Jennifer Tse's 10 Year Journey of Growth and Success

Published on : 5/13/21
  • Jennifer Tse, resident district manager, supporting Manitoba and Ontario sites in Energy and Resources, takes us into her inspiring journey of growth, which started 10 years ago with Sodexo. From learning how to navigate through motherhood, to continuously building her voice as a leader as she explores various roles and segments, Jennifer opens up about the various steps to attain success as a woman, a mother and a leader.

    Jennifer Tse10 years ago, Jennifer Tse was a newly graduate managing a family-owned business. Little did she know, a friend's recommendation and a successful interview had opened the doors to what would become an impactful and inspiring career with Sodexo:

    At that time, I was not really looking for another job, I was content with managing a family-owned company. However, with my family's encouragements to utilize my university degree, accompanied with referral from a university friend who passed along my resume, I secured my first role of a part-time hourly supervisor for our biggest 250 bed long-term care home located in Vancouver.

    Seven months in, she was ready to take on more responsibilities. She therefore took in the role of general manager in food services of a smaller scale long-term care facility, to later become the next general& manager for a larger long-term care home for three years!

    During my first years with Sodexo, I was extremely proud of how quickly I was growing professionally. I was continuously receiving grand support from leaders I looked up to and I started for the first time, visualizing the ways my career can potentially develop, in forms and scales I never thought I could attain before.

    I mean, Sodexo was able to grow me from an hourly supervisor who previously has never managed teams to now becoming the general manager in our biggest 250 bed long-term care home in Vancouver. The sky's is the limit!

    While continuously seeking to flourish professionally and attain new objectives…How did you manage to balance professional and personal growth?

    For the longest time, I was extremely focused on my professional growth. I was too scared of losing everything I worked hard to attain by becoming a mom. And this fear was quickly replaced with relief when I realized that your career lasts a long time, having a family is going to be a tiny blip in your story that will help you advance in both realms.

    Sodexo has really helped me to see that I can be successful while being a mom. One does not negate the other, if not, they completed each other.  I then became a mom of twins, took a year of maternity leave and came back ready to conquer the world.

    This is where I took on one of my most memorable roles:  As human resources manager supporting British Columbia and Alberta, and specially coming from Operations roles, I was able to develop another set of skills, from strategic thinking, to patience and most importantly, I was reporting and developing connections to leaders I look up to till this day.

    Finally, seven months later, a district manager position came up in the Healthcare segment in British Columbia, and with this great skill of assets under my belt, I took on the role!  Another important milestone in my career with Sodexo.

    Sometimes, timing and being the perfect fit for a role take time to collide, it's like two pieces of a complex puzzle. And while I have previously applied for several district manager roles in the past and did not get them…Then accepting the role in Healthcare, I realized with patience and time, as you nourish your resume and explore various roles and expose yourself to challenges, the opportunity will arise and meet you halfway in your journey.

    Today, Jennifer Tse has taken another important step in her career with Sodexo, as she travels from the healthcare segment to the Energy and Resources world by taking in the new role of resident district manager, supporting Manitoba and Ontario sites.

    Jennifer Tse

     

    How does it feel to leave the Healthcare segment in which you are the subject matter expert to a new role, a new segment, a totally new adventure in your career?

    Taking in the role of resident district manager in Energy and Resources four months ago, a field that used to sound so unfamiliar is to me, a new chapter in my Sodexo book. It's a fresh start I am extremely grateful and excited to dive into.

    I think one of the reasons behind this new challenge, is my competitive spirit. A few years ago, Energy and Resources was an exclusively man's world, and while it changed drastically through witnessing resilient women leaders breaking these chains such as Kirsten Godbout for example, it has inspired me to do the same. By breaking barriers and getting out of our comfort zone, we can only succeed, as women, leaders and as a company overall.

     A new piece of Energy and Resources I am greatly excited about is a project with one of our indigenous partners to build a food production facility in northern Manitoba in the goal of providing healthy sustainable foods to the indigenous community while offering educational courses on food sovereignty and food security. Yet again, it's working hand in hand with the indigenous community and learn from them while offering our support to attain collective growth."

    Finally, from the various mentoring opportunities Sodexo has offered me throughout my career, whether it's the Impact mentoring program, attending the Women's In Food Service Forum Conference to continuously being trusted and supported by leaders who have inspired me and help me build my career to now becoming a leader who can impact and inspire others, I am incredibly proud of being what I love to call a Sodexo Lifer.

    "After all, from the team spirit value, being a people's company, the flexibility and balance it offers to its employees and most importantly the trust and safe spaces it creates, are the same mission and tools I aim to translate into my role, through my responsibilities and as a leader. It's about giving back what it gifted me…Success."

    If you're interested in joining Jennifer or one of our other Canadian teams, search our open jobs right now!