Bakery Specialist
Resume:
Rodolfo Nava
Bakery Application Product Development
****.****@*****.*** • 510-***-****
www.linkedin.com/in/rudy-nava-6b538b2 • Hercules, CA Summary
Dynamic bakery consultant with
extensive experience in the food
product industry. Expertise in creating
and launching products for food
service, retail, wholesale, and
industrial baking. Specialist in fats
and oils, applying in-depth knowledge
of ingredient functionality to generate
compelling baking formulations.
Sales professional, possessing
proven track record in B2B business
consultation, technical sales and
service, product research,
commercialization, and development
functions. Engaging leader, adept at
collaborating with cross functional
teams.
Education
Bachelor of Arts in Biological
Sciences, coursework towards
University of Texas
Austin, TX
Professional Training
Master Baker Certification, Retail
Bakers of America
Culinary Arts (Decorating & Baking),
Johnson & Wales University
Baking Technology, American
Institute of Baking
Artisan Bread Training, National
Baking Center at Dunwoody
Institute
Certified Professional Food Manager,
Food Service Safety & Sanitation
Languages
English, Fluent
Spanish, Fluent
Areas of Expertise
• Product Development
• Food Manufacturing
• Ingredient Functionality
• Process Management
• Food Safety & Quality Control
• Sales & Marketing
• Fats & Oil Science
• Applications Specialist
• Product Commercialization
• Customer Presentations
• Bakery Technology
• Research & Development
Accomplishments
• Known as one of eight original corporate chefs at General Mills Culinary Center HQ in Minneapolis, opened in 2004.
• Innovated specialist bakery products and applications for major clients such as Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, Winn Dixie, Safeway, and Publix.
• Spearheaded major research projects, developing product formulas and bakery applications leading to business growth.
Professional Experience
Colony Products, Redlands, CA 2020 – Present
Sales Associate Market Sales Representative
Serving largest manufacturer of baking release oils on West Coast in expansion across United States and North America. Utilized extensive food oil industry expertise to manage account to support expansion in Nevada, Colorado, and Utah, including Bay Area and Northern CA.
• Resolved product problem for customer, preventing separation in cold temperatures by adjusting trough oil viscosity and eliminating lecithin. BayCo, Inc., Hayward, CA 2019 – 2019
Sales Associate Market Sales Representative
Led entrepreneurial sales approach with food and bakery industry customers to expand business within assigned territory. Sustained up-to-date mastery of food ingredients, baking, and pastry experience, presenting product samples and catalog. Organized target account list, notifying management of competitive market information.
• Compiled prospective customer lists for medium-to-large bakeries and food processing companies.
• Grew existing and new business customers by establishing key actions.
• Traveled assigned territory, soliciting orders from customers.
• Engaged customers in NorCal industrial food and wholesale bakery industry, accomplishing full understanding of market. P a g e 2 3
AAK USA, Inc., Richmond, CA 2017 – 2019
Customer Service Senior Applications Specialist—Bakery Provided support at Customer Innovation lab, fulfilling project requests from West Coast customers for Confectionery, Dairy, Plant-based Foods, and Personal Care. Coordinated construction activities for bakery applications lab, such as equipment requisitions, establishing vendors, approving blueprints, and selecting and requisitioning bakery equipment.
• Increased sales with new oil formations for customer projects, earning approval from operations and management.
• Reduced quality issues to zero through effective oil blend suggestions.
• Initiated Sample Request Lab with critical product samples library.
• Earned approval from top-level customers for contamination studies for infant nutrition.
• Grew business through customer assistance on bakery icing, plant-based foods, and dairy substitute applications. IOI Loders Croklaan Americas, Chicago, IL 2012 – 2017 Senior Applications Scientist Senior Bakery Scientist Directed equipping and resourcing for $3MM “Creative Studio” facility. Engaged customers on projects, developing fats and oils prototypes. Tested fats and oils in different applications and approved or disapproved as standard products. Demonstrated thorough understanding of food oils and associated uses.
• Improved customer service as technical respondent, streamlining 800-line calls and responding to fats and oils questions.
• Devised “Gold Standard” for majority of products, collaborating with technical team on palm fats and oils testing.
• Assisted completion of conversion project, moving from partially hydrogenated oil (PHO) products to non-PHO, and ensuring FDA compliance in 2016.
• Obtained approval for bakery applications leading to 8 million pounds in business for palm oil shortening in Duncan Hines brownie mix and RTU chocolate icing.
• Promoted to senior applications scientist by driving food applications and offering technical support to industrial clients including General Mills, Smuckers, CSM, Specialty Bakers, Flowers, and Saputo in Canada. CSM Bakery Products, NA, Sugar Land, TX 2009 – 2011 Research Chef R&D Manager Culinary Specialist
Oversaw cake and icing category, supporting Camelot Desserts R&D, Wal-Mart cake development, and cake design. Teamed with sales and marketing to conceive new cakes, buttercream icings, and frosting recipes at HC Brill’s flagship decorated cake facility. Led project commercialization hand-off from R&D to operations. Increased operational efficiency by analyzing root cause and resolving R&D lab issues.
• Collaborated with sales department to identify customer needs, inventing Chocolate Cloud cake producing holiday season sales of over 200,000 pounds of cake and icing product.
• Initiated multimillion-dollar profits by regaining Winn-Dixie client after three-year gap, through customer specifications analysis and product development.
• Generated significant new business by advancing formula for new cake and icing presentation for Wal-Mart.
• Oversaw smooth transition from Camelot Desserts to H.C. Brill Icing Company by preserving cake and buttercream product formulas, incorporating guidance from former Owner and Chef of Camelot Desserts.
• Designed and commercialized products for key customer requests, ensuring satisfaction and repeat business from Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, Winn Dixie, Safeway, and Publix.
• Designed two Christmas cakes for Publix stores, selling 192,000 units.
• Launched six industrial cake designs, each selling 1M+ units to Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Winn Dixie, Publix, and Costco.
The Wright Group (AKA Wright Enrichment), Crowley, LA 2009 – 2009 Manager, Baking Laboratory and Technical Sales
Oversaw development for dough conditioners and bakery ingredients, using chemical and encapsulated leavenings, vitamins, enzyme blends, and Omega-3 fatty acid.
• Strengthened customer relations, aligning with Sales department to visit customer locations.
• Revitalized stagnant bakery division by producing COAs for bakery ingredients and ingredient samples. P a g e 3 3
• Formulated, tested, and approved aluminum-free encapsulated leavening system and enzyme blend to prevent flaking on par-baked bread crusts.
• Completed “Enzyme Utilization Mastery” training program through industry leader Novozymes. Crestone Group Baking Companies, Grapevine, TX 2007 – 2008 Director of Product Development Technical Baker
Supervised product development staff, nutritional database and product specification updates. Led quality improvements for bakery products.
• Secured $2M in continuing business from Starbucks for three product categories, by researching providers and identifying zero trans-fats products.
• Created and commercialized new pastry, cake, icing, and bread products, including cookies, cinnamon rolls, muffins, scones, chocolate cakes, artisan breads, cheesecake, ganache, frostings, and buttercream icings. Additional Experience
Senior Technical Service Representative, 2005 – 2006 Multifoods / Best Brands, Minnetonka, MN
Corporate Chef/Baker, Food Product Developer, 2002 – 2005 General Mills (Pillsbury) Bakeries & Foodservice, Minneapolis, MN Organizations & Associations
American Society of Baking Engineers
Bread Bakers Guild of America
Retail Bakers of America
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