Hear Her Story with Amanda Fryar

Be tough, but don’t lose your femininity

Amanda Fryar
Senior Director of Food Safety at Fortrex

When Amanda Fryar reflects on her 25-year career in the meat industry, she acknowledges it has been both incredibly rewarding and challenging. She gravitated toward food safety early on because it aligned with her degree but has found purpose in her work where she and her team make a difference for people around the world daily.

“I have loved my work – some days more than others – for my entire career and would not want to do anything else,” Amanda says. As the senior director of food safety for Fortrex, she supports customer food safety programs and trains field team members on how to overcome food safety issues.

Amanda sees her work as puzzle pieces where her job is to put the right ones together to see the problem, cause and solution. She didn’t always have confidence in her abilities though. When she started out, she found it hard to be taken seriously as a young woman in a male-dominated field and experienced various forms of harassment. Amanda learned over time to understand her worth and not listen to the naysayers. She also eventually found fellow females to advise her on what it would take to be successful in the meat industry.

Her advice for other women considering careers in the meat industry? “Be tough, but don’t lose your femininity,” she says. “Women think about how decisions impact more than the bottom line and that is a critical part of being a good manager.”

Amanda also recommends finding a company that aligns with your values to maintain a work-life balance in an industry that can demand long days and extra work from women to be seen as equally worthy of recognition as male colleagues.

“Be sure to research a prospective employer, ask questions during the interview and talk to people who work there to understand if the company sees the value of employees being happy at home and with their work,” she says. At the same time though, she believes if you are not able to achieve a work-life balance that suits you, you must be the one to correct it.

Amanda feels it is important to share her story so those coming into the field can see how great the experience is and help the next generation drive excellence. She views her work as a way of life, not just a job, which has helped her not only find enjoyment, but also a purpose that has driven her success and made her want to work with others to help them succeed.

Her final piece of advice? “Be bold, be brave, be curious, be tough, be kind, but most important, be you!”