Talent Development: Managed and mentored Engineering Co-Op associates, assessing capabilities and fostering cross-functional collaboration to build a pipeline of future R&D talent.Global Innovation Leadership: Selected for a one-year international mission at Nestle’s Global Food R&D Headquarters in Singen, Germany, as part of a task force developing artisanal, premium pizza for the European market. Secured a patent for innovative product technology, demonstrating technical and creative leadership.Strategic Ingredient Development: Led global ingredient development and sourcing initiatives in collaboration with Nestle’s Procurement group, ensuring alignment with quality, sustainability, and cost-efficiency objectives.Operational Excellence: Served as Product Development Lead for the "Line of the Future" project, spearheading the installation of new equipment across multiple factories. Directed cross-functional teams in trials, evaluating equipment, and selecting vendor partnerships.Project Leadership: Partnered with global teams to deliver high-impact product innovations, translating market insights into actionable development strategies that enhanced product portfolios and met consumer demands.

Product Innovation: Successfully developed and implemented new dough types and processes, driving innovation and enhancing product offerings.Patent Achievement: Led the creation of innovative technology and processes, resulting in the issuance of a new patent for the company.Process Development: Designed and optimized production workflows to support the introduction of new products, ensuring seamless integration into existing manufacturing systems.Strategic Leadership: Directed cross-functional collaboration with R&D, operations, and marketing teams to align product development with organizational goals and market demands.Operational Efficiency: Streamlined development processes, reducing time-to-market for new products while maintaining high-quality standards.Technical Expertise: Leveraged advanced knowledge of dough mechanics and production methods to deliver groundbreaking solutions that supported long-term company growth.

Productivity Leadership: Served POC for Nestle USA market productivity, delivering $35MM in savings in 2020. Directed portfolio management of optimization projects, driving resource prioritization across the US Food and Beverage portfolio to maximize impact.Strategic Collaboration: Influenced and collaborated with the Fuel for Growth Driver Team to streamline productivity routines. Provided monthly updates to Procurement Leadership, aligning on critical initiatives and operational health for optimization efforts.Technical Leadership: Led and directed technical unit leads by establishing a sustainable pipeline-building routine. Championed innovative approaches, including the award-winning Open Channel initiative, fostering ideation beyond traditional product savings.Talent Development: Designed and implemented an onboarding program for Product Development Interns, accelerating integration and workplace proficiency. Achieved a 100% conversion rate for interns, leading to the program's expansion and long-term success.Process Improvement: Spearheaded creation, training, and maintenance of new systems and workflows for the Technical Applications Group, R&D, and cross-functional partners. This includes an implementation of a revamped R&D trial request system.Innovation Leadership: Served as technical lead for innovation, renovation, and productivity projects, including the complete renovation and rebranding of two product lines (24 SKUs) and the development of a health-forward brand platform that launched six new SKUs.

Process Transformation: Led and co-led initiatives to design, implement, and sustain new systems and workflows, enhancing efficiency and collaboration across developers, R&D, and cross-functional teams. Key projects included the recipe change notification and maintenance Teamsite, Project Fortune for product costing innovation, and improved product panel processes.Innovation Leadership: Served as the Technical Lead and Developer for multiple high-impact projects, driving innovation, renovation, and productivity across the Prepared Foods business. Delivered solutions that aligned with business objectives and market demands.Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partnered with R&D, operations, and business units to ensure seamless integration of technical solutions into broader organizational strategies, fostering a culture of innovation and operational excellence.System Optimization: Spearheaded the implementation of new tools and systems that streamlined communication and decision-making, reducing operational bottlenecks and accelerating project timelines.Strategic Impact: Consistently delivered results that advanced Nestle’s market position in the Prepared Foods sector by blending technical expertise with strategic insights to drive product and process improvements.Innovation Enablement: Partnered with cross-functional teams to identify and implement cutting-edge technologies, enhancing product development capabilities and driving a 20% improvement in project completion efficiency.

Brand Leadership: Directed technical brand management and development for North American Ritz, Cheese Nips, Lunch Box/Multipack/Club Brands, and LU International brands, overseeing a portfolio exceeding $1B. Delivered excellence in formulation, commercialization, brand maintenance, quality improvement, innovation, and productivity initiatives.Product Innovation: Spearheaded the development and launch of new products and line extensions across multiple categories, ensuring alignment with market trends and consumer preferences. Maintained rigorous standards for specification creation and quality assurance in internal and co-manufacturing facilities.Portfolio Management: Managed a diverse brand portfolio, driving cross-functional collaboration to achieve successful product launches and innovations for Immediate Consumption, Food Service, and Handi-Snack brands. Enhanced operational efficiency and market responsiveness.Quality and Safety Leadership: Co-led HACCP validation initiatives across North American internal production facilities, ensuring compliance with food safety regulations and standards, and strengthening risk mitigation processes.Strategic Collaboration: Partnered with R&D, marketing, and manufacturing teams to optimize product development cycles, delivering high-impact solutions that supported business growth and operational excellence.Operational Excellence: Directed specification maintenance and quality improvement efforts, ensuring seamless operations across multiple brands and production lines. Consistently delivered measurable improvements in product quality and cost-effectiveness.

Quality Leadership: Led HACCP coordination and validation efforts for all North American internal and external production facilities, ensuring compliance with food safety standards and mitigating risks across the supply chain.Operational Excellence: Designed and implemented a streamlined process for retail cookie production reviews and releases across North America, enhancing efficiency and consistency in manufacturing operations.Issue Resolution: Managed quality complaints and manufacturing issues for the entire North American cookie portfolio, driving root cause analysis and implementing corrective actions to improve product quality and customer satisfaction.Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partnered with production teams, quality assurance staff, and supply chain leadership to ensure alignment on quality initiatives, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.Strategic Impact: Established robust quality assurance protocols that strengthened product reliability and brand integrity, supporting growth and profitability within the cookie category.