University: University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Bsc (Hons) in Agri-Business Management 2007.

Post MDS Role: Top Fruit Demand Planner, Dole Fresh UK

MDS EXPERIENCE:

Dole Fresh UK Ltd, October 2009 - April 2010

Commercial Support Manager

Responsibilities:

• To standardise and facilitate all commercial links between product procurement and distribution
• Monitor and record all stages/activities of the fruit supply chain in order to systematically draw cost budgets for each shipment
• To streamline the selling process across all customers in order to optimise the fruit supply chain and reduce stock
• A challenging role requiring excellent organisational, communication and time management skills to achieve deadlines. Tasks range from fresh produce consignment system management; to retail, processing and market customer order support

Accountabilities:

• Processing of retail, wholesale and processors orders. This requires good communicational and organisational skills in order to meet strict deadlines on a daily basis
• Fruit consignment set up. Requiring communication between the procurement and the logistics department in order to systemise fruit shipments and transport planning
• Consignment budget setting. Each shipment of fruit must be allocated with a transport/freight budget in order to draw a weekly P&L. This information must be entered systematically by the commercial support team
• Order pricing. A daily report for unpriced orders on the company system must be generated. Corrective action must be taken if any such orders appear on this report

QV Foods Ltd, October 2008 - October 2009

Processing Shift Manager

Responsibilities:

• Secondment evolved from the role of team leader in charge of the Central QC Intake to the role of Shift Manager in the Fresh vegetable processing business unit
• Ensured that raw material quality assessment checks were carried out consistently and accurately
• Developed and customised new quality checks, supervising systems upgrades which accompanied new checks
• Streamlined the QC process to ensure that an average tonnage of 800 tons of raw material was checked daily to a set target time per load
• Supervised and managed a double shift of 3 to 4 quality controllers
• Ensured that all paperwork was recorded in full and accurately
• Liaised with Business Unit Buyers and Team Managers involved with raw material load to ensure load was delivered promptly to correct location in the event of material upgrade, downgrade or rejection

Accountabilities:

• General team management of a mixed shift of permanent and agency workers. Shift made up of 50 individuals
• Ensured processed product range was packed in accordance to specifications of a panel of up to 8 different customers
• Managed any raw material, production, packing, labelling, quality assurance and despatch issues. Team leaders of all departments reporting to shift manager, who in turn reported to Production Manager and Operations Manager
• Ensured all production paperwork and IT systems were completed and recorded
• Presented daily production figures relating to the previous and current day during morning production meeting

Langmead Farms (Kent) Ltd, April - October 2008

Packhouse Supervisor

Responsibilities/Accountabilities:

• Ensured all products were packed on time and to customer specification
• Enforced a stock rotation system, including being fully traceable and accountable
• Liaised with all actors of the supply chain to ensure production quality, stock availability, in and out-loading requirements
• Pro-active organising of staff duties to fulfil daily requirements. Ensured that all labour was managed effectively and that staff carried out their tasks to the full
• Accountable for the accuracy of paperwork (ranging from standard daily production logs to staff time sheets)
• Made sure the site was maintained to the highest standard on cleanliness and presentation
• Ensured that all visitors to the Pack house were accompanied
• Finally, enforced all Company Regulations ranging from Health and safety policy to Environmental Objectives