Samson Ogunrinola

Quality Assurance Manager and New Product Development Coordinator with more than 15 years of progressive experience in food safety management systems, regulatory compliance, quality control and product validation across FMCG food, beverage and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Currently leads quality assurance operations across two plants and 14 production lines at Caraway Africa Nigeria Limited, with responsibility for FSSC 22000 Version 6, HACCP, GMP, ISO 9001, supplier quality management, CAPA, audit readiness and laboratory controls. Experienced building quality culture, leading cross-functional teams of more than 100 staff and supporting the successful transition of new products from trials to commercial production.

Has authored and implemented more than 50 SOPs covering validation, batch release, hygiene monitoring, quality documentation and process control.

Quality Assurance Manager | New Product Development Coordinator - Caraway Africa Nigeria Limited, Olam Group - Lagos, Nigeria

(2024-10)

• Lead quality assurance and quality control operations across two plants and 14 tomato and beverage production lines processing more than 2,500 metric tonnes monthly.
• Developed and maintain a Quality Management System aligned with FSSC 22000 Version 6, HACCP, GMP and ISO 9001 requirements across both production plants.
• Led continuous improvement initiatives using real-time defect monitoring, statistical process control, CAPA and strengthened escalation procedures, reducing packaging-related defects by 38% within eight months and improving finished-product compliance from 82% to 97%.
• Reduced material waste by 22%, generating annual savings exceeding NGN 45 million, and reduced customer complaints by 41% through structured root-cause investigations, strengthened in-process controls and CAPA implementation.
• Lead multi-site audit readiness and regulatory engagement, achieving zero major non-conformities across certification, customer and NAFDAC regulatory audits.
• Maintain the multi-site quality risk register, lead root-cause investigations and implement corrective and preventive actions to address critical food safety, quality and regulatory risks.
• Coordinate new product development and validation activities, including material trials, IQ, OQ and PQ, shelf-life studies, critical process parameter definition, quality specification development and control-plan preparation.
• Lead pilot-to-commercial scale-up and post-commercialization reviews in collaboration with R&D, production, engineering and supply chain teams, supporting consistent product quality and successful commercial launches.

Quality Assurance Manager - Sonia Food Industries Ltd - Nigeria

(2018-01 - 2024-09)

• Directed quality assurance operations across all production shifts for more than six years, sustaining GMP and food safety compliance and supporting successful regulatory, customer and third-party audits with minimal non-conformities.
• Implemented a supplier quality improvement Programme that reduced raw material non-conformities by 60%.
• Introduced enhanced hygiene monitoring and employee training programmes, raising GMP compliance scores from 76% to 95% across assigned production shifts.
• Trained and mentored quality inspectors in GMP, Kaizen, quality documentation and process control, strengthening inspection quality and reducing repeat deviations.

Head, Quality Control and Assurance - Gemini Pharmaceuticals Nigeria Ltd - Nigeria

(2015-03 - 2017-12)

• Headed quality control and assurance operations for a pharmaceutical manufacturer producing Vecuten and Sabresten Cream, supporting successful NAFDAC inspections with zero major quality failures.
• Streamlined batch-release and documentation processes, strengthened laboratory GMP compliance through improved SOP implementation, and managed quality documentation, deviation investigations and CAPA activities in line with pharmaceutical regulatory requirements.

Product Development Manager - Evans Medical PLC - Nigeria

(2013-07 - 2015-02)

• Supported pharmaceutical product development, quality assurance operations and manufacturing compliance, reducing batch rejection rates and manufacturing deviations by 28% through enhanced process monitoring and quality verification systems.
• Contributed to process validation, deviation investigations and CAPA implementation, partnering with production and technical teams to improve manufacturing consistency and GMP compliance.

Quality Control Chemist - Dana Pharmaceuticals Ltd - Nigeria

(2010-09 - 2013-06)

• Performed routine and analytical laboratory testing on raw materials, in-process samples and finished pharmaceutical products in a GMP-regulated environment, maintaining full compliance with approved testing, documentation and laboratory procedures.

Medical Laboratory Intern - Onicha General Hospital - Ebonyi State, Nigeria

(2009-08 - 2010-06)

• Conducted routine clinical laboratory tests under supervision to support patient diagnosis and care, developing the laboratory analysis and documentation discipline applied throughout a quality assurance career.

Master of Public Health - Public Health and Regulatory Affairs - Miva Open University (2026)

B.Sc.

• Food Science - Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (2026)

Postgraduate Diploma - Clinical Biochemistry - Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria (2012)

Higher National Diploma - Biochemistry - Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger State, Nigeria (2008)

National Diploma - Science Laboratory Technology - Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger State, Nigeria (2003)