Anek Saennuja

Manufacturing and Operations Executive with 20 years of progressive leadership in the global food ingredients industry, culminating in Company Director and Plant Operations leadership roles. Proven success leading 300+ employees while driving operational excellence, financial performance, digital transformation, and strategic growth, while collaborating closely with manufacturing sites across Southeast Asia. Experienced in governance, P&L accountability, CAPEX/OPEX management, Lean manufacturing, supply chain optimization, and world-class food safety systems.

Recognized for building high-performing teams, improving customer satisfaction, delivering multimillion-baht savings, and developing regional manufacturing capability.

Company Director at Kerry Ingredients Thailand (2024-05 – 2026-06)

• Represented Kerry Thailand at the Global Plant Leaders Conference (Dublin, Jan 2026), translating global strategy into actionable goals that improved performance, customer satisfaction, and safety.
• Developed a 5-year strategic plant plan, targeting 50% capacity expansion, OEE >85%, 50% reduction in customer complaints, conversion costs <€0.100/kg, >2,500 TRI-free days, 100% zero waste to landfill, and NPS of 50.
• Partnered with Finance to manage budgets and implement Coupa, while optimizing plant inventory through cross-functional collaboration to strengthen spend control, working capital efficiency, and cash flow.
• Played a key role in Kerry Thailand's transformation into a Center of Excellence for Meat Technology, applying digital systems to enhance quality, safety, and manufacturing reliability.
• Strengthened employee welfare and compliance by implementing workplace programs aligned with national labor standards.
• Improved customer satisfaction by strengthening collaboration across Quality, Operations, and Commercial teams.
• Led governance, regulatory compliance, and sustainability programs, strengthening the standards and earning IEAT Green & Gold Star recognition.
• Served as authorized signatory for trade, customs, and tax documentation, securing cross-border tax relief.

Plant Operations Manager at Kerry Ingredients Thailand (2018-06 – 2026-06)

• Lead 6 managers and 300+ staff, reporting to regional and global leadership across SEA and Europe.
• Delivered regional training and remote coaching (Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Turkey), enabling successful product launches and capability building.
• Partnered with Finance to oversee an annual THB 300–400M plant operating budget, strengthening financial governance, cost control, and business performance.
• Led Engineering teams in executing two THB 100M+ process-line installations, expanding manufacturing capability and supporting business growth.
• Championed safety programs, achieving 1,200 days without TRI.
• Achieved and sustained top-grade Quality certifications for 3 consecutive years, demonstrating compliance excellence.
• Established FSQ culture, embedding RCA/CAPA practices and empowering shopfloor teams.
• Led the shift from reactive to proactive operations through RCA, structured problem solving, and PM/PDM, strengthening equipment reliability and cross-functional problem-solving capability.
• Institutionalized KPI discipline to sustain 99% OTIF delivery, a benchmark of key metrics excellence.
• Applied lean tools, Visual Management, and 8-Step Problem Solving to improve operational efficiency through automation and supply chain optimization.
• Directed OPEX & CAPEX modernization, unlocking 5,800 MT capacity and improving reliability via predictive maintenance.
• Partnered with Commercial & R&D to accelerate NPI wins and scale-up, supporting market expansion.

Assistant Factory Manager at Kerry Ingredients Thailand (2017-04 – 2018-05)

• Led 3 managers (Production, Engineering, Safety), reporting directly to the Operations Manager (Ireland).
• Strengthened production capacity and secured business continuity through cross-border equipment transfers, installation of a 2.5 MT blender, layout redesign, and packaging modifications, avoiding THB 15M in CAPEX investment.
• Directed SKU localization to Kerry Philippines and improved wet cleaning efficiency at Kerry Penang, reducing cleaning time from 8 to 3 hours.
• Managed office relocation for 50 employees, enabling expansion of new R&D laboratories.
• Delivered KPI performance across production, safety, and maintenance teams.
• Executed talent management initiatives, redeploying supervisors across Production, QA, Warehouse, PD, and Supply Chain to strengthen organizational capability.
• Gained international exposure through factory assignments in Malaysia (Plentonge, Tampoi, Penang).

Production Manager at Kerry Ingredients Thailand (2015-06 – 2017-03)

• Optimized production and warehouse workforce allocation, reducing labor costs while sustaining operational productivity.
• Reduced production loss from 1.5% to 0.7% and hosting ANZ Plant manager to replicate best practice.
• Applied Six Sigma DMAIC to improve FTQ by 5% and reduce complaints by 10%.
• Led SAP ERP go-live (2015), ensuring smooth transition for planning, execution, and recipe control.
• Trained Kerry Philippines Production Supervisor onsite for one week on dry ribbon blender and down-packing technology.

Senior Production Supervisor at Kerry Ingredients Thailand (2013-02 – 2015-05)

• Served as interim Production Manager for four months, optimizing production planning and ensuring stable output.
• Led allergen consolidation and SAP PPDS/Production Execution deployment, improving planning accuracy and recipe control.

Warehouse Supervisor at Kerry Ingredients Thailand (2012-07 – 2013-01)

• Managed 2,400-pallet warehouse, logistics, vendors, and regulatory compliance, ensuring efficient material flow.
• Optimized warehouse infrastructure and external warehousing, ensuring safe, efficient, and uninterrupted operations.

Shift Production Supervisor at Kerry Ingredients Thailand (2007-05 – 2012-06)

• Supervised blending and dispensary operations, reducing downtime through structured troubleshooting and leadership.
• Maintained GMP, HACCP, BRC, ISO, and CCP compliance, ensuring product quality and food safety.

Supervisor at Ao. Charoenchai 2001 Co., Ltd (2005-10 – 2007-04)

• Oversaw production of pickled mustard greens and garlic, managing raw intake, fermentation, and packaging.
• Coordinated preventive maintenance, supporting equipment reliability and production continuity.

Sales at AP Anupap Agriculture Co., Ltd (2005-04 – 2005-09)

• Sold fertilizers, herbicides, and agricultural equipment to farming customers.
• Service Support coordinated with suppliers and customers to ensure timely delivery and after-sales service.

Bachelor's Degree in Agro-Industry – Chiang Mai University