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That's A Food Job!

That's A Food Job!

FoodGrads 135 Episodes Sep 26, 2026

That's A Food Job! explores the wide range of careers available in the food industry. Host Veronica Hislop interviews professionals across the food processing sector, from food scientists and farmers to plant managers, programmers, food safety technicians, and supply chain managers. Each guest shares what their role involves, why they chose it, and how they contribute to the world of food. The podcast is aimed at students, early-career professionals, and industry veterans looking for career insights and guidance. It celebrates the people working in food and shows that there is a career for everyone in the field.

Episodes

Founder of Spark Academy and Customer Commercialization Lead at Coca-Cola with Tamanna Ramesh
Founder of Spark Academy and Customer Commercialization Lead at Coca-Cola with Tamanna Ramesh Sep 26, 2026 39:17 Tamanna Ramesh works in customer commercialization for Coca-Cola's North America food service team, supporting a 400 person sales and marketing organization, and also founded Spark Academy, a career coaching business for food industry professionals navigating job searches, negotiations, and visa pathways. In this conversation, Tamanna breaks down what her day-to-day at Coca-Cola actually looks lik
WFF Quebec Chapter Co-Founders Sienna Corral (Partnerships Lead) & Lila Sonmaz (MEL Head)
WFF Quebec Chapter Co-Founders Sienna Corral (Partnerships Lead) & Lila Sonmaz (MEL Head) Sep 19, 2026 37:47 Sienna Corral, Partnerships Lead, and Lila Sonmaz, Head of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning, are co-founders of the World Food Forum Quebec Chapter, an FAO initiative connecting young leaders working on food security and sustainability. In this part two conversation, Sienna and Lila open up about their very different paths into food advocacy, how they measure whether their work is actually mak
Co-Founders of the World Food Forum Quebec Chapter & Former Director of MYAD with Cate Laskey, Laia Charles Saigne and Jeanne Gonelle
Co-Founders of the World Food Forum Quebec Chapter & Former Director of MYAD with Cate Laskey, Laia Charles Saigne and Jeanne Gonelle Sep 6, 2026 58:44 Cate Laskey is Co-Founder of the World Food Forum Quebec Chapter and a former Agrifood Systems Ad Hoc Delegate with the McGill Youth Advisory Delegation (MYAD). Laia Charles Saigne is also a Co-Founder of the World Food Forum Quebec Chapter and a former CSocD64 and UNFCITC INC4 Delegate with MYAD. Jeanne Gonelle is the former Director of MYAD. MYAD is a youth-led NGO that has held Special Consulta
President/Founder of Women in Food Safety and Sr. Food Safety & Quality Advisor with Melody Yu
President/Founder of Women in Food Safety and Sr. Food Safety & Quality Advisor with Melody Yu Aug 30, 2026 41:38 Melody Yu is the President and Founder of Women in Food Safety, a nonprofit community supporting female food safety professionals, and she also runs her own food safety consulting business, MarsMel LLC. Note at 7:20 Melody meant to say 7 principles and 12 steps  --- Shownotes --- TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Nothing You Do Is Wasted 00:28 – Welcome Back, Melody 01:26 – Life Since Round One 03:38 – Going Al
Manager of Features and Education of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair with Paige Mawson
Manager of Features and Education of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair with Paige Mawson Aug 8, 2026 38:59 Paige Mawson is Manager of Features and Education at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, a 104-year-old event that draws around 300,000 visitors annually to downtown Toronto. In this episode, Paige reveals how one of Canada's most iconic events is bridging city life and rural tradition through unforgettable experiences, hands-on learning, and storytelling that sparks curiosity. Discover how she le
Quality Assurance and Regulatory Manager and Consultant, Aparajhitha Sudarsan
Quality Assurance and Regulatory Manager and Consultant, Aparajhitha Sudarsan Aug 1, 2026 42:57 Aparajhitha Sudarshan is a Quality and Regulatory Manager in pet food manufacturing and the founder of Food Strategy Consulting, where she helps small and medium food businesses with compliance, training, and food safety systems. In today's episode, we talk about the 80/20 rule of food safety leadership, how to build soft skills nobody teaches you in school, and practical ways students can network
Academic Director and Founder of Toronto Metropolitan University's Diversity Institute, Dr. Wendy Cukier
Academic Director and Founder of Toronto Metropolitan University's Diversity Institute, Dr. Wendy Cukier Jul 17, 2026 39:33 Dr. Wendy Cukier is Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Ted Rogers School of Management and Founder of the Diversity Institute, a research centre with 80 staff and hubs across the country studying skills, technology, and inclusion. In today's episode, we talk about why agriculture rarely comes up in conversations about entrepreneurship, the succession crisis facing Canadian farms
Rainmaker and Co-Founder with Jake Karls, Mid-Day Squares
Rainmaker and Co-Founder with Jake Karls, Mid-Day Squares Jul 5, 2026 35:58 Jake Karls is Co-Founder and Chief Rainmaker at Midday Squares, a Better-For-You chocolate and snacking brand now sold in over 10,000 stores across North America. In today's episode, we talk about what it actually looks like to build a career on relationships instead of resumes, how to network without an agenda, and why your story matters more than you think, even if you don't feel like you have o
Plant Manager with Tony Wong, 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters
Plant Manager with Tony Wong, 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters Jun 21, 2026 43:54 Tony Wong is the Plant Manager at 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters, a specialty coffee roastery in Vancouver that supplies retail chains, independent cafes, and a growing e-commerce operation across Canada. In this episode, we talk about what plant management actually looks like in a food and beverage manufacturing setting, how speciality coffee is actually made and how a food science background in q
Senior Human Resources Manager with Olga Cenic, Voortman Bakery | HR Mini-series
Senior Human Resources Manager with Olga Cenic, Voortman Bakery | HR Mini-series May 16, 2026 49:42 Veronica Hislop sits down with Olga Cenic, HR Manager at Voortman Bakery, to talk resumes, interviews, mentorship, and the overlooked ways students can break into food manufacturing - all in part three of FoodGrads' HR mini series! Olga Cenic is the HR Manager at Voortman Bakery - a 75-year-old cookie and wafer manufacturer in Burlington, Ontario, and home to the number one sugar-free wafer in Nor
VP of People and Culture with Steve MacIntyre, Fine Choice Foods | HR Mini-series
VP of People and Culture with Steve MacIntyre, Fine Choice Foods | HR Mini-series May 9, 2026 47:56 This is part two of FoodGrads' three-part HR miniseries, built for students entering the food and beverage industry with support from De Lacy Executive Recruitment. In this episode, we get into what hiring managers actually do when they open your resume - and what happens in those first five to seven seconds that determines whether you make the pile or not. Steve McIntyre is the Vice President of
Talent Aquisition Manager with Nicolas Pretorius, High Liner Foods | HR Mini-series
Talent Aquisition Manager with Nicolas Pretorius, High Liner Foods | HR Mini-series Apr 25, 2026 45:42 In episode one of our HR-Miniseries we are talking about what hiring managers actually look for, how to approach resumes and interviews, and realistic ways that students can build experience and momentum as they start their careers. Nicolas Pretorius is Talent Acquisition Manager at Highliner Foods, one of North America's leading processors of frozen, added-value seafood. In this conversation, you

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