Meet our people

Gustavo Adolfo Mendez, Superintendent of Operations at one of Gildan’s sewing facilities in the Dominican Republic, speaks about his 15-year journey at Gildan and how, during this time, he has seized the multiple opportunities that have come his way to power his career.

Over the years, Gustavo has held various positions at the Company, gaining deep knowledge of the different facets of operations, and advancing his career by positioning himself as a subject-matter expert. Read on to discover his journey of Finding his Fit at Gildan: 

I was 19 when I began my career at Gildan. As a young graduate, I was in the process of exploring my career options, when I came across a position as a sewing operator at the Company. With my background in business administration and technical training in areas such as supply chain, logistics, and operations, the opportunity seemed like a good fit for me. Little did I know at the time that this would be the Company where I would build a 15-year long career filled with growth and advancement.  

I made my way through different roles in various departments – an auditor in the Quality Department, a mechanical auxiliar in Maintenance, packer, puller, and distributor in Operations, and more – before transitioning into supervisory roles. I have always held the value of discipline close to my heart, and so every time I moved to a new stage, I committed wholeheartedly to my role, availing each opportunity to increase my technical skills and knowledge of Gildan’s supply chain.  

More importantly, each role allowed me to meet employees from various facets of the business. By experiencing various roles and understanding the work that went into each position, I developed empathy that has ultimately enabled me to become a supervisor who can anticipate employees’ needs and support teams effectively. For instance, I fondly remember when I first took on the role as the Operations Coordinator at a new location. Before this, I was overseeing operators. Now, I was responsible for overseeing mid-level supervisors. While I initially felt challenged, my deep understanding of roadblocks faced by operators allowed me to quickly adapt and develop a management style suited to addressing the mid-level supervisors’ needs.  

Now, as the Superintendent of Operations at one of Gildan’s sewing plants, I use my experience to supervise and guide activities such as production planning, overseeing the timely supply of fabric cuts and trims, managing on-time packaging of finished goods, and ensuring a steady flow of inventory output. Most importantly, I support the development of my team to effectively serve my internal clients. 

“Each role allowed me to meet several employees from various facets of the business. By experiencing various roles and understanding the work that went into each position, I developed empathy that has ultimately enabled me to become a supervisor who can anticipate employees’ needs and support teams effectively."

I’m proud of the career trajectory I’ve had at Gildan – starting from the factory floor to now holding a supervisory position. This wouldn’t have been possible without the relentless support of my mentors who have believed in me, and a Company where new doors of growth have been available to me at every stage. It’s truly rewarding to work in an environment that makes you feel empowered and gives you growth opportunities.