Csilla Kovács-Rahói 

As a trained dietitian, Csilla Kovács-Rahói  has always been interested in medical science and the world of food. “Food is not only for nourishment. It is also something that can foster connections, give joy, express culture, and create a positive atmosphere,” says Csilla.   

With over 15 years of experience working for multinational food industry companies, Csilla joined Lindström in 2021. Her role is Head of Food Industry — the company’s biggest category. It wasn’t just the position that drew her in; Lindström’s unique company culture won her over.     

Lindström’s We Care culture, the people-focused mindset, and the company’s bold sustainable ambitions were what drew me in. People working here really care about each other. The culture is very special — it’s not something you see in a lot of organisations.

Driving the food industry forward   

In her global role, Csilla oversees all things related to category development across 23 countries. This involves understanding customer needs and building strategic partnerships to creating innovative products and services.   

Her mission is to grow Lindström’s food industry sustainably. With a business analyst mindset, she juggles short and long-term initiatives, ensuring sales and customer service teams are performing at their best.   

“I aim to show Lindström’s added value to food industry customers, and to create meaningful partnerships instead of just acting as a supplier for customers.”   

Prioritising customer needs  

With deep industry knowledge and experience, Csilla has no problem speaking her customers’ language. To provide best-in-class products and services, she combines customers’ needs with Lindström’s expertise and a keen understanding of food industry requirements.   

Visiting our customers’ facilities and really listening to them to understand their environment and challenges is important. While we communicate with each other, we understand how the customer needs change over time. Then we need to adjust our services and products according to the new requirements and challenges.

Customers are placing a growing emphasis on sustainability. For instance, customers in India facing water scarcity seek out Lindström’s solutions to decrease their water consumption. And the EU is gearing up for stricter sustainability regulations in the upcoming years, impacting the food industry.  

“Lindström is already part of the Science Based Targets initiative. We are here to support our customers with any kind of data or reporting needs. I’m very much looking forward to taking the sustainable textile solution path together with our food industry customers and to help drive them forward,” says Csilla. 

Building long-lasting relationships  

As a people person, Csilla enjoys building cross-cultural connections with both customers and colleagues. “At Lindström, I am working in a matrix environment. Thus, it’s important to be able to collaborate with people from different cultures and with different capabilities.”  

“Success for me is when the people I’m working with become more successful, thanks to my efforts. I enjoy every moment that I can spend on the field with our customers and colleagues to build long lasting relationships,” says Csilla.   

Forging her own path 

In both her professional and personal life, Csilla emphasises the value of individuality and of leaving a mark on the world, no matter how small. Csilla’s favourite quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson sums up her guiding principles: “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”    

Csilla explains: “We should not fear the unknown or conform to what is considered conventional. Instead, we should embrace uncertainty and take risks, trusting our instincts and intuition to guide us towards unexplored possibilities.”