Kendall Haynesworth

About Kendall Haynesworth

I love innovating and developing food items. It’s been exciting to work on a new food from inception through launch. It’s personally rewarding to see these items on the grocery shelf, knowing that people buy and enjoy them. I’m curious and a continuous learner. I study consumer behavior about food and buying patterns, as well as evaluating competitor products and translating that knowledge to find new niches for creating food items that transform or enhance our brands. As a manager and team leader, I’m a mentor and coach, fostering the success of each team member. I take their professional development seriously and am the first person to praise someone who hits a milestone or gets promoted.

Experience

1. Research and Development Manager

   Conagra Brands

   Aug 2024 — Present

   Headed the R&D team working on consumer products. Responsibilities included: product development, cross-functional collaboration, continuous process improvements, quality, safety, marketing, sales, supply chain, and supervised team of 8. • Made numerous process improvements that upgraded the manufacturing process. Results delivered hundreds of thousands of dollars in cost savings. • Led the team to innovate and develop new foods and packaging that aligns with consumer trends and purchasing behavior. • Managed strategic initiatives focused on advancing thermal processing initiatives to improve product quality, ensure food safety, and align operational strategies across enterprise departments. • Led the cross-functional collaboration with marketing, sales, scientists, process engineers, branding, manufacturing, packaging engineers, and quality stakeholders.• Developed high-performance teams through strategic hiring, training, mentoring, and collaborative leadership.

Education

• University of Massachusetts Amherst

  Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Food Science & Economics

  1994 — 1998

Skills

• Food Processing
• Food Chemistry
• Leadership
• Team Building
• Management
• Strategic Planning
• Supply Chain
• Change Management
• Food Science
• Beverage Development
• Sensory Evaluation
• R&D
• Quality System
• Marketing
• Start-Ups
• Food
• Nutraceuticals
• Quality Assurance
• Entrepreneurship
• Ingredients
• Marketing Strategy
• Food Industry
• Food Technology
• Manufacturing
• Product Development
• Project Management
• New Business Development