Believe Gunda

Strategic and hands-on Operations Manager with 18+ years of global leadership in food and agro-industrial manufacturing. Proven success driving OEE, cost efficiency, and team performance across 20+ factory sites. Expert in TPM, CMMS, Lean Six Sigma, and EHS systems.

Delivered $3M CAPEX projects, cut downtime by 30%, and improved productivity via smart digital dashboards and structured leadership programs. Adept in ISO/HACCP compliance and ESG-aligned operations. Excels in turnaround leadership, cross-functional alignment, and sustainable factory excellence.

Nutrition Specialist-Food Technologist - UNICEF, Ethiopia - Ethiopia

(2024-04 - 2025-04)

• Led scale-up of climate sensitive egg powder production from 15,000 to 177,000 eggs/day through process optimization and cross-sector coordination, managing a CAPEX investment of $1.75 million.
• Oversaw $3M in equipment procurement and negotiated contracts, aligning with sustainability and CAPEX frameworks.
• Spearheaded and managed the full lifecycle of a $2 million CAPEX initiative for Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) reformulation, from concept to implementation, improving nutritional impact and production efficiency.
• Aligned equipment specifications for the CAPEX projects with sustainability KPIs including energy and water reduction goals.
• Facilitated partnerships with UNIDO, FAO, IFAD, and local producers under a Collective Impact Framework to strengthen national food systems.
• Implemented WHO-compliant production protocols, quality control, and food safety systems for papaya and egg powders.

Food Technologist and Fortification Specialist Consultant - WFP, Tajikistan - Tajikistan

(2023-06 - 2024-03)

• Spearheaded national implementation of wheat flour fortification law, aligned policy with global Codex standards.
• Led pilot programs improving operational efficiency of mills and enforced hygiene and fortification protocols.
• Advised on legal and technical frameworks for a World Bank-financed National Premix Revolving Fund.

Operations Manager (Lead Milling Operations across 22 factories) - SILO Food industries, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe

(2020-06 - 2022-08)

• Directed milling operations across 22 factories with over 140 manpower, aligning production with the National Development Strategy.
• Implemented digital dashboards to monitor real-time plant KPIs for Daily Operations Review, Weekly Operations reviews and Monthly Operations reviews.
• Introduced Lean Manufacturing tools and CMMS, increasing OEE by 15% and cutting downtime by 30%.
• Delivered $1M in cost savings via re-engineered production lines and stakeholder-driven improvement projects.
• Established leadership development programs for supervisors and shift managers, strengthening factory-level talent pipelines.
• Led defect and waste reduction DMAIC projects that improved plant availability and material usage efficiency.
• Applied Manufacturing Excellence Diamond approaches to achieve zero waste, zero delivery misses, and zero defects.
• Executed end-to-end quality management procedures and standard maintenance routines across multiple sites.

Applications Group Manager (New Product Development Management) - Nestle, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe

(2013-02 - 2020-05)

• Launched 5+ fortified products annually including Iron- and Vitamin C-enriched beverages.
• Led cross-functional teams across Sales, Quality, and Engineering to deliver product innovations aligned with cost, quality, and regulatory standards.
• Reduced planned and unplanned stoppages in roller dryers and filling lines by implementing SMED and GSTD routines, enhancing equipment uptime.
• Designed and executed site-wide training initiatives, embedding continuous improvement and capability building culture among plant staff.
• Achieved energy savings through optimization projects, contributing to OPEX reduction and improved environmental performance.
• Led TPM initiatives including Restore Basic Conditions, Centerlining, RCA, and Replication to other lines.
• Implemented the Safety Pyramid methodology to reduce unsafe behaviors and near-miss incidents.

Operations Manager - SUNCREST Chickens, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe

(2006-09 - 2013-01)

• Managed full poultry value chain, overseeing weekly processing of 233,750 birds under strict safety protocols.
• Commissioned new gyro freezers (4tons/hour capacity) and brine injectors on time and within budget.
• Reduced operational costs through redesigned SOPs and efficiency optimization in abattoir operations.
• Created structured mentorship programs and competency development plans, boosting team retention and internal promotions.
• Developed production planning systems that integrated quality, safety, and maintenance priorities.

Graduate Researcher - Nestle, Germany - Germany

(2009-09 - 2010-05)

• Researched and developed to satisfaction new recipes for MAGGI bouillon tablets for the Central and West Africa markets according to their product brief.
• Successfully carried out shelf-life studies for the new product prototypes with 100% accuracy using modeling tools.
• Delivered project presentations to the R&D Head.

Master of Science - Food Technology - Wageningen University and Research, Netherlands (2008-09 - 2010-08)

European Master's - Food Studies - Wageningen University (Netherlands); Cork University (Ireland); Agro Paris Tech (France); Lunds University (Sweden) (2008-09 - 2010-08)

Bachelor of Science - Food science (2000-09 - 2003-08)

Certificate - Oxford Executive Leadership Programme - University of Oxford, Said Business School (2024-07 - 2024-09)

Certificate - Programme Management: A Monitoring and Evaluation Approach - University of Cape Town, Faculty of Commerce (2024-09 - 2024-10)

Certificate - Advanced Project Management: Driving Organizational Success - University of Cape Town (2024-11 - 2025-03)

e-Course - Food Systems e-Course - Wageningen University and Research (2025-02 - 2025-04)