Vanessa Jane Taylor
Alfreton,Derbyshire
Summary
Accomplished professional with extensive expertise in supporting food safety and quality, financial budgeting, and organisational acumen. Proven track record in business development and regulatory compliance, including achieving Micron2 STS standard for NHS business and Red Tractor accreditation. Demonstrates strong leadership development skills, managing teams effectively while ensuring performance monitoring through KPI implementation. Adept at customer relationship management, supply chain management, and product development. Committed to maintaining high standards of quality control and corporate social responsibility awareness. Career goals include leveraging scientific knowledge and business networking to drive sustainable growth in a dynamic environment.
Participated in East Midlands High Growth Program, receiving mentorship in business strategy and marketing from Business Evolution for one year. Collaborated with Red Meat Industry Forum, providing consultancy in marketing, business improvement, and manufacturing techniques for one year. Served as Director on grant awarding board for East Midlands NTI Ltd from 2007 to 2011, overseeing funding allocations and strategic initiatives.
Overview
39
39
years of professional experience
16
16
years of post-secondary education
Work history
General Manager
Owen Taylor & Sons Ltd
Alfreton, UK
1997.09 - Current
- Established successful management team to continue to move the business further.
- Oversaw all aspects of daily operations, ensuring smooth running of the organisation.
- Maintained compliance with industry regulations at all times.
- Fostered a high-performance culture, resulting in increased productivity.
Quality Assessor
Severn Trent Water
Matlock, Derbyshire
1992.04 - 1997.08
- Managed the regulatory sampling program for the East Midlands for clean water quality to ensure 100% compliance.
- Managed the team of 10 Quality Inspectors who collected the water samples across the East Midlands
- Ensured compliance with industry regulations and reported accordingly.
- Managed water quality incidents and directed operations to ensure water quality was satisfactory to drink.
Microbiology Laboratory Manager
Severn Trent Water
Matlock, Derbyshire
1989.09 - 1997.08
- Ensured water testing was carried out according to strict procedures.
- Implemented stricter safety measures, enhancing overall lab safety.
- Managed the team of laboratory assistants.
- Interpreted and reported microbiology results.
Microbiologist
Boots the Chemist
Beeston, Nottinghamshire
1988.09 - 1989.08
- Testing of water towers for Legionella bacteria.
- Testing efficiencies of disinfectants and detergents
Junior Medical Laboratory Scientific Officer
NHS
Derby, Derbyshire
1986.09 - 1988.08
Testing patient samples for disease causing microbes
Testing microbes for antibiotic sensitivity
Food microbiology testing
Virology and serology testing
Reporting results to the Microbiology Consultants
Education
10 O' Levels -
Belper High School
Derbyshire 1984.09 - 1986.07
Higher National Diploma - Medical Laboratory Sciences
Sheffield Hallam University (was Polytechnic)
Sheffield 1986.09 - 1998.06
Bachelor of Science - Biological Sciences
Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham 1993.09 - 1996.06
Intermediate Certificate in HACCP Practice Meat - Meat Food Safety
Meat Training Council
Derby 2006.06 - 2006.07
NVQ Level 2 - Food Allergen Training
Food Standards Agency
Derby 2023.02 - 2023.02
NVQ Level 2 - TACCP & VACCP
High Speed Training
Derby 2024.07 - 2024.07
NVQ Level 3 - HACCP in Food Manufacturing
High Speed Training
Derby 2023.03 - 2023.03
1 Week Course in Teamwork, Leadership and Self Awareness
Wentworth Training
2008.04 - 2008.04
Introduction into Internal Auditing and Management Training
High Speed Training
Derby 2025.10 - 2025.10
Skills
Scientific knowledge to support the food safety and quality aspects of the business
- Financial budgeting
- Organisational acumen, through being involved with the day to day and strategic running of a growing business
- Business development, through hands on experience and bringing in outside advisors to grow the business
- Regulatory compliance, ensuring that we meet regulatory compliance in addition to the additional accreditations such as Micron2 STS standard for the NHS business and Red Tractor accreditation
- Financial analysis through the production and interpretation of management accounts and running a successful profitable business for almost 30 years
- Leadership development, managing a management team
- Business networking
- Performance monitoring through KPI implementation
- Customer relationship management
- Supply chain management
- Product development
- LEAN manufacturing
- Organisational awareness
- HR systems knowledge
- Cybersecurity principles
- Corporate social responsibility awareness
- Quality control standards understanding
- IT infrastructure oversight
- Resilience under pressure
- Customer Service
- Team Leadership
Affiliations
- Fitness training, cooking, entertaining
Timeline
Introduction into Internal Auditing and Management Training
High Speed Training
2025.10 - 2025.10
NVQ Level 2 - TACCP & VACCP
High Speed Training
2024.07 - 2024.07
NVQ Level 3 - HACCP in Food Manufacturing
High Speed Training
2023.03 - 2023.03
NVQ Level 2 - Food Allergen Training
Food Standards Agency
2023.02 - 2023.02
1 Week Course in Teamwork, Leadership and Self Awareness
Wentworth Training
2008.04 - 2008.04
Intermediate Certificate in HACCP Practice Meat - Meat Food Safety
Meat Training Council
2006.06 - 2006.07
General Manager
Owen Taylor & Sons Ltd
1997.09 - Current
Bachelor of Science - Biological Sciences
Nottingham Trent University
1993.09 - 1996.06
Quality Assessor
Severn Trent Water
1992.04 - 1997.08
Microbiology Laboratory Manager
Severn Trent Water
1989.09 - 1997.08
Microbiologist
Boots the Chemist
1988.09 - 1989.08
Junior Medical Laboratory Scientific Officer
NHS
1986.09 - 1988.08
Higher National Diploma - Medical Laboratory Sciences
Sheffield Hallam University (was Polytechnic)
1986.09 - 1998.06
10 O' Levels -
Belper High School
1984.09 - 1986.07