Female Power
Meet Raquel Muñoz

FEMALE POWER

MEET RAQUEL MUÑOZ

On the 8th of March we reflected on International Women´s Day.

During the month of March women´s history month is celebrated.
A celebration of women´s contributions to history, culture and society.

We found this the perfect opportunity to interview one of our veterans:
Raquel Muñoz. A living example of our 67% talented women at Fragrance Science.
She started working at Fragrance Science in 2004, just after the company started, and since then she has had an amazing career trajectory.
Raquel is a perfect example of female power: showing agility and adaptation to the company´s growth and necessities.

Growing together from the start:
From Laboratory Technician to Production Planner

Raquel started her career at Fragrance Science during her studies, as an intern.
When she arrived, Fragrance Science was recently founded and had been operating for one month.

As the company grew, so did Raquel: soon she was promoted to the function of laboratory manager. During the following years she saw the company grow further and she supported different departments. From creating the first sample in the lab to receiving the client´s order and the final production process.

In 2020 Raquel switched to the production department where she managed the latest generation Roxane Robot. The implementation of this lean manufacturing improvement increased our automatic production to 70%, providing 100% traceability and 500 tons max monthly output. Today, Raquel is working as a Production Planner. Enabling us to offer an extremely optimized production lead time.

 

“Support” is the key to a well-balanced professional and personal life

We all know it can be a struggle to manage our professional career and our life at home, juggling our daily tasks and taking care of family and loved ones.
We asked Raquel how she manages this.
“ The key is doing what you like, both professionally and personally. Your professional and personal life affect each other: if one of the two fails, so will the other.
And the collaboration at home and support from family is of course fundamental.

At the end of the day, after work and daily chores are done, you need some time to yourself and you can only achieve this if there is collaboration and support. “

 

The best tips to be agile and how to adapt to a dynamic work environment
During her years at Fragrance Science, Raquel has seen many changes and growth.

“It is difficult to give advice”, says Raquel. “I would say: be persistent, be constant, try to improve with each change, live difficult times giving 120%, and have a good relationship and communication in teams and departments.”
“ The company has survived a global economic crisis, and this past year the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these challenges we have grown over the years and we will continue to grow.

 

What is the best part and the biggest challenge of working in Fragrance?

We asked Raquel what she likes most about working in the world of fragrance.
And of course, we also want to know what she considers the biggest challenge.
“What I like the most is seeing results in all areas. See how fragrances can connect with people, see for example how a scent can transport you to a memory, to the past and even to the future. I love to see how organization and teamwork give results.”
“The challenge in my current position is to give 120% every day in order to meet all the deadlines and the flow from day to day. I do not believe in long-term challenges, so I can tell you that I look for daily challenges, depending on the circumstances.”

 

Who are the women that inspire you and why?

“I couldn’t tell you any particular woman. I could tell you several and at the same time none. I do not usually look at people who have made achievements as a single inspiration.  The truth is that I am usually inspired by any woman who tries to achieve her dreams, her goals, who tries to be herself…

From the woman you cross on the street and greets you with a smile, despite of the stress of everyday life she suffers, to the woman who doesn’t tell you anything because she has a bad day. To the girl who, despite being just a little girl, struggles to get on her own on a swing, without any help. You can find inspiration to try to improve yourself whenever you look a little beyond what you see.

 

If you were a perfume, how would you smell?

Yes, we know this is a complicated question. But oh, so interesting. You can interpret this freely: linked to your character, based on the smells you like…

“I have always been faithful to two perfumes of the same house; I have been using them since I was 16 years old. But I love to smell the sea breeze at sunset, with a subtle touch of jasmine, orange blossom and citrus fruits.”

 

“Believe in yourself and do it for yourself!”

We end with this phrase that Raquel gives as an inspiration to all women: not only the women that work at Fragrance Science, but to women all over the world.

Thank you, Raquel, for who you are and all that you do!