A Day at Frito-Lay

1. A Day at Frito-Lay Interviewee Chris Mayes Interviewer Demetrius Jordan

2. Meet Chris Mayes • Employment – PepsiCo Frito-Lay(Perry, Ga) • Occupation – Operations Research Manager • Frito-Lay North America (FLNA) is a division of PepsiCo, Inc. which manufactures, markets and sells a variety of corn chips, potato chips and other snack foods. • FLNA is headquartered in Plano, Texas • The company's current form is the result of a 1965 merger of Frito-Lay, Inc. and the Pepsi-Cola Company, which resulted in the formation of PepsiCo, Inc. Products sold under the Frito-Lay name are now recorded by two PepsiCo divisions: Frito-Lay North America (North American sales) and PepsiCo International (international sales). • Originally, Frito Lay started in Mexico, after buying Sabritas. Demetrius A. Jordan interview of Chris Mayes

3. Educational Information • Degree in Industrial Management Engineering • Graduated From Mercer University in 2008 • Plans to pursue a Masters degree Demetrius A. Jordan interview of Chris Mayes

4. Internships/ Co-Ops at Mercer Univ. • Milliken • Where he created an electronic inventory database for their used parts supply room • Helped reduce costs of ordering new parts • Savings estimated to be $10,000 Demetrius A. Jordan interview of Chris Mayes

5. Work Environment • Normal day routine at work • Check notes from the previous day and resolve any outstanding issues. Make sure shifts are staffed properly before they begin • Attend a turnover meeting in which the previous shift describes their major outages and whether or not they were resolved. • Check the production schedule to ensure the right things are being made. Check payroll to make sure my team is getting paid correctly. Then I check my email to see if there any items from my boss that I need to focus or follow up on. • Attend service meetings in which representatives from each department show up and we ensure that everyone is aligned with what we are producing, not producing, and shipping out. • Then I start to wrap things up and prepare for my turnover meeting with the oncoming shift. Complete my end of shift report (which summarizes what and how much we produced and how efficiently we produced it) and call it day. Demetrius A. Jordan interview of Chris Mayes

6. Skills Essential to the Job • Communication • Team Work • Technical Competency (Understanding the equipment you work with) • Forward Thinking (Be Proactive) • Integrity Demetrius A. Jordan interview of Chris Mayes

7. Work & Recreation • Works 50-60 hours per week • About 6 hours of free time • Usually has to work a weekend every other month • How often do you interact with people outside of the engineering world? • “Everyday…you have to be able to communicate in detail to a project engineer as well as explain things to the common individual” • Writes reports everyday and occasionally makes presentations. Demetrius A. Jordan interview of Chris Mayes

8. Expectations • How would you compare your job experience so far to what you expected before you actually started to work; is your job experience what you expected or is the experience completely different? • “Coming out of school I really didn’t know what to expect. I remember going through the strenuous interview process and at the moment I realized everyone meant business and this was time for me to be serious. At that same instance, I also realized this job was going to be difficult and a lot of responsibility was going to be pushed my way if I were to be hired. To directly answer the question, I knew this job was going to be a challenge beforehand and it continues to remain challenge today, but it’s a challenge that I welcome and accept.” Demetrius A. Jordan interview of Chris Mayes

9. On The Job • Mostly works in groups as the group leader  • The work environment is the most stressful aspect of the job • Learning to adapt to the constant pressure of performing well helps to ease some of the on the job stress. And watching the camaraderie among the team members and how they support each other • Have you had any mentors who were influential in helping you grow in your profession? • “An older, more experienced manager was working the same shift I was when I first began with the company. He ended up serving as a mentor in my career with the company. He always offered advice when I needed and was always there to help when I asked for it. Having someone you can trust and depend on is an invaluable asset that I was very thankful for. “ Demetrius A. Jordan interview of Chris Mayes

10. Career Choice/Career Path • Since graduation Engineering Management  has been his career path • Parents influenced him to enroll in engineering school he chose to continue down the engineering path  • What made you choose your specialty in the engineering field? • “Industrial engineering and management offered a balance of technical and people aspects which I felt was valuable for the longevity of my working career. I felt this would allow me to apply for a variety of jobs rather it be traditional engineering roles or non-engineering, more business like roles.  ” • If given the opportunity, would you could go back in time and change your major or specialization? Why or why not? • “No I wouldn’t change anything. I am satisfied with my engineering degree.” • Where do you see yourself 5 to 10 years from now? • “Managing the Frito Lay Atlanta Zone Operations and pursuing a family life/marriage” Demetrius A. Jordan interview of Chris Mayes

11. Advancement and Travel • Advancement • Advancement and promotion is widely available. Frito Lay is owned by Pepsi. Pepsi owns PepsiCo Bottling, Pepsi International, Gatorade, Quaker, Tropicana, etc… After 18 months of your first job assignment you are then eligible for transfers to different locations across the U.S. and abroad. • Traveling • Traveling is a very minor requirement, but I often travel to Atlanta to discuss community involvement initiatives with Frito Lay managers from throughout the South. Every quarter we have an offsite meeting that typically requires traveling. Depending on what department you work in you may be asked to travel to different Frito Lay plants for training or learning best business practices to bring back to the site Demetrius A. Jordan interview of Chris Mayes

12. The Mercer Experience • IDM classes helpful especially (case studies), Business Law, Economics, Marketing, TCO, Strategic Management • “My Mercer education and experiences have prepared me quite well” Demetrius A. Jordan interview of Chris Mayes

13. Questions?????? Demetrius A. Jordan interview of Chris Mayes