Tony Tantis

Product delivery and manufacturing operations professional with 13 years' experience turning product ideas and customer requirements into accurate specifications, packaging, production plans and commercially viable launches. Led a food-manufacturing business through a three-year period in which turnover nearly doubled, while strengthening manufacturing capability, managing severe cocoa-cost inflation and creating higher-value products from existing processes and equipment. Brings practical experience across product data, SKU and packaging changes, contract manufacturing, inventory, supplier coordination, approvals and continuous improvement.

General Manager / Business Lead - Yours Truly Chocolates Pty Ltd - Adelaide, South Australia

(2013-01)

Australian chocolate and confectionery manufacturer developing branded products and delivering contract-manufacturing work for wholesale and customer-led requirements.

• Growth and resilience: Led a period in which turnover increased to nearly twice its starting level over three years, while navigating cocoa prices rising to approximately 2.5 times their previous level and adapting pricing, product value and commercial priorities to protect business viability.
• Scale-ready manufacturing: Developed the production setup, workflows and operating capability with internally estimated headroom to support approximately 5-8 times the then-current turnover, creating a scalable platform for further growth.
• Value-led product innovation: Developed Chocolate Generations and extended the platform into Yummy Cards, using the same core production process and existing equipment while adding differentiated packaging and a digital gifting proposition to support a higher-value price point.
• Product data and SKU coordination: Maintained product, packaging, inventory, costing, customer and production information across branded and contract-manufactured products, using Unleashed, Xero, Microsoft Office and internal records to support accurate decisions and delivery.
• Packaging and contract manufacturing: Translated internal and external product briefs into controlled product, packaging and manufacturing requirements; assessed feasibility, coordinated trials and suppliers, and managed changes across cost, timing, materials and production capability.
• Cross-functional approvals and planning: Coordinated decisions across production staff, suppliers, packaging partners, customers and distributors while balancing orders, materials, stock, capacity and deadlines and identifying constraints before delivery.
• Data accuracy and visibility: Used inventory, operational and financial information to identify inconsistencies, confirm requirements and improve visibility across products, stock, customer commitments and production planning.
• Continuous improvement: Converted recurring information gaps and weak handovers into clearer briefs, checklists, responsibilities and follow-up steps, improving consistency and reducing reliance on informal knowledge.
• Commercialisation pathway: Took product concepts from early idea through definition, packaging direction, manufacturing feasibility, costing, pricing and launch planning while maintaining alignment between customer value and operational capability.
• Product platform extension: Reused an established core product and manufacturing process to create a differentiated premium offer, showing how packaging, brand positioning and customer experience can increase value without requiring a new production platform.
• Contract-manufacturing delivery: Created a clearer brief-to-delivery pathway by defining product, packaging, materials, timing and responsibility requirements before work commenced, then coordinating questions and changes through delivery.
• Packaging and supply coordination: Worked with packaging suppliers, production staff and customer stakeholders to align materials, formats, stock availability, timing and manufacturing needs for product launches and ongoing supply.
• Product information control: Used structured briefs, inventory information, internal records and checklists to keep product requirements visible, improve handovers and reduce ambiguity between customer, commercial and production needs.
• Industry and innovation activity: Supported R&D grant activity, product-development initiatives and manufacturing-focused industry groups connected with innovation, operational improvement and commercial capability.

Electrical Engineer - Secon Consulting Engineers - Adelaide, South Australia

(2008-01 - 2012-12)

• Technical documentation: Worked with technical requirements, drawings and project information, developing a disciplined approach to data accuracy, controlled documentation and practical problem-solving.
• Project coordination: Coordinated information and requirements across stakeholders, strengthening attention to detail, communication, prioritisation and follow-through.

Advanced Diploma - Electrical Engineering - TAFE SA, Regency Campus (2005-01 - 2008-12)