Vickie Quast
Minooka
Summary
Dynamic Quality and Inventory Manager with a proven track record at APL Logistics, excelling in food safety compliance and inventory control. Expert in SOP development and corrective action implementation, fostering a culture of excellence and achieving zero pest-related incidents. Passionate about driving quality assurance and enhancing operational efficiency through effective team leadership.
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
4
4
Certification
Work History
Quality and Inventory Manager
APL Logistics
Minooka
01.2018 - 01.2025
- Managed Food Safety and Inventory Control compliance for APL Logistics (3PL), serving as the SME for warehouses across the U.S. and Canada and supporting a major cereal and snack company. Served as the primary liaison for all customer quality inquiries, ensuring timely resolution and high satisfaction levels.
- Led a cross-functional Operations and Quality team in defining shared objectives and implementing streamlined workflows to implement all prerequisite food safety programs, including SOPs, SSOPs, Chemical Control program, Allergen Program, Food Defense, and Pest Control. Maintained document control for all SOPs.
- Authored and systematically updated all food safety training materials, ensuring site-wide compliance with regulatory and audit standards.
- Led local warehouse teams with AIB audits with an average AIB score of 975 over 7 years. Addressed non-conformities with local management teams to implement effective corrective actions. Additionally, I successfully obtained Halal certification.
- Completed GMP audits of sites in preparation for AIB audits.
- Monitored all pest control records for APL’s network of customer warehouses. Ensured each location completed thorough root cause analysis and implemented corrective actions for all findings.
- Directed all inventory control operations across six sites, ensuring product traceability and accuracy while adhering to GMP and sanitation standards.
- Maintained FDA registration of 8 food distribution warehouses over 7 years and achieved no findings during several unannounced FDA inspections.
- Administered and reviewed mock trace exercises for all corporate sites. Guided each location during customer-driven mock exercises to achieve 100% traceability on customer products.
- Implemented rigorous controls to prevent inadvertent release of quality hold products, safeguarding product integrity and consumer safety, resulting in 100% compliance with standards.
- Achieved seven years of zero pest-related operational incidents by managing the pest control provider and ensuring continuous regulatory compliance.
- Investigated and implemented corrective actions for customer complaints.
- Cultivated a high-performance culture through hands-on coaching and developmental feedback.
Quality Supervisor
Menasha Packaging
Minooka
01.2016 - 01.2018
- Served as the primary liaison between plant operations and USDA regulatory inspector resolving non-compliance issues to prevent operational disruptions.
- Successfully maintained the site’s Level 3 SQF Certification through rigorous compliance management and internal auditing processes.
- Directed and mentored a quality assurance team of 6 technicians, ensuring adherence to specifications for all customer products and minimizing quality escapes.
- Implemented daily quality checks and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) across two production shifts.
- Collaborated with production management to conduct root cause analysis on recurring quality issues, leading to permanent corrective actions.
Quality Manager
World Class Distribution
Minooka
01.2014 - 01.2016
- Managed and implemented the end-to-end quality program for two internal production kitchens (salad preparation and cheese cutting), ensuring strict adherence to food safety standards and cGMPs.
- Oversaw quality inspections of all incoming products destined for Trader Joe’s stores, ensuring vendor compliance and product integrity upon arrival.
- Established sanitation protocols, training procedures, and preventive maintenance schedules for specialized processing equipment within the production area.
- Successfully mitigated contamination risks by implementing and monitoring the quality program throughout the entire production cycle.
- Completed mock audits in preparation for SQF certifications.
- Assisted with supplier audits for Trader Joe’s.
Microbiology Laboratory Supervisor
Silliker Laboratories (Mérieux NutriSciences)
Chicago Area
01.1999 - 01.2014
- Managed a large-scale microbiology testing laboratory, overseeing the analysis of environmental swabs and food samples for major national and international food companies.
- Applied statistical process controls on daily positive control tests. Investigated data points that were out of specification and applied corrective actions.
- Maintained and enforced quality programs to ISO 17025 standards, ensuring the accuracy, reliability, and global acceptance of all laboratory testing results.
- Implemented a digital training program for laboratory technicians, standardizing testing methodologies and significantly improving onboarding efficiency and compliance.
- Provided critical risk assessment and data interpretation to clients related to microbiological contamination and foodborne pathogen control, including the authorized release and technical review of all Certificate of Analysis (CoA) documents.
Education
B.S. - Biology
Governors State University
University Park, IL01.1999
Skills
- Food safety and compliance
- Microbiology expertise
- FSMA regulations
- Quality assurance methodologies
- Product traceability
- Laboratory management
- Corrective action and preventive action (CAPA)
- Inventory management systems
- SAP ERP proficiency
- Cycle counting techniques
- Physical inventory control
- Documentation management
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Data visualization with Tableau
- Data analysis skills
- SOP development
Certification
- HACCP Certified
- PCQI
- Certified Food Defense Coordinator
- SQF Practitioner
Timeline
Quality and Inventory Manager
APL Logistics
01.2018 - 01.2025
Quality Supervisor
Menasha Packaging
01.2016 - 01.2018
Quality Manager
World Class Distribution
01.2014 - 01.2016
Microbiology Laboratory Supervisor
Silliker Laboratories (Mérieux NutriSciences)
01.1999 - 01.2014
B.S. - Biology
Governors State University