The Next Generation – Jr. Board Member Interview
In this month’s WISE Jr. Board newsletter, we are featuring Bailey Furtado, a Sr. Rotational Program Specialist at Topco. Bailey attended California State University, Fresno, where she majored in Agriculture Business. Growing up in the Central Valley of California, Bailey developed a strong appreciation and love for agriculture. Her life influences included her family dairy that her Portuguese family ran as well as having some of the biggest produce companies in her backyard. Upon graduation, Bailey has spent the past few years diving deep into numerous Topco departments (including a handful of internships!) where she’s gained tools needed to set her up for the best level of success within the industry.
WISE: How did you find your internship opportunity with Topco?
BAILEY: My college had an internship and job virtual board where I found Topco’s listing for an internship in their Visalia Produce office. The internship description caught my eye and got me excited for the potential opportunities. I ended up having three internships in total with Topco, two in produce procurement and one in category management.
WISE: Tell us about your thoughts leading up to the start of your internship. Did you have any expectations of what it would be like or did you do any preparation?
BAILEY: I knew that Topco was complex in terms of the company structure of a co-op. I made sure to do as much research on Topco as possible to have a good foundation of knowledge before I started. Asking friends that had previous internship experiences throughout the industry helped to level-set overall expectations and gain valuable advice on how to have the productive summer internship.
WISE: Tell us a little about your current role as a Sr. Rotational Program Specialist at Topco and how your internship experience has helped you in this role.
BAILEY: The rotational program at Topco is a two-year program that consist of six department rotations, varying in lengths between 3-6 months. These departments included Member Services, Master Data, Demand Planning, Logistics, Sourcing and Category Insights. I am currently in my final rotation with Category Insights where I am learning our complex data systems, assisting the team with their day-to-day projects, and adding value with specialized projects. My internship(s) gave me the valuable foundational knowledge of the vast company complexity as well as the company’s mission to help our retail members in their market. With having those internships under my belt, I was able to jump into roles a bit faster than a regular new hire as well as utilize the connections throughout the company that I was able to make because of my internships.
WISE: What got you interested in joining the WISE organization?
BAILEY: Nabiha, who is currently serving on the Jr. Board, recommended WISE to me and said that I should reach out regarding Jr. Board opportunities as she felt that I was a good fit. I remember getting forwarded the invitation for the webinar on emerging leaders and that was my first experience with WISE overall. After learning more about WISE, I quickly realized how passionate I was about their mission and thrilled to push the organization further with my future contributions on the Jr. Board.
WISE: What do you think could be the future for WISE?
BAILEY: WISE has endless opportunities to tap into the upcoming generation into the workforce. There are opportunities to implement webinars, Q&As, etc. that are tied into each generation. This area is where I feel that WISE can expand their capabilities. I think WISE can also drive more value for the current members with understanding the current, established generation and what WISE can offer to better suit them. WISE has to be ever changing and I think that if we keep that in the forefront of our decision making, the possibilities are endless!
WISE: How would you sum up your experiences at Topco and what advice would you give to students when considering an internship?
BAILEY: Topco has been such a valuable experience for me from Internships to the Rotational Program and beyond. I have achieved more than I imagined already in the start of my career. These opportunities have allowed me to gain knowledge and insights from amazing leaders in the company and the grocery industry. Connections are one of the most important things in your career and having a head start from an internship has already proved invaluable for me. I’m able to walk down the hallway and have a conversation with just about everyone that walks past me now.
For students- If you get an opportunity for an internship, jump at it! I could say this for any opportunity in general. These experiences will only lend useful to you. You could find passion in an area that you had no idea even existed. Take every opportunity in front of you and make the most of it!