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Thriving in the Workplace
with Teresa, Master Data Governance Manager
Teresa, Aramark’s Master Data Governance Manager, recently shared her career story with Careers & the disABLED Magazine as someone with high-functioning autism.
An Aramark teammate since January 2014, Teresa was originally given permission to work from home, which played a major role in her decision to join the company. She’s still works remotely, adding that, “Working from home is so beneficial for me.”
In addition to accommodations, Teresa also appreciates that Aramark partners with local programs to engage with the neurodiverse community and hire candidates on the autism spectrum.
She’s especially proud of Aramark’s work with the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute. For the second year in a row in 2023, according to Young, about 50 students from Transition Pathways at the institute visited the company’s Philadelphia, PA headquarters to learn more about career opportunities, and get to know the company’s leaders and lines of business.
“There are lots of schools and universities that now have programs to help train individuals on the spectrum,” Teresa points out, who has high-functioning autism and struggles with social interaction and communication.
“I’ve had issues in the past with getting overwhelmed and not being able to concentrate,” Teresa shares. “I’ve adapted over the years, with therapy and training, to help me deal with those issues.”
Teresa also helps lead Aramark’s Thrive Employee Resource Group – a group dedicated to advance awareness, acceptance equity, and inclusion for people with disabilities, while providing them with opportunities to be heard, understood, supported, and to thrive. Aramark has 11 ERGs in total.
Throughout her time with Aramark, Teresa’s career has been focused on data management and information technology.
“In my role I’m responsible for ensuring data that comes into Aramark is electronically documented within master data, where it’ll automatically flow to downstream applications within Aramark,” she details.
Formerly, as a project manager, Teresa managed the deployment of the company’s standard time-keeping system to global locations.
“This process included requirements gathering, system configuration, quality-assurance testing, and quality-control deployment,” Young explains. “This was a challenging, multi-year project where we had to work with different countries and take into consideration different labor laws, country work standards, policies, and procedures.”
When it comes to finding a career where you can pursue what matters to you – in the way that matters to you, Teresa recommends making a list of jobs in which you’re interested and jobs about which you’d like to learn more. Additionally, she advises looking at companies that support DEI efforts and seeking opportunities that match your strengths.