Dr. Elisabeth Weichselbaum had always been fascinated by the involvement of nutrition science in product development, ever since working with food industry players during her time as a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation.
“I feel particularly connected to dairy as I grew up on a small dairy farm back home in Austria,” said Dr. Weichselbaum, whose career path was far from straight.
She wanted to become a teacher and study French, so she only took nutrition science as a second subject. However, she ended up doing a PhD in nutrition and coordinating a large EU-funded project at the same time.
This was a great experience as she had the opportunity to liaise with experts from across Europe. She also became one of the editors of the first European Nutrition and Health Report.
After a few years in academia and a small centre for public health in Vienna, Dr. Weichselbaum moved to London and worked as a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation for five years.
Moving to New Zealand in 2013 was an excellent opportunity for a career change. After a short stint as a freelance consultant, she was lucky to land a role as a senior research scientist at Fonterra and has worked in the dairy industry ever since.
At Fonterra, Dr. Weichselbaum worked closely with the product development and marketing teams on new products and led various science and research activities. She then joined Synlait and, in November last year, became the Dairy Goat Co-operative's chief scientific officer.
“The experience I gained in the various roles across academia, public health and the dairy industry over the years is invaluable for that role. My current role is a real highlight as I can use my combined experiences in a great company over the years in a proper leadership role,” said Dr. Weichselbaum.
“I feel passionate about using science to enable commercial success and help create products that benefit consumers. That passion motivates me daily, as does the desire to work with inspirational people I can continue to learn from.”
Throughout her career, Dr. Weichselbaum has worked with various inspirational people, all of whom have helped her grow. She said the key was to be curious, learn from people in her immediate work area, and connect with as many people from different backgrounds as possible, as it provided a much broader understanding of how the industry works.
She also recommended that others in the field grab opportunities as they come.
“I once read that people are often more successful when they don't have a fixed career path they pursue, but when they remain more flexible and take opportunities as they come; that approach certainly has worked for me. I wouldn't have gotten here had I not kept an open mind and grabbed interesting opportunities.”
