Podcast

Women in STEM at Kerry Group: Laura Collins and Mollie Mulligan

  • From: Samiksha Gupta
  • Published on:
  • Last updated on:

High-Flyers in STEM: #GreatnessHasNoGender
Season 4, Episode 1

In this episode of High-Flyers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math’s) #GreatnessHasNoGender, Deirdre Finnerty sits down with Laura Collins, RD&A Director, and Mollie Mulligan, Assistant Global Marketing Manager at Kerry Group a global leader in taste and nutrition, helping create healthier, more sustainable food and beverage solutions for consumers worldwide. 

Laura Collins and Mollie Mulligan discussing RD&A, nutrition science and women in STEM at Kerry Group

Laura and Mollie share two very different but equally inspiring career journeys, Laura from a path through academia and industry into R&D leadership, and Mollie from nutrition science into global marketing and product management. Together, they reflect on the power of resilience, adaptability, and passion as guiding forces in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math’s) careers. 

Their conversation explores the importance of staying true to your scientific roots while embracing new challenges, the role of mentorship and networks, and having the courage to speak up. Laura also believes in the power of clarity, her vision boards keep her laser focused on personal and professional goals, turning visual milestones into anchors for smart decisions, moments of celebration, and a reminder to savor the journey, not just chase the destination.  

At Kerry Group, innovation is not only about advancing health and nutrition, but also about creating an environment where people can pivot, grow, and make their mark. For Laura and Mollie, leadership means nurturing talent, amplifying voices, and shaping the next generation of STEM leaders.  

A huge thank you to our sponsor, Fenero, a multi-award-winning company specialising in financial success for contractors, freelancers, and solopreneurs. 

For more updates follow HERO Recruitment on LinkedIn, reach out to hello@hero.ie, or explore exciting job opportunities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math’s): Permanent Job Opportunities or  Contracting Job Opportunities.  

Available now on YouTube, iTunes, and Spotify. 

Common questions

FAQs

FAQs

Laura Collins was RD&A Director and Mollie Mulligan was Assistant Global Marketing Manager at Kerry Group at the time of recording. They joined HERO’s High-Flyers in STEM podcast to discuss their career journeys across academia, research, nutrition science, product management and marketing.

The episode explores two different STEM career paths. Laura discusses moving through academia and industry into RD&A leadership, while Mollie explains how a nutrition-science background supported her progression into global marketing and product management.

RD&A means Research, Development and Applications. Kerry’s teams support product development from ideation and testing through formulation, scale-up and manufacturing.

Yes. Scientific education can be valuable in technical, product and business-to-business marketing. It can help professionals understand evidence, products and customer challenges while translating complex information into clear commercial messages.

Confidence often develops through preparation, experience and supportive relationships. Asking informed questions, contributing evidence and speaking consistently can be more effective than trying to imitate the most outspoken person in a meeting.

Kerry Group is a taste and nutrition business that works with customers across food, beverage and pharmaceutical markets. Its research, development and applications teams support product innovation, testing, reformulation, scale-up and manufacturing.

Kerry’s Global Innovation Centre is located in Millennium Park, Naas, County Kildare.

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