Attending Networking Events Researching Industry LeadersTracking Industry TrendsParticipating in Industry Discussions

Manufacturing premium Fruit Pies, Cream Pies, Cookies, Muffin Batters, Brownies, Pancake mixes, and Syrups, Foxtail Foods has two manufacturing facilities with an estimated revenue of over $54mm. I was brought into Foxtail as a member of the board of directors, acting as the Vice President, directly reporting to the CEO of the company. I led a team of 8 direct reports, supporting department managers, supervisors, and 250-300 associates to deliver and exceed performance metrics in areas of safety, quality, production, inventory management, and customer service.My primary responsibility was to lead all sales and operations with full P&L responsibility. I entirely led all operations from managing inventory levels of raw materials to packaging and delivering finished goods. My manufacturing leadership duties included KPI metrics, lean manufacturing, continuous improvements, safety training, GMP & SSOP training, employee relations, and CAPEX projects. I also oversaw various departments in this designation, branching over Operations, Purchase, R&D, Customer Service, HR, Sales, Finance, and QA. I prepared an annual sales forecast and budgets, managing a network of 38 brokers and distributors. I directed the Controller and Finance teams to establish standard costs for all finished goods, analyzed and managed customer level and SKU level profitability, annual operating plans, rolling production forecasts, department budgets, and variance analyses.Key achievements:• Increased sales by $10mm.• Achieved 30% revenue growth with $52 million in annual sales.• Improved order fulfillment from 85% to 98%.• Reduced overtime by 56%.• Improved material costs by 2%. • Improved EBITDA by 4%.• Safety - DART 2.06, TRIR 3.02.

Caesar’s is a manufacturer of Frozen Organic and Gluten-Free Pastas. I played a key role in integrating this new acquisition with the Parent company CIG. At Caesar’s, I was entrusted with the planning, development, and implementation of the strategic direction for the business. I oversaw all manufacturing operations and wholly took ownership of the sales, marketing, and finance departments. I played a vital part in driving the sales for Caesar’s, pitching, and closing deals for our branded and private label pasta products targeting retail, food services, and military channels.Key achievements:• Established systems and protocols for production planning, sales forecasting, and budgeting.• Secured state funding grants for employee training in GMP’s, HACCP, Lean Manufacturing Principles.• Obtained SQF Level 2 Certification for the plant in record time.• Renegotiated several contracts resulting in up to 15% savings on purchase of large volume ingredients and packaging.

Rajbhog specializes in natural ethnic food products. I monitored the day-to-day operations and coordinated all inter-department activities within the company. This included production planning and execution to ensure timely order fulfillment. Being an industry expert, I mentored and trained new employees on all processes along with associated GMP’s, HACCP, Safety, SSOP’s, and QA. I also successfully transitioned the production of frozen and shelf-stable jar products from August Foods to new management.

August Foods was my brainchild, for which I designed and built a state-of-the-art USDA inspected 30,000 sq ft plant which consisted of four production lines:1. Hot Fill Jar Line producing 120 jars/minute2. Mondini Modified Atmosphere Packaging Line 60 trays/minute3. Orics continuous motion tray sealer 60 trays/minute4. Appetizer line: Coolers, Freezers, Steam Boiler, Dicing, Vacuum Tumbling, Ovens, Kettles, Dough Mixers, Sheeters, Dumpling Forming Machine, Meatball forming machine, Skewering machine, etc. The facility was designed with the capacity to produce $25mm annually and obtained the USDA / FDA / GFCO / Organic / Humane Certifications. I personally oversaw and managed all services offered, including product development, ingredient sourcing, nutritional analyses, label approvals, pilot runs, and commercial launch. Over 100 employees across Operations, Research & Development, Manufacturing, and Quality Assurance, reported directly to me. I also closed private label sales to leading retailers such as Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. Key achievements:• Assisted a dozen startups with the launch of 40 SKUs as a co-manufacturer.• Obtained tax-exempt financing through the state.• Developed systems, processes, and policies for procurement, finance, quality assurance, regulatory affairs, research and development, warehousing, logistics & human resources.• Developed and maintained department budgets; tracked performance vs. plan using KPI metrics.• Implemented Lean Manufacturing practices resulting in increased throughput and shorter cycle time.• Established daily, weekly, or monthly work assignment schedules, deadlines, priorities, methods, and policies.• No OSHA violations over 10 years by maintaining a strong safety culture and employee training.• Was complimented by regulatory bodies USDA, FDA and local health officials for the design and layout of the facility.• Listed in the Who’s who directory 2005-2006.

The Hain Celestial Group, headquartered in Lake Success, NY, is a leading organic and natural products company with operations in North America, Europe, and India. Prior to my engagement with Hain, I served as the Vice President of Operations at Ethnic Gourmet Foods Inc. from 1995 to 2001. Ethnic Gourmet Foods was acquired by HJ Heinz Company, in 2001, where I functioned as the General Manager of Manufacturing & Operation from 2001 to 2004. In 2004, The Hain Celestial Group acquired HJ Heinz Company, and I was hired as the Director of Manufacturing & Operations, due to my exceptional worth ethic and achievements. I played a key role in both the acquisitions.Key achievements:THE HAIN CELESTIAL GROUP• Functioned as the change agent for transitioning Ethnic Gourmet Foods, an HJ Heinz company, to Hain Celestial.• Oversaw all aspects of production, order fulfillment and logistics related to manufacturing activities in a 145,000 sq.ft. facility with a business unit sales volume of $60 million and 300 employees.• Sourced, negotiated, and installed $6 million fully automated entrée line rated for production speeds of 110 trays /minute.• Significantly improved safety awareness, decreasing recordable, and lost-time incidents from 5 to 0 in two years.HJ HEINZ COMPANY• Managed a plant with over 200 employees.• Transitioned and integrated all systems from a small privately held company to a multi-national corporation. • Reduced finished goods inventory from 8 weeks on hand to 5 weeks on hand, thus improving cash flow.ETHNIC GOURMET FOODS, INC.• Planned, developed, and successfully oversaw the construction of a USDA plant for a new ethnic foods company.• Participated in the growth of the company highlighted by annual sales growth from $2 to $23 million in six years.• Increased production efficiency by over 23% resulting in 33% savings in the cost of production.

General Manager Manufacturing & OperationsLiaised closely with the corporate office on all operational matters and attended department meetings. Coordinated actions with corporate representatives, who support the division and / or plant operation in the following areas; production planning, inventory control, research and development and procurement, human resources. Had a high degree of autonomy in decision-making and planned actions.• Coordinated and oversaw all production related activities of the following department managers: Production, Procurement, Quality Assurance, Warehouse, Distribution and Human Resource• Coordinated transition of high volume sku manufacturing to the Heinz plants producing entree's at 240 trays per min.• Develop and manage variable and fixed COGS budgets.• Review and analyze reports to identify cost reduction opportunities.• Plan and schedule orders for co-packed items.• Assist with R & D efforts in new product development in coordination with corporate office.• Plan and execute capital projects. This includes defining the scope of work, sourcing equipment and contractors, negotiating contracts and overseeing the execution within the project cost and schedule requirements.• Manage and deploy inventories to various warehouses.• Human Resource responsibilities include interviewing, evaluating, hiring prospective employees, goal setting, performance evaluation, employee relations and compliance with internal company policies and government regulations.• Evaluate, train & lead a diverse group of team members to reach their fullest potential.