Larissa Naidoo
Boksburg
Summary
Passionate, spirited and classically trained culinary professional, skilled in building relationships and developing high-performing teams. With 10 years experience in the industry. I am a leader in delivery of excellent customer service. Equipped to apply restaurant and FMCG operational experience and knowledge to grow world-class organizations. Dedicated to food safety, customer service best practices and quality food service.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Menu Consultant
02.2023 - Current
- Developed Menu Strategy to optimize the organizations promotional calender and integrate global governance.
- Assisted with recipe development, testing, and presentation techniques.
- Collaborating with consumer insights team to analyze consumer reaction and current trends in the market.
- Supplier Management.
- Product costing.
- Packaging solutions.
- Collaborate with operations to create procedures for new product launches.
- Coordinated with marketing team to create promotional campaigns around special menu items.
- Analyzing customer feedback and product sales performance.
Quality Assurance Consultant
07.2018 - 01.2023
- On boarding of new Suppliers and Certifying Bodies.
- Managing McDonalds audit reporting systems for Food Safety and Ethical audits.
- Managing McDonalds specification system
- Implementing Raw Product Complaint (RPC) portal, complaints decreased from 7000 to 2000 in 2 months.
- Suppliers, Certifying Bodies and restaurant crew training.
- Investigate and feedback on Customer Complaints.
- Supplier Auditing (GMP, FSSC 22000, HACCP, McDonalds Supplier Audit, Animal Health and Welfare Audit, Ethical Audits)
- Audit scheduling.
- Supporting and assisting suppliers with corrective action process
- Conducting Product Evaluations.
- Coaching and management of interns, who went on to receive permanent positions.
Jr Food Technologist
McCain Foods
01.2015 - 06.2018
- Responsible for the potato category for Retail and Foodservice.
- Launched 13 new product innovations under the McCain, Private label brands and KFC.
- Cross functional team work with production teams.
- Working with the McCain global R&D team on projects.
- Supplier briefing on product expectations.
- Bench top samples/ kitchen samples.
- Master data specifications.
- Plant scale trials
- Nutritional results.
- Packaging, packaging artwork approval.
- Sensory Testing.
- Internal and customer cook ups
- Assisting marketing team with promotion activities.
- Consumer Testing
Innovation Graduate
McCain Foods SA
01.2014 - 01.2015
- Responsible for the potato category for both Retail and Foodservice.
- Launched 13 new product innovations.
- Working with the McCain global R&D team on projects.
- Supplier briefing to ensure product expectations are met.
- Bench top samples/ kitchen samples.
- Master data.
- Sensory tasting and Benchmarking.
- Internal and customer cook ups.
- McCain SharePoint Site Management.
- Initiated and implemented Dispensation and Concession for products.
- Implemented trial request and trial reporting on SharePoint system.
- Relationship Management.
- Cross functional team collaborations with the business.
- Assisted in driving project objectives and meet key deliverables before deadline.
Education
BTech Consumer Science: Food and Nutrition -
Durban University of Technology
01.2013
NDip Consumer Science: Food and Nutrition -
Durban University of Technology
01.2012
Matric – Bachelor Pass -
Arena Park Secondary
01.2009
Skills
- MS Office (MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint)
- Insight Software – packaging artwork approval system
- SAP
- SharePoint Systems
- McDonalds Systems (Oracle, reporting tools)
Certification
- Developing the Leader in Me – McDonalds Curriculum (2023)
- Leading as Trusted Business Partner – McDonalds Curriculum (2023)
- Advanced Excel – Torque It (2023)
- FSSC 22000 Food Safety Systems Certification V5.1 (2022)
- The Expert Negotiator Programme (02/2020)
- Completed Microbiology for the Non – Microbiologist Training – Mérieux NutriSciences (June 2016)
- Supplier Quality Assurance and Supplier Auditing – Certified (2016)
- South African Labelling Regulations (2014)
Accomplishments
- Implementation of the Raw Product Complaint (RPC) Support team (2020)
Languages
English
First Language
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Menu Consultant
02.2023 - Current
Quality Assurance Consultant
07.2018 - 01.2023
Jr Food Technologist
McCain Foods
01.2015 - 06.2018
Innovation Graduate
McCain Foods SA
01.2014 - 01.2015
BTech Consumer Science: Food and Nutrition -
Durban University of Technology
NDip Consumer Science: Food and Nutrition -
Durban University of Technology
Matric – Bachelor Pass -
Arena Park Secondary
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