Marisa Carlos

Experience

• 

  General Mills

  Jun 2006 - now

  - Provide Quality leadership for established and emerging dairy brands - Leading quality improvement for four sites, ensuring consumer and manufacturing quality during development and production - Launched a new-to-the-world dairy product (Yo-Bites), using new manufacturing technology and techniques, within a non-dairy plant- Ensure Food Safety and Regulatory requirements by contributing to improvement designs, rolling out design optimizations, and synthesizing product and consumer data to identify issues and drive root cause- Realized $219K annualized savings by driving ingredient consolidation plans for dairy and non-dairy products.- Unlocked $1M annualized savings leveraging partnerships with supply chain and technical teams to implement ingredient replacement strategies that maintained product quality while mitigating shortage risks- Achieved $120K in annual savings by devising and driving extended production runs for Ratio KetoFood Safety Lead for team that successfully commercialized Yoplait Dairy Bar and Yo-Bites yogurt dairy snacks at External Supply Chain sites by conducting comprehensive risk assessments, implementing stringent quality assurance measures, managing suppliers effectively, and building solid relationships with production teams, ensuring adherence to food safety standards and product integrity- Achieved 90% reduction in consumer complaints for Oui sealant issues by driving root cause analysis to identify defects and developing a robust qualification plan which resulted in $684K annual cost avoidance Show less - Provided quality leadership for employees and products produced at Carson yogurt and Vernon flour milling sites. Accountable for the food safety of all products produced and the safety of all employees. Led a team of 22 people consisting of quality engineers, technicians, processors and shift team leaders.- Managed two sites and drove 30% reduction in food safety risk by developing and rolling-out a development plan that synthesized my food safety experience and industry knowledge in order to up-skill 48 employees - Drove 30% reduction in complaints by developing plans to more effectively engage with Customers and Sales teams to identify new issues and opportunities and drive resolution- Recognized by Senior Leadership for implementing benchmarking tools and tailored tool development which increased production efficiency- In recognition of industry expertise, appointed as representative in the CA Dept of Food and Agriculture Milk Advisory Board where guidance was provided on state regulation and their impact to industry- Led Carson team through plant closure and decommissioning activities while ensuring continued operations, customer satisfaction, and no safety incidents Show less - Provided leadership for 320 employees at a 120,000 sq ft yogurt facility. Led a team of quality engineers, processors and shift team leaders. Accountable for the food safety and quality of all products produced.- Led a sitewide organizational optimization resulting in 21% Food Safety risk grid reduction (F18 vs F17), $300,000 HMM savings, improvements to EE engagement and system performance- Led a 17.5% reduction in food safety risk for the site, ranking second globally, by implementing targeted measures to enhance physical hazard mitigation, site infrastructure and a strategic shift in task allocation, empowering Operation team members to take ownership of quality tasks, thereby streamlining processes and fostering a culture of collective responsibility- Collaborated with FDA and California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to attain Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO) extended run approval, enabling a 30% throughput increase and yielding $200,000 in cost savings through optimized operations and reduced resource usage.- Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) leader for facility as well as Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) for Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) certified site- Led dairy division global team that defined and coalesced HACCP process hazard severity and controls for sites world-wide Show less - Provided quality leadership for 100,000 sq ft flour mill site with 40 employees with the support of one Quality Technician. Accountable for the safety of all employees and food safety of all products produced. - Achieved GFSI Food Safety System Certification (FSSC) by developing and implementing a comprehensive glidepath, conducting thorough training sessions, overseeing internal audits, and orchestrating seamless audit processes resulting in zero critical findings- Implemented centralized purchasing strategy, partnering with a leading industrial supplier to install vending machines with predefined inventory levels, resulting in $100,000 annual cost reduction by eliminating duplicate orders, minimizing inventory management, and ensuring universal access to essential materials, enhancing operational efficiency- Led Safety Action Committee and diversity/inclusion networks for site (Women’s Network/Hispanic Network) increasing plant climate score by 10%- Implemented standardized processes for foreign material tracking and QC checks resulting in 20% productivity increase Show less - Oversaw the daily operations and performance strategy for 2 yogurt packaging platforms. Managed three salaried employees and an operator team of 48 employees across three shifts. - Increased system performance over 15 percentage points on packaging line via equipment modifications, reinforcement of cleaning practices, and the implementation of multiple continuous improvement tools such as Process Centerline, and Defect Handling- Provided business and technical leadership necessary to ensure both the department and facility meet and/or exceed goals in critical manufacturing success areas (Cost, Quality, Sanitation, System Utilization, Customer Service, Health/Safety/Environment) Show less

  • ITQ Strategy and Operations Manager

    Sept 2024 - now

  • Food Safety Quality Product Manager

    Apr 2021 - Sept 2024

  • Food Safety and Quality Manager

    Feb 2019 - Apr 2021

  • Quality and Regulatory Operations Manager

    Aug 2015 - Mar 2020

  • Quality and Regulatory Operations Manager

    Feb 2015 - Aug 2015

  • Operations Line Manager, GG and FFS

    Aug 2013 - Feb 2015

  • Senior Quality Engineer

    Feb 2011 - Aug 2013

  • Quality Engineer

    Jul 2007 - Feb 2011

  • Quality Associate

    Jun 2006 - Jul 2007