Manage complete lifecycle of product including innovation, concept development and commercialization. Strong focus on building relationships with product vendors to bring new products to market. Lead and execute various initiatives to achieve business goals.

• Lead a team of product developers in completing R&D functions efficiently through resource planning, coaching and mentoring.• Explore and determine developmental paths resulting in successful product launches.• Communication and coordination of R&D functions with other departments such as commercialization team, category managers, regulatory and operations.

• Strategic member of the business growth team, participating in product briefings, product presentations and trend monitoring. • Developed strategic and innovative product portfolio to sustain business growth. • Management of development projects for branded products and private label (organic products, national brand equivalents). • Overlooked regulatory approval of all packaging development. • Assessed new product viability based on cost structure of formulation, packaging and manufacturing. • Over 50 formulations created, building a US brand equivalent product portfolio. • Continually optimized formulations and processes to increase business profitability.

• Managed a team of associates focused on team and career development. • Management of development projects for 3 product categories (rice and beans, fish products and sugar and sweets).• Overlooked corporate needs in packaging development and adaptations for over 20 productions facilities.• Defined work procedure and department documentation for the corporate innovation process. • Coordinated and led the assessment of the quality assurance programs in 17 production plants.• Developed a Quality corporate plan to assure consistent quality level of all products from various facilities.

• Governed the development of over 20 products, including tablets, capsules, sport gels and powder mixes.• Managed a team of 9 R&D associates, focused on yearly company KPI’s and personal career goals. • Overlooked Quality assurance plan implementation and monitor corporate quality targets.• Responsible for departmental investment and expenditure.• Analysed and approved product composition through regulatory review.

• Managed a team of 4 associates and prepared the annual plan and targets for the Research and Development (R&D) department. • Adapted a corporate process for project management within many functional teams. Decreased product-launching completion time.• Developed 8 types of toppings and icings, from formulation to fully-finished product.• Customized frozen pie products with co-packer technology and manufacturing using company ingredients to optimize the profitability of the finished product. • Oversaw the reformulation of products from France, Belgium and Italy (croissants, pastries and edible cake decorations) to comply with regulatory and label requirements for Brazil.• Reduced production costs for the key product by 14% through ingredient substitution.• Optimized a whipped topping manufacturing process, reducing production time by 40%. The technology won the innovation award from the international operational team and was implemented in other plants worldwide.• Created an R&D department for the Brazil business unit with a team capable of efficiently executing all development activities, launching a total of 28 products within the first year. Products included the revision of a current line and addition of new product concept, contributing to 4% business growth.• Planned and oversaw the construction of application, quality assurance and pilot plant laboratories.

• Transferred three topping and icing products from the U.S. production facility to the newly-built Brazilian facility. Responsibilities included a baseline study of the product, formulation adaptation, in-market testing, plant trial, and production implementation. • Led a baseline study of products in Mexico during an acquisition of a Unilever division of whipped creams. • Trained a Chinese team in pre-whipped products technology, including the development of the training material and hands-on activities.• Substituted and/or removed food additives in whipped cream products to render them certifiable for kosher status in the Middle East.• Developed a five-day product course for technical and sale associates – a total of over 30 participants from 7 countries- at the world headquarters. The model for the course was expanded to 5 other countries to reach over 200 participants in total.

• Participated in the start-up of a salad dressing production facility, including definition of production parameters, plant trials, process implementations and product approvals for over 425 products, without any product loss from initial productions.• Managed a team of three, responsible for all technical services including production documentation, quality assurance, scale-up processes, continuous improvements and cost-saving projects.• Implemented a 2-phase filling system for vinaigrette-type salad dressing.

• Conducted the scale-up process for over 150 salad dressing products, including ingredient and formulation implementation, packaging approvals, plant trials, initial production and customer approval of final products.• Implemented a new technology for the emulsification of creamy salad dressings. • Tested and implemented alternative suppliers of functional ingredients and additives.• Implemented and maintained the shelf-life study program.

• Implemented and maintained all production documentation concerning quality and processes for salad dressing and mayonnaise production.• Resolved daily production problems and troubleshooting.• Conducted all physical-chemical testing (fats, salts, humidity) on finished products.• Resolved an equipment problem for a mayonnaise type product, leading to a 15% increase in yield and an 8% decrease in ingredient costs.