RACHAEL ADEBANJI
Noblesville
Summary
Dynamic operations leader with over 14 years of experience in driving operational excellence, people leadership, and high-stakes decision-making within manufacturing, quality, and business operations. Expertise in guiding teams through complex, time-sensitive challenges while effectively managing escalations involving brand, legal, and financial risks. Recognized for cultivating accountable teams and developing scalable processes and playbooks that enhance productivity. Adept at translating data into actionable insights and providing clear executive-level recommendations in high-pressure environments.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Operations Supervisor
Heartland Food Products Group
08.2024 - Current
- Directed daily operational leadership for manufacturing and packaging teams, ensuring service quality and safety standards during high-pressure production periods.
- Implemented strategies for team development and accountability among 50 production associates and asset care technicians, resulting in elevated engagement and performance outcomes.
- Facilitated onboarding training and provided ongoing performance feedback for cross-functional teams to enhance accountability and role clarity.
- Acted as escalation point for urgent production quality and safety concerns, exercising sound judgment and swift decision-making to minimize operational and compliance risks.
- Facilitated prioritization of competing operational demands, balancing urgent escalations with long-term performance objectives.
- Analyzed performance metrics to identify bottlenecks and facilitate data-driven decision-making.
- Analyzed root causes and led strategic corrective action initiatives to mitigate systemic operational deficiencies.
- Coordinated interactions between quality maintenance supply chain and leadership to resolve obstacles and optimize operational workflows.
- Established standardized workflows and escalation protocols to promote consistency and empower team members in problem-solving.
- Led initiatives to integrate Lean 5S and Six Sigma methodologies, aiming to streamline workflows and boost operational performance.
Operations Supervisor
Mondelez International
06.2022 - 08.2024
- Managed high-volume operational teams, focusing on performance capability enhancement and strategic workforce planning initiatives.
- Oversaw incident management and critical escalations, maintaining clarity in communication and coherence in narratives.
- Oversaw strategic initiatives addressing high-stakes operational issues to maintain safety, quality, and customer confidence.
- Analyzed operational health metrics and escalated trends to facilitate ongoing improvement initiatives.
- Collaborated with cross-functional partners in maintenance engineering quality and supply chain to streamline decision processes and resolve systemic challenges.
- Directed Kaizen events and RCAs to minimize downtime, boost throughput, and fortify process reliability, supporting operational excellence.
- Analyzed data to present operational insights and recommendations for informed decision-making by senior leadership.
- Analyzed production workflows to deliver significant improvements in efficiency, decreasing downtime and elevating line output for essential product SKUs.
Continuous Improvement Specialist
Clif Bar Baking Company
02.2019 - 06.2022
- Spearheaded initiatives with cross-functional teams to streamline operations and minimize resource waste and increase productivity through the application of Lean Six Sigma methodologies.
- Achieved successful implementation of IL6S initiatives by fostering stakeholder engagement and addressing resistance building employee capabilities through targeted training programs.
- Gathered and analyzed data to measure process performance and identify trends that can inform improvement initiatives.
- Ensure the implementation of CI initiatives, analyzing existing processes and workflows to identify areas for improvement, offering suggestions to management on how to streamline and improve their processes so as to reduce waste, cost and optimize labor.
- Developed and executed training programs for staff on continuous improvement methodologies and tools.
- 5S process owner providing support to the Autonomous Maintenance team.
- Identified cost savings initiatives through process optimization and efficiency gains.
- Drove CI engagement and metric tracking through floor interactions, trainings, AM, Kaizen and 5S.
- Analyzed workflow processes, identifying bottlenecks and recommending solutions for enhanced productivity.
- Assessed existing workflows to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies, recommending changes that increased overall throughput.
- Utilized various problem-solving tools such as fishbone diagrams, 5 Whys analysis, and Pareto charts to uncover issues and devise effective solutions.
Business Manager
Shapes N’ Shadows LTD
03.2012 - 01.2019
- Directed day-to-day business operations, aligning production, finance, and quality teams to meet organizational objectives and maintain profitability.
- Identified systemic process gaps and drove improvements that reduced overhead by 12 percent while maintaining service quality.
- Conducted data-driven performance reviews and implemented efficiency metrics to evaluate team productivity and workflow optimization.
- Collaborated with senior leadership to translate corporate goals into actionable business plans, operational KPIs, and department targets.
- Oversaw procurement planning, vendor negotiations, and inventory management to ensure uninterrupted production and timely delivery.
- Supported project implementation through risk assessment, resource allocation, and timeline management for new product launches and process changes.
- Partnered with the finance team to produce accurate forecasts, analyze variances, and support strategic investment decisions.
- Streamlined business processes by integrating automation tools and dashboards that improved visibility into operational performance.
- Supervised cross-functional teams, mentoring employees to strengthen accountability, efficiency, and collaboration across departments.
- Presented monthly and quarterly performance reports to executive leadership, summarizing key achievements, challenges, and improvement opportunities.
- Developed operational KPIs and dashboards to track productivity, cost, and service performance.
Education
Post Graduate Program - Business Analytics
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN08-2025
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) - Food Science and Human Nutrition
Federal University of Technology
Minna, Nigeria08-2010
Associate of Science (A.S.) - Food Technology
Yaba College of Technology
Lagos, Nigeria05-2005
Skills
- Operations management
- Performance management
- Escalation process oversight
- Strategic decision analysis
- Performance metrics analysis
- Process optimization
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Process design expertise
- Risk evaluation and reduction
- Data analysis and visualization
Accomplishments
Led onboarding and training for a three-shift team during a high-priority new product launch, ensuring operational readiness and on-time execution under strict deadlines while maintaining quality, coverage, and process consistency.
Certification
- Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP)
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt & Black Belt
- HACCP & PCQI Certified
Languages
English
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Operations Supervisor
Heartland Food Products Group
08.2024 - Current
Operations Supervisor
Mondelez International
06.2022 - 08.2024
Continuous Improvement Specialist
Clif Bar Baking Company
02.2019 - 06.2022
Business Manager
Shapes N’ Shadows LTD
03.2012 - 01.2019
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) - Food Science and Human Nutrition
Federal University of Technology
Associate of Science (A.S.) - Food Technology
Yaba College of Technology
Post Graduate Program - Business Analytics
Purdue University