Navigating a career in food product development with Michael Sharp, Director of Research and Analytics at the Heartland Food Products Group | Ep. 94
Release Date: 08/07/2024
Delving into the Craft of Beer Making with Santiago Ampudia Vasquez, Brewer at Blackburn Brewhouse and Assistant Professor at Niagara College (#113)
That's a Food Job!
Santiago Ampudia Vasquez is a brewer at Blackburn Brewhouse and Assistant Professor at Niagara College. Blackburn Brewhouse, based in Niagara Falls, produces a wide range of craft beersāfrom lagers and pale ales to specialty brews, seltzers, and ciders. Before brewing professionally, Santiago earned a Masterās in Science and taught at the University of Barcelona. After immigrating to Canada, he shifted careers, enrolling in Niagara Collegeās Brewmaster program. His brewing journey has been filled with achievements, including helping the college win the top title at the 2023 U.S. Open...
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Exploring Opportunities in Food Science with Prairva (Summer) Plepalakon, UC Davis Food Science and Technology Graduate (#112)
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Prairva Plepalakon, also known as āSummer,ā is a recent Food Science and Technology graduate from the University of California, Davis, one of the most respected food science programs in the world. UC Davis has a big reputation in food science, pairing strong academic programs with deep industry and research networks. In this episode of Thatās a Food Job!, Summer shares what itās like to study food science at UC Davis and reflects on the co-op positions sheās taken on (including one with a company making protein from air). We talk about her advice for students who want to...
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Supporting People and Culture in Ag with Leslie Nienkark, HR Business Partner at KWS Group (#111)
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Leslie Nienkark is an HR Business Partner at KWS Group, one of the worldās leading plant breeding companies. KWS specializes in breeding and selling seed for crops like corn, sugar beet, cereals, rapeseed, sunflowers, and vegetables. Although Leslie hasnāt spent her entire career in agriculture, her HR experience spans a variety of industries including media, software, architecture, and retail. This gives her a broad and insightful perspective on workplace culture. In this episode of Thatās a Food Job!, Leslie shares what itās like to work in human resources within the agricultural...
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Inside Food Product Development with Louisa Bachman, Food Scientist at KIND Snacks (#110)
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Louisa Bachman is a Food Scientist at KIND Snacks. KIND offers a range of products, including nut and fruit bars, breakfast bars, granola clusters, and refrigerated nut butter bars. Before joining KIND however, Louisa earned her Food Science degree at UMass Amherst, where she both led their schoolās Food Science Club and Alpine Skiing club. In this episode of Thatās a Food Job!, Louisa shares what itās really like to work in product development, walking us through how a concept turns into a product on the shelf. She breaks down the role of flavor iteration, sensory testing,...
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Inside Food Safety Leadership with Marin Pavlic, Director of QA Programs & Compliance at Sofina Food (#109)
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Marin Pavlic is the Senior Director of QA Programs & Compliance at Sofina Foods and the current President of the Ontario Food Protection Association (OFPA). With over 15 years of experience in food manufacturing, Marin brings a deep understanding of food safety, team leadership, and regulatory compliance to his workāalong with a strong belief in the power of networking and continuous improvement. In this episode of Thatās a Food Job!, Marin shares how he built his career by learning to trust the expertise of his team, learning adjacent skills and networking within the industry. He...
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Building AI for Food Scientists with Thomas Hayes, Co-Founder at Agilitas (#108)
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The future of CPG packaging with Tyler de Sousa, Co-Founder at Circulr (#107)
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Tyler De Sousa is the co-founder of Circulr, a company helping Consumer Packaged Goods brands close the loop on their glass packaging through reuse. By managing the logistics of sourcing, collecting, and redistributing reusable containers, Circulr is making it easier for businesses and consumers to reduce waste and support a circular economy. In this episode of That's a Food Job!, Tyler shares how a small pilot project turned into a growing social enterprise. He talks about the challenges of changing consumer behavior, the importance of industry collaboration, and how technology is helping...
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Turning a food science degree into a sales career with Felicia Sia, account manager at Dempsey Corporation (#106)
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Felicia Sia is an Account Manager at Dempsey Corporation, a Canadian ingredient distributor specializing in innovative and technical ingredients. With a background in food science from the University of Guelph, her career has spanned multiple roles, including product development, technical sales and directing a cooking school for kids. In this episode, she shares insights into the world of ingredient sales, discussing what it takes to succeed as an account manager in the food industry. She explores the importance of active listening, building strong client relationships, and the key skills...
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Building relationships: The art of sales in the food equipment industry with National Business Development & Sales Manager, Rafal Rusiniak at Handtmann Canada Limited(#105)
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Rafal Rusiniak is the National Business Development & Sales Manager at Handtmann Canada Limited, a company specializing in food processing equipment solutions. With over 15 years of experience in the industry, Rafalās journey into sales was unexpectedāhe originally pursued a degree in engineering before discovering his passion for sales and business development. In this episode, Rafal takes us inside the world of food processing equipment sales, sharing insights on building relationships with clients, the structured approach to sales training, and the process behind purchasing...
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Implementing lean manufacturing in food production with COO, Brian Allaway at Made with Local (#104)
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Brian Allaway is the COO of Made With Local, a company known for its commitment to real food, community connections, and sustainable business practices. With 16 years of experience leading teams in food manufacturing, Brian specializes in lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, and quality management. In this episode, Brian takes us inside the world of small-scale food manufacturing, sharing insights on building strong teams, fostering a culture where mistakes fuel growth, and the power of lean tools like Kanban (not KanBan, as youāll hear!). We also dive into the future of...
info_outlineMichael Sharp is the director of research and analytics at the Heartland Food Products Group. The Heartland Food Products Group is a global leader in making low-calorie sweeteners and liquid water enhancers. It is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, and makes Splenda Sweeteners.
Michael has over 13 years of experience in research and development, leading new products from concept to commercialization. He graduated from Utah State University with a bachelor's degree in food science and a master's degree from Ohio State University.
š Episode Highlights:
ā¢ What a Research and Development Director does
ā¢ The different kinds of R&D roles
ā¢ Michaelās career journey
ā¢ Advice for product development research interviews
Michael's / LinkedIn
TIMESTAMPS
(0:00) Introduction
(1:33) Michael's introduction
(11:15) Why Michael decided to get a master's degree
(12:50) Differences between product development and R&D
(16:45) Michael's research process
(22:20) Where Michael learned about data analytics
(24:10) Basic tools of data analysis
(26:40) Difference between small and large labs
(29:20) Sponsor: CFIN
(30:10) Transitioning from work to school
(31:50) How to identify your skills
(33:45) Michael's extra-curriculars during school
(37:00) Technologies that are interesting to Michael
(42:25) Advice for students looking to go into R&D
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