Tania Ramian Balanian
Executive Director of Food Safety and Product Quality @Whole Foods Market
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WORK HISTORY
Executive Director of Food Safety and Product Quality @Whole Foods Market
Austin, TX, US
As Executive Director of Product Safety and Quality for Private Brands at Whole Foods Market, I provide enterprise-level strategic leadership for food and non-food product safety, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance across a complex global supply chain. I lead the end-to-end Product Safety and Quality program for consumable and non-consumable products, ensuring full compliance with all government regulations and Whole Foods Market’s rigorous ingredient and quality standards while driving continuous improvement and proactive risk mitigation.I lead and develop high-performing Product Safety & Quality teams, including leaders, scientists, analysts, and contractors. I set the strategy for policies, procedures, and operating processes that support Private Brands products across the full lifecycle—from ideation and development through commercialization, post-market surveillance, and discontinuation. I oversee the investigation and resolution of product quality, food safety, and customer incidents. I ensure rapid containment, root-cause analysis, and lasting corrective action.I drive cross-functional execution in close partnership with Private Brands, Global Merchandising, Legal, Nutritional Labeling, and Global QA teams to align quarterly and fiscal priorities. I define, track, and deliver against enterprise KPIs tied to product safety, quality performance, speed to resolution, audit outcomes, and cost efficiency. I own operational planning, performance metrics, and budgets—including laboratory testing, consulting, and contractor spend. I manage to targets, control variance, and actively reduce enterprise risk across both food and non-food supply chains.My strategic leadership and unwavering focus on excellence has created high-performing teams and sustainable systems that deliver superior product safety and quality programs while driving continuous improvement—consistently strengthening our market position through lasting customer trust.
EDUCATION
Rutgers University–Newark
Bachelor's Degree, Biology, General
Rutgers University–Newark
Bachelor of Arts (BA) - Biology, Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse
SKILLS
ABOUT TANIA RAMIAN BALANIAN
As Executive Director of Food Safety and Product Quality at Whole Foods Market, I bring over 20 years of leadership experience across the food and consumer products industries, specializing in food safety, quality assurance, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence. I lead the implementation and continuous enhancement of quality management systems that protect consumer trust, strengthen supplier performance, and uphold the highest product and safety standards.Throughout my career, I have driven measurable business impact through risk-based quality programs, technical and performance specifications, and robust testing and compliance frameworks. My background spans product development, supplier quality assurance, laboratory testing, and scientific data management in fast-paced, highly regulated environments. I am known for translating complex regulatory and technical requirements into scalable, high-performing systems that improve both safety outcomes and financial performance.Core areas of expertise include- Consumer Product Testing & Safety Protocols - Regulatory Compliance & Risk Assessment - Quality Management Systems & Supplier Quality - Product Development & Performance Specifications - Technical Operations & Scientific Data Management - Vendor & Project Management - Laboratory & Safety TestingI am a results-driven leader committed to continuous improvement, cross-functional collaboration, and the consistent delivery of high-quality, compliant products that support both brand integrity and bottom-line performance.
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