Robert Klima Email & Phone Number

Libertyville, Il, Us

Sturtevant, Wisconsin, United States

Gurnee, Illinois, United States

Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, United States

Greater Chicago Area

Provide project management for development and commercialization of major new product/package offerings, cost reduction projects, and other supply chain initiatives. Lead cross-functional teams to ensure commercial success of new product offerings, develop and meet commercialization timelines, establish contigency plans.

Lenexa, Kansas

Developed business case, based on customer and consumer insights, for new bakery ingredient product initiatives. Responsible for commercialization of new products for national roll-outs to key customers.

Coordinated the cross-functional efforts across R&D, operations, comanufacturing, procurement, and finance to provide a recommendation on make vs. buy manufacturing for a new product launch beyond test market. Determined internal and external manufacturing options including capital, conversion, and distribution cost estimates.

Drove the analysis and recommendation of manufacturing consolidation and acquisition opportunities. Led the implementation of cross-bakery initiatives requiring coordination across the supply chain.Spearheaded the development of a 10-Year Long Range Plan for Fresh Bakery Manufacturing, covering areas of productivity, growth, quality, simplification/standardization, plant consolidation, and capital planning.Conducted multiple plant closure analyses across 43-bakery network. Successfully analyzed the rationalization of and closed; with seamless transition of production to alternate sources.Analyzed and recommended capital strategy for new bread lines in growth regions and evaluated opportunities to consolidate capacity in one region while moving capacity into growth regions. Rolled-out baked rework program across national bakery network, ensuring food safety and accounting practices in-place for success, leading to a $2.4MM annual cost savings opportunity.Led cross-functional team in converting production and packaging into a standard slice count resulting in manufacturing simplification and more standardized nutritional panel information.Expanded bakery operations into SoCal market upon competitor exit, ensuring key operation parameters in place for swift startup (formulas, packaging, ingredients). Complete supply chain (including opening a new mixing and distribution center) defined and operational within 2 months.

Commercialized, coordinated and managed the supply chain effort for new product and process initiatives including new business ventures. Maintained timelines, held team accountable for functional responsibility, recommended capital spending, and communicated progress/status to upper management.Successfully launched 19 sku's within 9 months for the newly acquired Back to Nature business, including preparing plants for and conducting Organic audits, a new process to Kraft Foods. Defined supply chain, identified production facilities, and reacted quickly to constant changes in formulations as well as package requirements. Expedited the launch of 6 new sku's within 6 months for the Foodservice Frozen Vending Business, a new venture for Kraft. Identified production facilities and worked to qualify co-manufacturers on a tight timeline.Partnered with R&D to formulate a new upscale coffee product for McDonald's resulting in 3.0MM lb incremental business to Kraft Foodservice. Provided recommendations to Process Engineering groups on alternatives for making low-volume product on high-volume equipment leading to lowest cost investments. Developed North American strategy for Kraft Foods for whey-utilization (by-product of cheese-make process) across multiple plants and regions.

Cheese/Dairy Productivity GroupDelivered raw material and packaging productivity targets for the Process Cheese segment of the Dairy Group for US and Canada. Managed 23 product developers who worked on reformulations of existing products, linking with engineering and plant functions for implementation with budget responsibility of over $5.0MM.Delivered over $25MM in productivity savings over 4 years using novel formulating technologies.Directed the commercialization of an entirely new proprietary process for cheese slice formulation by adopting technology developed by the Dairy Engineering Group.Conducted consumer testing to ensure acceptable quality impact on reformulations.Developed a 5 Year plan for Systems of the Future for Process Cheese formulation. Cultivated a high performance culture by supporting career planning and mentoring opportunities.

Developed and implemented strategic R&D plans for Specialty Coffee (Instant Cappuccino, Liquid Coffee) across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Position involved new product idea initiation as well as product harmonization. Managed group of 11 product developers. Managed a $1.2 MM budget.Established Worldwide R&D Specialty Coffee Center of Expertise; 1994, with satellite R&D groups in England, Germany, Japan, and Korea.Facilitated 3 Worldwide meetings per year to support idea and best practice sharing.

Responsible for Roast and Ground and Soluble Coffee product development in the areas of new products and productivity, managing a group of 5 people.Simplified the Soluble Coffee formula and process resulting in $5.0MM in savingsInnovated, developed and launched Maxwell House Filter Pack SinglesLaunched several new products aimed at expanding Maxwell House product offerings to consumers.

Created a new position within coffee packaging R&D, managing 3 direct reports. Responsible for evaluating new package technologies for application to coffee packaging on a worldwide basis.Analyzed consumer stale complaints, resulting in revised specification for shelf life for R&D coffee in North America using existing package.Conducted evaluation on "quick-freezing" coffee prior to packaging for assessment of product quality.Evaluated the transfer of cigarette packaging technology to coffee in an attempt to dramatically increase line speeds from 200/minute to 3000/minute. Coordinated proprietary effort with packaging company in England.

Process Development Responsible for process development for yield improvement projects for soluble coffee. Supervised 3 technicians. Conducted line trials on new process transferred from England to demonstrate yield improvement and quality impact.Worked on proprietary technology transfer to a Brazilian coffee supplier to improve coffee aroma processes aimed at improving soluble coffee flavor quality and proven via consumer testing. Product was Gold Standard for Maxwell House Instant Coffee for over 10 years.

Master Of Science, Food Science

Bachelor Of Science, Chemical Engineering