Caitlyn Leahy
Pasadena,CA
Summary
Product development & innovation leader with 13+ years of experience bringing consumer-driven food concepts from ideation and bench development through commercialization and scale-up. Thrives in team collaboration, adaptive to changing needs, and reliable in delivering outcomes.
Overview
2
2
Languages
1
1
Certification
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Product Development Manager (Innovation)
Bonduelle Americas
03.2025 - Current
- Develop innovative products based on consumer insights and industry trends.
- Create and lead monthly innovation sessions for the product development team to share out ideation concepts and generate product pipeline inspiration
- Manage new product development through the key phases of the commercialization process from brainstorm to retail launch; including through the stage-gate process
- Cross-functional communications with both internal and external stakeholders including but not limited to: Procurement, Operations, Supply Chain, Ingredient Suppliers,
- Generate cost reference forms to share with finance to ensure P&L alignment
Sr. Food Technologist II
Bonduelle Americas
10.2021 - 03.2025
- Teamed up with marketing, consumer insights, packaging engineers, QA, legal, and finance teams to ensure successful launches of new and/or improved projects from bench-top to commercialization
- Created LTO concepts that align with seasonal trends, unique ingredients or social media influences
- Managed recipe development, cost analysis, line trials, and shelf life testing to support commercialization efforts
Food Technologist
Ready Pac Foods-acquired by Bonduelle
03.2017 - 10.2021
- Supported cross-functional teams to conduct line trials, capability assessments and new product scale-ups
- Conducted shelf life studies and evaluated product stability for new products and shelf life extension projects
- Researched, sourced, and tested innovative ingredients to enhance product development and align with market trends
Flavor Technologist
Mission Flavors
02.2014 - 03.2017
- Created flavor samples tailored for snacking, confection, bakery, and beverage industries to meet diverse consumer preferences
- Developed specifications to meet customer requirements.
- Acted as a company representative at trade shows and industry events.
Team Lead Production
ConAgra Foods
01.2013 - 02.2014
- Directed the operations team at the Hastings, Minnesota flour mill.
- Led 2nd shift team, managing approximately 10-15 employees.
Education
Bachelors of Science degree - Food Science, Minor in Packaging
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
San Luis ObispoSkills
- Product Commercialization
- Innovation & Trend focused
- Project Management Skills
- Microsoft Office Suite / Google Workspace
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Trend presentations
- Cross-functional collaborations
Certification
Food Safe Certified
LANGUAGE SKILLS
English
Conversational Spanish
Timeline
Product Development Manager (Innovation)
Bonduelle Americas
03.2025 - Current
Sr. Food Technologist II
Bonduelle Americas
10.2021 - 03.2025
Food Technologist
Ready Pac Foods-acquired by Bonduelle
03.2017 - 10.2021
Flavor Technologist
Mission Flavors
02.2014 - 03.2017
Team Lead Production
ConAgra Foods
01.2013 - 02.2014
Bachelors of Science degree - Food Science, Minor in Packaging
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo