When Walter Visentin sat down for the first time with FGF founders Ojus and Tejus Ajmera back in 2010, FGF was not what it is today.

It was a small team of passionate dreamers working from a single facility, diligently pushing for growth and efficiency. This was an exciting time. The stakes were high and the team needed to make smart decisions. Including, who will be hired as part of the growing manufacturing team.

And then Walter walked in.

Walter attended McMaster University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in commerce. He started his career in the finance department of a manufacturing facility before eventually moving to the plant floor as a Project Manager. From there, he enhanced his skills, obtained new certifications and built a reputation as a trusted leader who can solve tough challenges.

But Walter had never worked in food manufacturing, so when he sat down with FGF for the first time it was his philosophies and no-nonsense approach that impressed FGF’s leadership.

“I loved it right from the start,” says Walter. “When I first started, Tejus told me I would never work harder in my life. He was right, but I’ve never felt more rewarded by the results.” Walter’s ability to rise to the occasion was exactly what FGF needed. He started at the Rivermede facility as FGF’s first Continuous Improvement Engineer before becoming the Operations Leader at the new Ormont facility when it opened in 2011. He moved from bakery to bakery as new facilities opened and quickly became the expert on production standards, organizing equipment, improving processes, eliminating waste, identifying bottlenecks and increasing output.

But Walter’s biggest strength is his ability to build reliable teams. Year after year as Walter moved from one facility to another, he left behind team leaders that continue to exceed expectations. Walter’s impact on the organization can best be captured in a quote from FGF’s leadership team after his most recent promotion, “Walter represents the FGF culture in and out, and his humble and authentic leadership style is a role model for our current and future manufacturing leadership teams.”

“One of my key philosophies to getting anything done has been getting the right people in the right places,” says Walter. “If you can do that, there’s nothing you can’t do.”

Today, Walter is the head of FGF’s manufacturing at all facilities and leads the Continuous Improvement Team. “Working at FGF has been an incredible experience,” says Walter. “It’s fast paced and certainly not the culture for everyone. But if you’re ambitious, not afraid of change and love working with great people, you’ll thrive here.”