Aparna Yatheendran

Work done

Audit & Compliance

• Leads the central Audit Function, covering manufacturing units, contract units, warehouses, and supplier sites, ensuring compliance with food safety & sustainability standards
• Designed and deployed a comprehensive Quality Audit Framework, covering plants, suppliers, distributors
• Developed and rolled out a benchmarked risk based audit checklist, aligned with leading FMCG practices, strengthening governance and risk management.
• Designed and implemented policies, SOPs, manuals aligned with FSSC 22000, ISO 22000, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, BRCGS and regulatory requirements.
• Conducted multi-site audits, driving closure of critical non-conformities within agreed timelines; ensured validation and long-term sustenance of corrective actions.
• Implemented audit closure review mechanisms, improving accountability across plants, warehouses and suppliers.
• Designed and delivered GMP and hygiene training modules for warehouse staff and plant teams, enhancing product safety awareness.
• Ensured smooth readiness for regulatory, third-party audits, reducing last-minute escalations.
• Designed & implemented a digital audit tracker & dashboard for NC closure, improving visibility and accountability
• Supported sustainability & environmental compliance audits, covering waste management, water & energy efficiency
• Conducted mock audits & audit capability training to build strong self-inspection culture & strengthening site readiness

Achievements:

• Achieved zero Major NCs in consecutive FSSC audits.
• Reduced audit NC closure timelines through digital tracker.
• Improved supplier compliance scores via structured audit improvement plans.
• Raised GMP audit scores of contract units by 20% within a year.
• Built a culture of audit readiness & ownership, minimizing quality & regulatory risks.

Quality Operations & Risk Management

• Directed end-to-end quality operations: RM/PM inspection, in-process checks, finished product release, GMP/GHP deployment.
• Handled consumer complaints through RCA & CAPA systems.
• Solved chronic quality issues using FMEA & risk-based frameworks, ensuring first-time-right product launches.
• Supported third-party manufacturers to align with company and international compliance standards
• Managed market quality tracking, benchmarking & feedback analysis to evaluate product health and consumer insights.
• Integrated consumer feedback into NPDs and process improvements
• Rolled out foreign matter assessment program for oats manufacturing units to proactively identify and eliminate contamination risks, reducing potential consumer hazards.
• Designed Food Safety audio-visual training modules for warehouse/manufacturing staff, ensuring standardization of hygiene practices.
• Conducted GMP, hygiene, and audit readiness sessions across manufacturing units and third-party locations.
• Mentored cross-functional teams in CAPA implementation & audit closure for better compliance culture.
• Led FoSCoS (Food Safety Compliance System) trainings for site warehouse teams
• Facilitated GEMBA walk initiatives with cross-functional teams, reinforcing on-the-floor ownership of GMP & food safety culture.
• Trained employees and contract staff across multiple units, embedding strong awareness of hygiene, food safety, and regulatory compliance. This helped achieve higher consistency in GMP implementation and reduced hygiene-related NCs.

Achievements:

• Ensured zero product recalls through proactive risk management.
• Reduced consumer complaints in oats category
• Strengthened supplier capability – improving supplier quality compliance scores
• Standardized and strengthened foreign matter monitoring protocols & controls
• Improved audit readiness scores by designing targeted training modules, mock audits, and capability-building exercises for factory teams.
• Built a sustainable internal trainer pipeline by coaching site quality champions and supervisors to conduct refresher trainings ensuring continuous capability development

Consumer Response Management

• Designing CRM system incorporating latest technology
• Deploying quality systems & processes to enhance the TAT of consumer responses
• Handling sensitive escalated consumer complaints amicably
• Implementation of latest immersive technology like Augmented Reality introduce for enhancing consumer awareness about product and creating consumer delight experience
• Successfully sustaining the ISO 10002:2018 certification.