\u201cWhat inspires me is that diversity is in the DNA of our industry.\u00a0When I look at our\u00a0portfolio\u00a0I feel proud of being part of an industry that has such an impact in people\u00b4s life. This notion gives me certainty that it is a matter of time until we increase\u00a0Black representation and I want to be part of this process.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lucia holds a master’s degree from the University of Hamburg in Germany where she worked for 3 years as a Legal Counsel at a law firm. She has been\u00a0the\u00a0in-house counsel of large multinational companies for the last 15 years and joined IFF in 2018.<\/p>\n
![\"Lucia](\"https:\/\/www.iff.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/lucia-iwd2021-linkedin-post-1024x535.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Naphtali van Langeveld\u00a0HR Business Partner The Netherlands:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cAs an HR professional I believe that companies and organizations\u00a0can only\u00a0thrive with highly driven and inspired people. But what sparks people\u2019s passion and interest?<\/p>\n My curiosity in this area is mountain-high and\u00a0dare I say\u00a0endless.\u00a0A\u00a0quote\u00a0by\u00a0Maya Angelou\u00a0comes to mind: \u201cI come as one but I stand as ten thousand.\u201d I feel the privilege and responsibility to explore the world to my fullest\u00a0knowing that my grandmothers and\u00a0great-grandmothers\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0have the same opportunities.<\/p>\n I hope the life experiences and stories I gather will inspire my little nieces to look beyond what they can perceive in the present moment\u00a0–\u00a0and\u00a0by doing so\u00a0I<\/p>\n believe they\u00a0will have an easier time of\u00a0finding\u00a0their place in the world.\u201d Lauren Martey Senior Research Chef North America:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI have been an anomaly throughout my profession\u2026 More often than not I have been \u201cthe only\u201d or \u201cone of a few.\u201d\u00a0Along my journey\u00a0I\u00a0have learned to acknowledge and understand my\u00a0discomfort\u00a0and sometimes\u00a0recognize that it was\u00a0others who were uncomfortable with me\u00a0and\u00a0underestimated my potential.<\/p>\n But whenever things are\u00a0getting\u00a0tough I think of my\u00a0(Ghanaian)\u00a0parents and how they\u00a0migrated\u00a0to a new country that they\u00a0had\u00a0never visited\u00a0before. Together they managed to create a home\u00a0in the U.S. make good friends raise college educated children all without extended family support systems. I know how tough it was for them and know that it is\u00a0because of\u00a0them\u00a0that I\u00a0had a better start and future.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t worry when people tell you that you\u00a0\u201ccan\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0Listen to\u00a0what they are\u00a0really\u00a0saying\u00a0and\u00a0decide if it has merit.\u00a0If it doesn\u2019t\u00a0listen\u00a0to your own voice or seek out people who believe in you.\u00a0Use\u00a0every situation\u00a0as motivation to rise to the occasion.\u00a0And every so often take a risk. It is okay\u00a0to be fearful to do something new\u00a0–\u00a0just don\u2019t let it be the only reason you miss a\u00a0perfectly\u00a0good opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n Lauren studied at the Culinary\u00a0Institute\u00a0of America in Hyde Park New York. Over the course of her career she has\u00a0worked as a line chef\u00a0and\u00a0managed restaurants. She is\u00a0a\u00a0Senior Research Chef at IFF.<\/p>\n
\nNaphtali has been an HR professional for\u00a0the past 8 years and joined IFF as an HR Business Partner in January of 2020.\u00a0As a seasoned coach and mentor she is deeply passionate about supporting young professionals to be the best they can be.<\/p>\n![\"Naphtali](\"https:\/\/www.iff.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/naphtali-iwd2021-linkedin-post-1024x535.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Lauren](\"https:\/\/www.iff.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/lauren-iwd2021-linkedin-post-1024x535.jpg\")
<\/p>\n