Success for me is when the people I’m working with become more successful, thanks to my efforts.
As a trained dietitian, Csilla Kovács-Rahói has always been interested in medical science and the world of food. “Food is not only for nourishment. It is also something that can foster connections, give joy, express culture, and create a positive atmosphere,” says Csilla.
With over 15 years of experience working for multinational food industry companies, Csilla joined Lindström in 2021. Starting out as Head of Food Industry, she later transitioned into her current role as International Key Account Manager for the Food & Beverage segment in the Central and Western Europe (CWE) region.
Lindström’s We Care culture, the people-focused mindset, and the company’s bold sustainable ambitions were what drew me in. People working here really care about each other. The culture is very special — it’s not something you see in a lot of organisations.
Driving the food industry forward
In her regional role, Csilla focuses on cross-country business opportunities in the CWE region, working closely with local sales teams and industry experts. This involves understanding customer needs and building strategic partnerships to creating innovative products and services.
Her mission is to drive business growth in the food and beverage sector while ensuring that Lindström remains a strategic partner for its customers. With a business analyst mindset, she juggles short and long-term initiatives, ensuring sales and customer service teams are performing at their best.
“I aim to show Lindström’s added value to food industry customers, and to create meaningful partnerships instead of just acting as a supplier for customers.”
Prioritising customer needs
With deep industry knowledge and experience, Csilla has no problem speaking her customers’ language. To provide the best value for customers, she works on aligning Lindström’s expertise with the evolving needs of the food and beverage industry.
Visiting our customers’ facilities and really listening to them to understand their environment and challenges is important. While we communicate with each other, we understand how the customer needs change over time. Then we need to adjust our services and products according to the new requirements and challenges.
Sustainability remains a key focus for customers in the food and beverage sector. Csilla helps businesses navigate upcoming EU sustainability regulations and supports them with data-driven solutions that align with their sustainability goals.
“Lindström is already part of the Science Based Targets initiative. We are here to support our customers with any kind of data or reporting needs. I’m very much looking forward to taking the sustainable textile solution path together with our food industry customers and to help drive them forward,” says Csilla.
Building long-lasting relationships
As a people person, Csilla enjoys building cross-cultural connections with both customers and colleagues. “At Lindström, I am working in a matrix environment. Thus, it’s important to be able to collaborate with people from different cultures and with different capabilities.”
“Success for me is when the people I’m working with become more successful, thanks to my efforts. I enjoy every moment that I can spend on the field with our customers and colleagues to build long lasting relationships,” says Csilla.
Forging her own path
In both her professional and personal life, Csilla emphasises the value of individuality and of leaving a mark on the world, no matter how small. Csilla’s favourite quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson sums up her guiding principles: “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
Csilla explains: “We should not fear the unknown or conform to what is considered conventional. Instead, we should embrace uncertainty and take risks, trusting our instincts and intuition to guide us towards unexplored possibilities.”