Meet Milly Wharmby: Corteva’s Marketing Communications Assistant

Let’s start with you - can you tell us a little about your background and what led you to this secondment? 

My route into agriculture and the food industry was not a traditional one! I graduated from the University of York with a degree in English Literature before joining the MDS Graduate Scheme.

I've spent most of my working life in hospitality, starting at a local café when I was 13, working my way from pot wash to café manager. Learning how to make coffee and put together seasonal menus slowly turned into a fascination with the food industry. I found myself increasingly interested in the provenance of food, how supply chains work and the challenges of getting products from field to fork.

Growing up in a rural village meant agriculture was never too far away. My brother works as a contract arable farmer, so I was already seeing some of those challenges firsthand, whether it was the impacts of unpredictable weather patterns, input costs or the constant balancing act growers face every season.

Corteva stood out to me because it offered the perfect way to combine my interests in agriculture and the food industry, communication and problem-solving. I loved the idea of helping translate complex agricultural topics into something useful, practical and accessible for growers.

Having already gained experience in a range of marketing roles, I was thrilled to be offered the opportunity to join the Marketing Communications team. It has been the perfect way to kickstart my career and, without sounding too dramatic, an absolute dream first role.

What has stood out to you about the culture or environment at Corteva? 

The amount of trust and responsibility you're given! As a recent graduate, I expected to spend most of my time supporting other people on their projects. Instead, I've been encouraged to take ownership of my own work from day one and come up with my own ideas and initiatives.

Within my first few months, I found myself creating new webpages, writing articles, planning industry events, designing graphics and developing content for social media and email campaigns. I also played a key role in organising Cereals at Diddly Squat Farm, one of the UK's largest agricultural events, which was a fantastic opportunity to take on a high-profile project and see the impact of my work at a large-scale industry event. I led the people and logistics side of the event, coordinating internal teams, managing ticketing, organising the BASIS and NRoSO Knowledge Trails, developing engagement activities and helping to ensure everything ran smoothly behind the scenes. I also supported other aspects of the event too, like artwork and the design of our stand layout. It was one of the most rewarding projects of my placement, giving me the opportunity to lead key areas of event delivery, coordinate colleagues across multiple functions, manage a budget and contribute to the success of a high-profile event. There isn't any time to sit quietly in the corner - there's always something exciting going on at Corteva, and that’s suited me down to the ground!

What's impressed me most, though, is how everyone’s open to sharing their knowledge. I've spent time with colleagues across marketing, regulatory, sales, field science, agronomy and beyond. No matter how busy they are, people are always willing to explain something, answer questions or talk through an idea. I've also been incredibly fortunate to spend the past year working within a team of strong, intelligent and passionate women. Watching the way my colleagues lead projects, solve problems and champion one another has been inspiring. They've played a significant role in building my confidence and helping me grow both professionally and personally throughout my secondment. I've learned a huge amount from their experience and guidance. My team have helped me develop into a capable leader, equipped to take ownership of complex projects, influence stakeholders across the business and drive initiatives forward independently.

There's a real recognition at Corteva that good ideas can come from anywhere, regardless of job title or experience level. If you have an idea, share it. You'll be given the support, encouragement and knowledge needed to make it happen.

How has this secondment shaped your career goals or helped clarify your next steps?

This secondment has played a huge role in shaping my career goals by reinforcing just how much I enjoy marketing communications. Through leading campaigns, creating content and contributing to a wide variety of projects, I've discovered that I particularly enjoy using data and insight to solve problems and make informed decisions, while still having plenty of room for creativity. It's that combination of analytical thinking and creative communication that really appeals to me and is an integral part of this role.

The experience has strengthened both my technical skills and my confidence. I've had the opportunity to work with a range of digital marketing tools and platforms that were completely new to me at the start of the secondment and I've loved having the chance to develop those skills so quickly.

Perhaps most importantly, this secondment introduced me to the agricultural sector – something I hadn't properly considered before. What I've found is an industry that's innovative, fast-paced and constantly evolving. One day I might be writing about the latest developments in crop protection, and the next helping to deliver content around an industry event or speaking with experts from completely different parts of the business.

It's shown me that I thrive in environments where no two days are quite the same and where there's always something new to get stuck into. I’ve discovered that I thrive on variety, new challenges and the opportunity to keep learning every day. I can confidently say that I'd like to build a career that brings together marketing, communication, strategy and continuous learning, ideally with enough variety and new challenges to keep me on my toes!

What advice would you give to someone considering a career in the agricultural sector? 

Don't be put off if you don't come from a farming or agricultural background! Before joining Corteva, I certainly wasn't an agricultural expert and that's exactly why opportunities like internships and graduate schemes are so valuable. Agriculture needs people with a huge range of skills, perspectives and personalities, with opportunities spanning communications and marketing, science, field work, technology, business and data analysis.

My biggest piece of advice is to ask questions and be curious (one of Corteva’s values). The people around you have an incredible amount of knowledge and are usually more than happy to share it. The industry is evolving rapidly, with new challenges and opportunities emerging every year. It's a fascinating and very interesting place to work.

If you're given the opportunity to get involved in something that feels slightly outside your comfort zone, take it. Some of my best learning experiences have come from saying yes before I was completely sure I was ready for the challenge! Throw yourself in and learn as much as you can.

Outside of work, where are we most likely to find you or what activities do you enjoy? 

You'll probably find me on a long walk around Cambridge with my fellow MDS graduate at Corteva, Ellie.  Funnily enough, our walks always seem to end at Jack's Gelato. At this point, we're starting to suspect it's less of a coincidence and more of a route-planning strategy..!

If I'm not there, I'm usually outdoors somewhere, attempting to convince myself that a very ambitious walking route was a sensible idea, or playing guitar and drums (not at the same time sadly, although that would be a useful skill).