ASHLEY BAKER

• Led a 27-person QA organization, including two direct reports, with responsibility for site quality performance, quality systems, regulatory compliance, laboratory operations, commercialization, audit readiness, and personnel development.
• Served as the subject matter expert on food safety and quality within the senior leadership group.
• Managed QA operating budget of approximately $400,000 annually for laboratory supplies and additional vendor budgets, ensuring alignment with quality objectives.
• Drove five consecutive years of year-over-year improvement in SQF audit scores; achieved a 97 on the 2025 unannounced SQF audit and a 99 on the 2026 SQF Audit.
• Managed and balanced the QA operating budget, including approximately $400,000 annually in laboratory supplies plus additional vendor budgets. ≤2.7 target.
• Coordinated routine FDA and Oregon Department of Agriculture audits, annual Organic certification audits, and Kosher certification activities, collaborating with on-site USDA inspector.
• Led QA through facility shutdown activities, ensuring compliance with quality and food safety standards during final production in July 2026.
• Supported major cross-functional initiatives, including the Swanson Broth expansion, specifications, RMS, SSOPs, staffing, and food safety requirements.

• Led site Food Safety and Sanitation programs in a complex food manufacturing environment, partnering with Operations and other functions to manage food safety risks and regulatory requirements.
• Oversaw food safety systems and sanitation programs, ensuring compliance through verification activities, investigations, corrective actions, and maintaining audit readiness.
• Supported continuous improvement of food safety practices, fostering a culture of accountability for food safety requirements throughout the organization.
• Developed and coached team members, collaborating with cross-functional teams to effectively address quality and food safety issues.

• Managed QA activities across West Campus and Base operations, ensuring compliance, audit readiness, and effective quality systems.
• Collaborated with Operations and functional teams to address quality issues, upholding customer, regulatory, and food safety standards.
• Developed QA personnel and enhanced consistency of quality practices across multiple manufacturing operations.

Provided frontline QA leadership across multiple shifts and manufacturing value streams.

• Supported production teams in maintaining food safety, quality, and regulatory requirements and served as a technical resource for QA and manufacturing personnel.

• Investigated quality issues, supported corrective actions, and developed broad expertise in manufacturing processes, equipment, and quality systems.

• Executed frontline QA activities, including inspections, testing, documentation, and verification, to ensure compliance with food safety standards in manufacturing operations.
• Collaborated with production personnel to identify and resolve quality issues, strengthening food safety controls and enhancing understanding of manufacturing processes.
• Conducted incoming, in-process, and finished-product inspections to verify quality standards and specification compliance.
• Performed pH, Brix, viscosity, and temperature testing using calibrated laboratory equipment.
• Documented critical control point checks and quality records for HACCP and food safety compliance.