IRVINE, CALIF. — Golden State Foods (GSF) recently promoted Mariana Manole to senior vice president, global food safety, quality and regulatory affairs (FSQR) and named Steve Ross, senior vice president for operations, Liquid Products of North America (LPNA).

As the newly appointed senior vice president, Global Food Safety, Quality and Regulatory Affairs (FSQR), Mariana Manole will serve as GSF’s chief quality leader. Her responsibilities will include ensuring compliance with food safety laws, federal, state, and local regulatory requirements, customer requirements, and GSF’s corporate standards across all worldwide manufacturing facilities and distribution centers.

Working for GSF since 2016, Manole guided FSQR for all GSF global manufacturing facilities and its growing team of FSQR professionals as group vice president, global FSQR over the past three years.

“A recognized leader by our customers, our competitors, and the liquid products community as a whole, we can all be proud to have Mariana lead our Global Food Safety, Quality and Regulatory team,” said Wayne Morgan, PhD, GSF corporate vice president and president, protein products and operations support services. “She is a proven difference maker for GSF and for our valued foodservice customers around the world.”

In those previous roles at GSF, Manole led LPNA’s comprehensive, rapid transformation of all FSQR systems to best-in-class industry status. Manole holds more than 25 years in FSAR experience and has worked in other roles at Cargill Inc., HC Brill Co-CSM Bakery Products North America, and Wayne Farms LLC. 

In his new role of senior vice president for operations, Liquid Products of North America (LPNA), Ross will lead and direct all liquid products operation activities. He will also help attain quality, cost, timeliness, safety and customer satisfaction objectives and GSF financial and growth goals. 

Before joining the company, Ross worked as director of operations for TreeHouse Foods (Manawa, Wis., and Brantford, Ontario, Canada), overseeing safety, quality, service and cost performance across five North American locations. 

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Steve and his family to Liquid Products North America and Golden State Foods,” said Justin Vannoy, GSF corporate senior vice president and president, LPNA. “Steve brings an impressive background and proven track record that will elevate the supply chain, continuous improvement and operational aspects of the liquids business. Steve’s passion for people, process and results makes him an amazing fit for GSF.”