A passion for sustainability led Kayla to study Textile Sciences at Otago University, a career path she thought she’d likely have to go offshore to pursue – until she found Fisher & Paykel. A Google search for internships led Kayla to our Laundry Product Development team, where she spent the summer of 2018 deep in planning, research and project work, before being offered a graduate role as Product Evaluator.
Describing the job as one she didn’t even know existed and now gets so much from, Kayla loves that her work is related to her degree. The middle point between product and consumer, Kayla acts as the voice of the consumer, ensuring new Laundry products satisfy expectations not only in performance but sustainability. Since joining in August 2019 she’s seen the business move from R&D to meaningful work in this space, with fabric care a driving force. Leading projects as soon as one year after graduating, Kayla has been influential in wash cycles being developed for fabric degradation, using her specialised knowledge to revolutionise “actual sustainable care, rather than just washing clothes.”
Beyond loving the day-to-day work, Kayla enjoys the collaborative working style and continuous learning experience offered by F&P, and the fact her role is truly global. “This is a great industry to learn in. I get so much from Fisher & Paykel. There are heaps of opportunities, and there’s a real openness here to new ways, ideas and options – different perspectives are valued; it’s collaborative and outcome oriented. Everyone works together, and the culture is one of really valuing sustainability – everybody is really passionate and driven to improve.”