
Unathi is currently focused on transforming the Nestlé Health Science business focusing on the right portfolio and the right channel mix; in other words, making sure the right products are available in the right places for consumers and patients.
“Recently, a mom with a child suffering from Crohn’s disease, took the time to reach out over email and thank us for making sure that a product she needs is available. She said that when she saw it on the shelf, she burst into tears. Our products mean a lot to consumers. We make a difference in people’s lives every day.”
She reflects, “Losing my dad and my best friend to cancer and watching my mom age has helped me to appreciate life more. I’m so grateful for it all, not least because the alignment of my professional and personal purpose makes it easy for me to do what I do.”
Unathi and her team are building for the future having recently undertaken a massive project to integrate the newly-acquired Solgar business into the Nestlé Health Science portfolio.
She explains, “My job is to create one winning Nestlé Health Science team. I’m learning about new regulations, new policies, integrating the product into the system, working on the supply chain model and so much more. It’s been an incredible experience – not a lot of people are fortunate enough to work on an M&A (Mergers and Acquisitions) project.
“After all of our integration work, we’ve managed to turn around the business to deliver profitable growth and we have the second half of the year ahead of us to build on that momentum and drive our strategy, now that we know we have the right strategy in place,” she says.
As with her colleagues on Nestlé ESAR’s leadership team, Unathi’s eyes light up when she talks about her team.
“I’m most proud of leading the team through this significant business transformation. My team inspires me. Realising what we’ve achieved since June this year… Wow. We didn’t just do what we said, we did what we said and more. That speaks to the resilience of this team and their can-do attitude.”
She explains the team’s deep connection: “Most of us share the same purpose because we are really living our business mission. We talk about it: the impact that we have on our consumers’ and patients’ lives. The majority of my team are medical sales reps who are at the coalface, listening to Healthcare Professionals and providing recommendations and solutions. It’s very involved and scientific.”
When it comes to resilience and positivity, Unathi leads by example. Her resilient spirit and ability to face challenges with presence of mind, reframing them as opportunities, is perhaps what has helped pull the team together, despite the headwinds they have faced over the past 15 months – after all, transforming one business while merging with another is no mean feat!
Unathi is guided by US media mogul, Oprah Winfrey’s, words: “Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new centre of gravity. Don't fight them. Just find a new way to stand.”
Unathi says, “In all the adversity that I have faced professionally and personally – and the last two years were really tough – I try to take each new day as a fresh opportunity for me to seize the moment. Fall, wake up, find a new way to stand and keep going!”
