Sowmya Rajanna
Bangalore
Summary
Seasoned industry professional with 12.8 years of overall experience. Three years of experience in Quality & Food Safety at Mondelez International and nine years of extensive experience as Product Development Scientist (Gums, Mints, fruity confections, and chocolates) at Mars Wrigley confectionery. I have a proven track record in managing multicultural teams, driving innovation projects, and successfully executing solutions that meet consumer needs and industry standards. I am currently seeking new and challenging opportunities to leverage my expertise and contribute to a dynamic team.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Quality & Food Safety Manager
Mondelez International
03.2022 - Current
- Driving Food safety implementation and sustenance (HACCP): Managed Quality & Food Safety standards at external manufacturing sites, ensuring compliance with global requirements.
- Global Initiative Implementation: Supported the roll-out of global initiatives at regional and plant levels, driving the Consumer Inspired Quality (CIQ) agenda and promoting a culture of continuous improvement.
- Lead Global Quality Policy Implementation & Regulatory Compliance: Oversaw systems and processes to ensure the effective implementation of the global quality policies, driving improvements in product quality at the site level ensuring regulatory & legislative compliance.
- New Product Execution & Post-Commercial Validation: Supported new product launches and other significant Research, Development & Quality (RDQ) projects, ensuring the CQV process was effectively implemented to meet quality standards and deliver consumer-inspired quality.
- Led continuous improvement initiatives, focusing on reducing consumer complaints and enhancing overall product quality.
- Capability Building: Facilitated training programs to build capability within external site teams, ensuring alignment with quality standards.
- Project Leadership (Greenfield & Brownfield): Led key projects, including the Greenfield project at Swaji Nutritionals Pvt Ltd. and Brownfield projects such as the commissioning of the Layered Cake Line and chocolate line expansions.
- Quality in Design: Collaborated closely with project teams during the IPM/Project Management process to ensure quality and food safety were embedded in the design of new projects, guaranteeing safe, consistent, and high-quality products.
Product development scientist
Mars Wrigley Confectionery India PVT. LTD.
Bangalore
07.2012 - 02.2022
- Product & Process Development: Led the development of new products and processes to strengthen the gums, mints, fruity confections & Chocolate (Snickers cashew) portfolio in collaboration with brand managers for India, ensuring alignment with market needs.
- Formula Optimization & Efficiency Projects: Optimized product formulas and processes as part of efficiency projects, working with commercial and supply teams to enhance the financial performance of the business.
- End-to-End Product Execution: Took full ownership of end-to-end product development, including prototyping, formula finalization, setting success criteria, costing, defining key quality attributes, creating raw material and finished product specifications, standardizing production processes, overseeing factory trials, conducting shelf-life testing, and managing market launch activities.
- Material Risk Assessment & Specification establishment: Led Material Risk Assessment for all ingredients, working cross-functionally with SQA and QFs to approve specifications and assess supplier capabilities for quality and consistency.
Education
Master of Technology - Diary Chemistry
National Diary Research Institute
Karnal01.2012
Bachelor of Technology - Diary technology
Diary Science College (KVAFSU)
Bangalore01.2010
Skills
- Research and development
- New product development
- Project leadership
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Quality and food safety
- Effective communication
- Compliance management
- Training and capabality building
Research Publications
- Standardization of methods for the flame photometric estimation of sodium and potassium-based neutralizers in milk, khoa and paneer, Journal of Dairy Science, 2013
- Detection of calcium-based neutralizers in milk and milk products by AAS, Journal of Food Science and Technology, Ms. No. JFST-D-12-01262
Timeline
Quality & Food Safety Manager
Mondelez International
03.2022 - Current
Product development scientist
Mars Wrigley Confectionery India PVT. LTD.
07.2012 - 02.2022
Master of Technology - Diary Chemistry
National Diary Research Institute
Bachelor of Technology - Diary technology
Diary Science College (KVAFSU)