Gary has invested over 30 years in the North American agriculture and food processing industries as a successful entrepreneur in both primary and value-added sectors.

In the last 20 years, he has directed the development and growth of Vantage Foods as a leader in the retail case-ready fresh meats market with Customer Service Centres in Canada and the United States. Vantage Foods is a private company held by the Haley family with equity participation by senior management of the company.

A life long passion for positive change drives Gary’s commitment to championing lean manufacturing in alignment with the organization’s driving beliefs and core values.  Continually raising the bar on customer service and developing the professional skills of the Vantage 700-member team are his relentless pursuits.

An avid traveller, Gary maintains a global perspective on emerging trends in the food industry and positions Vantage to respond proactively to them. Gary holds an International MBA from IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland.

A seasoned professional in retail meat marketing and food processing, Doug has carved a distinguished 30-year career in the North American meat industry embracing plant management, retail product development, and retail meat merchandising—all in senior executive positions with North American retail market leaders. With an in-depth understanding of the retail business culture, Doug drives Vantage Canada's operations and also has responsibility for corporate business development.
 
An advocate of new technology, a champion for quality, and a team player with the inside track on the needs of discerning retail customers, Doug is a core member of the Vantage Foods case-ready answer team.

Doug is a Business Administration graduate from Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario.

A pioneer who has been in the retail case-ready meat business for 23 years, Leonal started North America’s first stand-alone, multi-species case-ready facility located in Canada and the first dedicated single customer, multi-species case-ready plant in the United States. Today, Leonal directs the growth and operation of Vantage Foods’ ventures in the United States.

A skilled communicator and a strong team player, Leonal has negotiated long-term case-ready contracts with the largest retailers in Canada and the United States, and built successful, enduring relationships with them.

Highly motivated to produce quality solutions for discerning retailers, Leonal draws on his knowledge of integrated supply chains (from conception to consumer), the competitive retail environment, and the realities of operating major case-ready meat plants. Leonal is a graduate in Accounting and Business Administration from Northwest Nazarene University.

As Customer Service Centre Manager in Chilliwack, BC, Alan Chong believes that his customer’s (The Overwaitea Food Group) success is paramount. Alan brings quality and service to the forefront of the Chilliwack service centre by unlocking the potential of employee involvement and cultivating a dynamic lean manufacturing culture.

As a teenager, Alan began learning about the meat business and continued his career at Vantage Foods, where he became involved in all areas of the operation. Starting as a supervisor, Alan quickly progressed to Supply Chain Coordinator and ultimately to Production Manager. His hands-on experience on the processing floor blended with his keen business acumen have proven invaluable in his current role.

Alan has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from UBC's Sauder School of Business.

Rob brings 20 years of comprehensive experience in case‑ready processing, plant process analysis, production supervision, and plant operations to Vantage’s Winnipeg Customer Service Centre.

Rob initially garnered his skills in case-ready processing for beef and pork during his years at Cargill, where he played an integral role in the design of production lines and processes for a new case-ready facility.  Rob joined Vantage Foods Inc. in 2002 as Production Manager in Winnipeg and has assumed increasing responsibility in various senior management roles including: customer service centre manager in Chilliwack, where he took the facility through a major rebuild and expansion from start-up to full operation 2005–2008.  After assuming a key role in Vantage’s business development in Eastern Canada, Rob directed initial facility design and equipment procurement for our newest customer service centre in Belleville.

In 2010, Rob re-joined Vantage as Customer Service Centre General Manager in Winnipeg, where he is responsible for all aspects of facility operation, including corporate training to drive our corporate-wide lean manufacturing program in Canada and the U.S.

Rob is a graduate of the University of Windsor with an honours degree in Business Administration.

Scott is contributing over 20 years of food industry experience to his role as Customer Service Center General Manager at Vantage’s flagship service center in North Carolina, United States. Scott played a key role in the build and start-up of the facility and is currently involved in an expansion to the facility.

Prior to joining Vantage, Scott started up and managed a large case-ready beef plant for a major U.S. packing house/food processor for six years. In addition, he has managed complex beef processing operations in the United States since 1983.

Scott brings strong production knowledge, excellent communication, and team-building skills, as well as a proven commitment to integrating a lean manufacturing culture into our Lenoir service center.

Kevin returned to Vantage in 2007 with a strong background in meat plant operations, including start-up and production line design for major food processing plants. His specific experience in process design to drive exceptional yield standards is an invaluable asset to Vantage.

Kevin played a pivotal role as Project Manager for the start-of up our Lenoir service center where he helped to identify and implement layout, design, and plant operation efficiencies to integrate lean manufacturing into the new plant environment.  His expertise has been integrated into training initiatives for Vantage management and staff on case-ready yield and product specification.

In 2011, Kevin relocated to Canada to assume the Customer Service Centre General Manager position for our new operation in Belleville, where he has been on the ground floor of the build and start-up of that facility.