Sustaining Supply Chain Leadership Through a Senior Transition at a GFSI-Certified Wholesale Bakery

A wholesale production bakery in West Sacramento, California, and the manufacturing arm of a family-owned food group whose retail brand is one of the most recognized artisan names on the West Coast. The facility produces multiple product lines (namely proprietary, contract and private label) and distributes nationally through major retail partners. The place is open all the time, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and has a large staff, most of them Spanish speaking. The operation is GFSI certified, and BRC audits are part of the commercial condition of its retail relationships, not an optional accreditation.

The Supply Chain & Inventory Manager had been doing this for over 30 years. He was due to leave in May but the organisation needed someone on board before he left, to work alongside him in the final weeks and absorb what three decades of institutional knowledge looks like in practice. The window for that transfer was limited and a gap in supply chain oversight during an active BRC audit period with a major retail partner visit already scheduled was not a risk the business could afford.
The job itself was the whole spectrum of the supply chain function, with no team under him. This included purchasing, inventory control, production scheduling, logistics, warehouse operations, fleet management, all for multiple product lines and customer accounts. There were no direct reports. The person coming in would have to be able to work in a bilingual environment, alongside a production team that speaks predominantly Spanish.
The client was open about the things they were not willing to compromise on. The incoming manager had to fit the culture before anything else. The business had been founded on a certain style of operation, with people who take accountability without being asked, who work without hierarchy even when the scope is broad, and who understand that in food manufacturing, audit readiness is not a periodic event but a permanent operating condition. Keller Executive Search had to move both quickly and precisely because the search was non-exclusive.

We zeroed in on candidates who had hands-on, accountable experience in supply chain roles within food manufacturing or similar regulated production work environments. This included professionals who had owned inventory positions, managed supplier relationships, handled logistics, and kept warehouses compliant throughout audit cycles. The focus was on passive candidates. Someone who had been in a senior individual contributor supply chain role for years and was ready to move, but not actively looking, would have the depth of experience and the mindset that the hand-over required.
Keller Executive Search also supplied video interview footage and written profiles, allowing the client to see each candidate before committing to an in-person interview. This is a practical filter in bilingual workplaces because communication skills and technical skills are equally important due to the potential language barrier. A timeline was created for our structured assessment process to keep pace with the departure date.

Two candidates were sent to client review. Both went through the assessment process and the decision was made swiftly after the final panel was over. The new Supply Chain & Inventory Manager accepted the offer and arrived in time to have a meaningful overlap with the retiring incumbent. The handover period that the search had been designed to protect was completed as planned.