Caroline Van Belle

Key achievements:

• Defined and led the QA Roadmap 2024–2029, translating the company vision into a five-year Quality strategy.
• Enabled sustainable achievement of Quality KPI complaint targets through governance, performance management, and continuous improvement.
• Led the Food Safety & Quality culture transformation by creating the FoQuS programme and continuing to champion its adoption across the business.
• Enabled key manufacturing sites to regain BRCGS Grade A certification by partnering with Operations and strengthening local and group quality ownership.
• Established a culture of knowledge sharing by driving best-practice exchange across manufacturing sites.
• Led the organisation through critical food safety incidents and product recalls, ensuring effective risk management and business continuity.
• Rebuilt customer confidence by partnering with Commercial teams to strengthen quality performance and customer relationships.
• Represent Vandemoortele within the Federation of Belgian Bakeries (FGBB), contributing to industry working groups and the development of sector best practices.

Key Achievements :

• Led the organisation through major supplier food safety crises, including Ethylene Oxide (sesame) and LBG, ensuring rapid risk assessment, regulatory compliance, supplier alignment, business continuity, and customer communication.
• Established horizon scanning and risk-based governance to proactively identify emerging supplier risks and strengthen preventive controls.
• Initiated and led the development of a Supplier Collaboration Platform, enhancing data exchange
• Built and structured the Supplier Specification Management team, defining clear governance, roles, and accountability.
• Integrated supplier compliance into the company's sustainability strategy, aligning responsible sourcing with quality and compliance objectives.
• Founded the SPOC community, creating a cross-functional network to strengthen customer excellence and collaboration.
• Enabled end-to-end quality chain governance through the introduction of the Quality Chain and QAS framework.
• Established the quality policy and governance framework for flour mills, driving standardisation and consistent compliance.

Key achievements :

• Founded and implemented the Supplier Performance Evaluation System in close collaboration with Purchase team
• Achieved IFS/BRCGS v7 compliance through the implementation of food fraud preventive systems VACCP assessments into quality systems.
• Developed and deployed a risk-based analysis plan for ingredients and raw materials.
• Partnered with Procurement and R&D to establish a robust supplier, ingredient, and raw material approval framework, enabling compliant and safe product innovation.

Key Achievements:

• Delivered budget targets for the Trading business
• Enabled the successful market launch of the VDM branded extra virgin olive oil through cross-functional cooperation.
• Built supplier partnerships, balancing commercial performance with quality, compliance, and contractual commitments.

Key Achievements:

• Led the successful achievement of IFS and BRCGS certification for the Le Fossat within 6 months (2005), strengthening site quality systems and compliance maturity.
• Supported and enabled the integration of Panavi into VDM’s QA systems (from 2008), ensuring alignment with Group quality standards and governance.
• Delivered IFS certification for the Hamburg site within 3 months (2003) through focused quality system implementation and team engagement.
• Developed and implemented key quality tools, including HACCP, non-conformance, and complaints management systems
• Conducted multiple cross-site audits, building extensive expertise in production processes, product knowledge, and quality management systems

Key achievements:

• Led the transformation of site quality performance, achieving the first IFS Higher Level and BRCGS Grade A certifications.
• Enabled stronger customer partnerships through successful management of customer audits
• Developed a quality team of 9 people, ensuring robust QA/QC execution

Half time - combined with teaching/consulting

• Set up and implemented the site's first HACCP study, establishing a structured food safety risk assessment and control system.
• Held responsibility as Environmental Coordinator, ensuring compliance with environmental requirements
• Successfully led the evaluation, selection, and installation of a wastewater treatment system, assuring regulatory compliance.

• Delivered HACCP and food hygiene training to SMEs in the food industry ( evening sessions)
• Co-authored Hygiene in the Workplace, published by Die Keure.

From full time to half time

• Created a structured learning environment , promoted respect and personal development.
• Fostered critical thinking and problem-solving skills through new interactive teaching methods.
• Achieved a 100% first-year pass rate, with all students successfully progressing in their degree programme.