2023 Women in Produce: Pallavi Joyappa

Pallavi Joyappa
Pallavi Joyappa
(Graphics: Tasha Fabela-Jonas and Freepik)

Editor's Note: The Packer’s 14th annual Women in Produce issue honors eight industry leaders who play pivotal roles in the success of their own organizations, as well as the produce industry as a whole. Read about this year's other honorees at the end of this story.


Pallavi Joyappa can’t sleep.

While she was appointed president of the Union City, Calif.-based Emerald Packaging in late February of this year, it’s not her executive post that’s keeping her up at night.

“We just got a new puppy yesterday, so I have not slept,” Joyappa told The Packer when we sat down with her to discuss being a woman in produce. “It’s like having kids all over again.”

But Joyappa is a pro. Having served Emerald Packaging for 17 years in multiple capacities — including process control engineer, director of operations and, most recently, chief operating officer — she graciously kept her appointment to speak with us.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

The Packer: How has your role as president progressed since we last spoke in February, and what most excites you about the work you’re doing?

Joyappa: It’s been exciting. It’s still very new. When I was the chief operating officer, I oversaw a lot of the operations side of the business and had very little account management responsibilities then. But now with the new role, I am responsible for finance as well, more account management, a bit of sales.

It’s been interesting in that sense, trying to build new relationships with customers and clients and financial institutions like the bank — that has been really exciting. So, it’s been a lot of moving pieces, but I’ve kept my head up and I’m building on all of that.

You began your career as an industrial engineer and along the way you’ve held numerous roles at Emerald Packaging. What was it about packaging and the produce industry that drew you to this career?

I think an engineering degree helps build a foundation that helps you no matter what industry you’re in. Outside of being able to objectively look at things, being an engineer helps you sort of break down a problem into smaller pieces, analyze it objectively and get through it. An engineering degree definitely helps, especially in manufacturing. It’s an added bonus to be a little bit more technical and understand the manufacturing challenges and opportunities and so forth.

When it comes to the produce industry, I think what initially excited me and continues to excite me is the fact that outside of medicine or health sciences — biomedical — really the only other industry that’s so giving, inclusive and holistic … is the produce industry. I love being in the produce industry. There’s so much community building that happens in this industry that you don’t see elsewhere. It’s an exciting industry to be in.

You are such an accomplished woman. Is there one professional accomplishment of which you are most proud?

Thank you. That is humbling. I think my greatest accomplishment, which brings me the most pride, is the team I’ve built at Emerald. This is my 18th year at Emerald, and I have to say that I have the strongest people this side of the West Coast. The team I’ve built over the years is really what has gotten us here, and they make me look good. I really do take a lot of pride in having built that team.

There is an African proverb that talks about a team of lions being led by a sheep. Everybody [on my team] is driven and motivated. I trust them implicitly. I think by far my biggest achievement here is the team that I’ve built.

Who has inspired you in your career? Has there been a mentor or someone you’ve admired?

Who has inspired me and who has been a mentor? I guess they’re two different things.

I don’t know if you heard of Indra Nooyi. She’s the ex-CEO of PepsiCo. She’s an immigrant like me, and much like me she’s a woman in the manufacturing space — the food and beverage space. Her story and what she’s done with PepsiCo really resonates with me. So, she is definitely one woman I seek much inspiration from.

As far as mentors are concerned, you know, my largest working career has been at Emerald and the one person I look up to is our CEO Kevin [Kelly]. Outside of his business acumen, there’s so much to learn from him — his passion for social causes and climate-related issues, reform and policies, and bringing more women into manufacturing. Even outside of business, he’s just a good mentor and has always been there for us.

What is one goal — personal or professional — that you hope to achieve in the next year?

Professionally, it’s navigating a new role and really taking on ESG — the environmental, social and governance piece of packaging — and learning more about the policies that are going to come out from both the state and federal level. Now that the pandemic is behind us, I’m sure ESG is going to take front and center again.

Personally, I just want my puppy potty trained.

More 2023 Women in Produce honorees

 

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