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From the production line to regional leadership, Cloris Zhang, SVP, Integrated Supply Chain, AMEA at Mondelēz International reflects on the career-defining moves that shaped her end-to-end perspective, her approach to leading across diverse markets, and her commitment to advancing women in the industry.
Cloris Zhang (pictured above) still remembers starting out her career in supply chain on the production line, where understanding how things work meant being close to the ground. That experience, she believes, gave her a practical foundation in manufacturing, but she says it was her decision to keep stepping into unfamiliar territory that truly shaped her career.
Today, as Senior Vice President, Integrated Supply Chain, Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA), Mondelēz International, Zhang has built her career by moving across manufacturing, logistics, customer service, and regional roles. Each move expanded her perspective, helping her develop an end-to-end understanding of the supply chain.
A defining moment came when she took on her first managerial and regional role as Manufacturing Capability Lead. Without direct reports, she had to influence stakeholders across more than 10 plants, many of whom were more senior. It was also her first time working outside her home country, requiring her to adapt quickly and engage across different markets and cultures.
These experiences shaped her leadership approach today, centred on influence, open dialogue, and encouraging diverse perspectives. They also push her efforts to create more inclusive environments in a traditionally male-dominated industry, particularly by supporting and developing female talent on the shopfloor and beyond.
Speaking to Umairah Nasir in this edition of Breaking Barriers, Zhang reflects on the bold moves that defined her journey, the lessons from leading across diverse markets, and how she is building more inclusive and future-ready supply chain teams.
Q You started as a management trainee on the production line and are now Senior Vice President. Looking back, what was the boldest move that helped you get here?
Starting on the production line gave me a very practical understanding of how things work, but what really shaped my journey was the decision to keep stepping into unfamiliar territory. Rather than specialising early, I moved across manufacturing, logistics, customer service, and regional roles. Each transition stretched me and built a more complete understanding of the supply chain.
An experience I will always value was my first managerial and regional role as the Manufacturing Capability Lead. I did not have direct reports and had to influence and engage across more than 10 plants, working stakeholders much more senior than me. It was also my first time working outside of my home country. This pushed me to adapt quickly and strengthened my ability to lead through influence across different markets and cultures.
Q As a woman leader, what steps are you taking to make the workplace and wider industry more inclusive for women? Can you share a memorable moment when championing other women on the shop floor made a real difference?
There are several memorable moments. During my first trip to a plant in India many years ago, there were only two female colleagues, and even this achievement took the plant manager one year. Today, we have many more women on our shopfloors; in Sri City, 50% of our core workforce is female!
During factory and market visits, I always make time to speak with female colleagues. I share my personal career stories during these fireside chats, including my struggles with work-life balance as a working mum. I remember one chat in Pakistan where several female colleagues were moved by our conversation. It is important to stay authentic and to give people the confidence that there is always a solution to their problems.
There is also a hard requirement in our succession planning process to have at least one female candidate be considered for each critical role in the pipeline. While the choice ultimately considers factors beyond gender, this requirement has brought the sponsorship of female leaders’ development into strong focus for my team. As of 2025, one-third of our extended leadership team was female, a significant improvement compared to 10 years ago.
Q Mondelez operates in over 80 countries with 91,000 employees. How do you keep inclusivity and collaboration alive across such a large and diverse team?
At a global scale, inclusivity starts with a shared purpose, but it is brought to life through how we lead across regions. In AMEA, we operate across highly diverse markets with a “local first, but not local only” principle — aligning on regional goals before giving teams the flexibility to adapt to their local contexts.
As a leader, I prioritise open dialogue and create opportunities for cross market collaboration so teams can learn from one another. I also actively encourage diverse perspectives in decision making, as it leads to stronger, more balanced outcomes.
When people feel heard, it builds connection and ownership and strengthens collaboration.
An example is our “MSC Talk” platform (MSC means Mondelez Supply Chain), a monthly virtual meeting accessible to everybody across the supply chain organisation in AMEA. Volunteers from different countries share their best practices, and the platform allows their successes to travel quickly and inspire the organization.
Q Mentorship is often cited as key to career growth. Who has been a mentor that shaped your journey, and what did you learn from them?
I have been fortunate to work with leaders who challenged me to look beyond my current role and take on opportunities that stretched me, even when I felt uncertain. One mentor of over 20 years stands out. I first met him during a workshop as a management trainee, where his deep expertise and clear communication left a lasting impression. I approached him afterwards and asked if he would mentor me and we have stayed connected ever since.
Years later, at a key decision point in my career, he guided me not by giving answers, but by asking good questions to help me understand what was important to me. Through our conversations, I also learnt how to approach mentorship — how to ask the right questions and help people find answers from within.
These experiences made me realise how critical it is to support and advocate for talents in supply chain. Mentorship provides not just guidance, but also confidence and visibility. Today, I am intentional about doing the same for others, especially for female talent, helping women build confidence and step into leadership roles.
Q For me, innovation starts with curiosity and a willingness to question established ways of working. I encourage teams to question existing processes and look for ways to improve how we operate.
One example was when a plant faced an increased volume of materials. Their initial solution was to add warehouse storage racks, but instead of providing a direct answer, I started a discussion on the ideal state for material flow in a factory. We landed on “maximising flow” — getting more materials through instead of into the factory. This was innovative on many fronts – new information system, new ways of collaborating with suppliers, and new technologies such as Automated Guided Vehicles — but it showed that innovation comes from asking questions that redefine the problems.
At the same time, innovation must be practical and scalable. It also needs a safe environment where everybody dares to try and to fail. By embedding this mindset into daily operations and recognising progress, we help teams build confidence and make innovation part of how we work.
Q What advice would you give to young women eager to break into supply chain or manufacturing, especially on reaching leadership roles?
My message is simple: Do not wait until you feel completely ready before stepping forward.
"Raise your hand, take on the challenge, and trust that you will learn along the way."
Be intentional about building your experience and start where the learning is deepest — especially in operational roles that provide a strong foundation.
Early in my role as a regional supply chain lead, I hesitated and was afraid of failures. What changed my mind was realising that I was picked for a reason, for who I am. I also realised that there will always be pros and cons to any tough decision; as long I maximise the upsides and minimise the downsides, it will be the right decision.
"The path is rarely linear, and moments of uncertainty are often where the most growth happens."
Seek out mentors, build a strong support network and keep stepping forward — not just for yourself, but to pave the way for others. The industry is evolving, and there is significant opportunity for women to shape its future.
Q Thinking outside the office, if you could invent any snack in the world, what would it be?
It would be a snack that combines flavours across AMEA. I would combine rich chocolate with ingredients that add texture and contrast, creating something both familiar and unexpected. The idea would be to reflect diversity while maintaining a sense of connection.
For me, food brings people together, so it would be designed not just for taste but for shared moments across cultures and occasions.
Lead image / Provided
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