Continuous Improvement Manager in Food Manufacturing: Career Insights with Talha Rashid | That’s a Food Job! #122

About Talha Rashid

Talha Rashid, P.Eng, LSSBB, Prosci CM, is the Continuous Improvement (CI) Manager at Handi Foods — a fast-growing Canadian cracker manufacturer supplying major North American retailers including Costco, Walmart, Aldi, and Trader Joe’s. A mechanical engineering graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson), Talha began his career in IT at GlaxoSmithKline, where a chance networking connection led him into continuous improvement — a field he’s been passionate about ever since.

Talha is the inaugural CI leader at Handi Foods, building the department from the ground up as the company targets doubling in size over the next five years.

What We Cover in This Episode

Talha breaks down what continuous improvement actually looks like inside a fast-growing food manufacturing company. In this role he does everything from data collection on the production floor to leading cross-functional teams through change. He explains how Lean Six Sigma tools like 5S and Visual Performance Management get applied to real problems, why Excel is still the most important analytical tool in CI, and how AI models like ChatGPT are starting to reshape the role. He also shares practical advice for students looking to break into continuous improvement, including what hiring managers actually look for in entry-level interviews.

How Talha Became a Continuous Manager at Handi Foods Ltd.

1. Graduated with a mechanical engineering degree from Toronto Metropolitan University
2. First role: Entry-level IT at GlaxoSmithKline — not his field, but it got him inside a large organization
3. Networked across departments, connecting with a future manager in the CI function
4. Transitioned into CI at GSK, joining a brand new department from the ground floor
5. Joined Handi Foods as their first-ever Continuous Improvement Manager

Key Take-aways

1. CI is cross-functional by nature — Talha has run projects with HR, finance, supply chain, production, maintenance, and sanitation, all within one company.
2. The production floor is full of underutilized expertise. Operators and technicians are often the fastest path to understanding why a process is failing.
3. Master Excel before anything else. VLOOKUPs, pivot tables, and macros will serve you in every CI role — more reliably than any specialized software.
4. Analytical and people skills are equally important. Talha identifies as a natural introvert who consciously developed his interpersonal skills for the role — proof that both sides can be learned.
5. In entry-level interviews, willingness to learn matters more than experience. Do your homework on the role and show genuine curiosity — that’s what CI managers notice.

Sponsor

CareersNOW! is Food and Beverage Ontario’s multi-year workforce development initiative that is connecting students and job seekers with employers in Ontario’s food and beverage processing industry for exciting career opportunities. Check out CareersNOW.ca for more information on exciting jobs, career information, industry mentors and training opportunities for professional development.

Watch the Episode Below

Links

Talha Rashid LinkedIn

Handi Foods Ltd. Website

Handi Foods Ltd. LinkedIn

Timestamps

• 00:00 – Introduction to Continuous Improvement in Food Manufacturing
• 02:58 – What Is Continuous Improvement? Definition and Scope
• 05:58 – A Day in the Life of a Continuous Improvement Manager
• 09:00 – The Role of Data in CI: From Line Studies to Root Cause Analysis
• 12:05 – Why CI Requires Cross-Departmental Collaboration
• 14:54 – Analytical vs. People Skills: Why You Need Both
• 18:08 – Lean Six Sigma, Change Management, and Continuous Learning
• 21:06 – Lean Tools: 5S, Visual Performance Management, and Waste Reduction
• 23:58 – Applying Lean Principles to Real Production Problems
• 25:50 – What CI Managers Look for in Entry-Level Interviews
• 29:29 – Using Personal Examples to Demonstrate a CI Mindset
• 33:44 – Understanding Company Culture When Starting a New CI Role
• 37:38 – Why Excel Is Still the Most Important CI Tool
• 39:44 – AI Tools in Continuous Improvement: Useful but Not a Replacement for Judgment
• 43:27 – Talha’s Career Path: From IT at GlaxoSmithKline to CI Manager at Handi Foods