William Lester

Senior Manager of Production Distribution at Second Harvest

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

About

Over 10 years of hands-on experience in food production, warehouse operations, and facility management within high-volume perishable food environments. Experienced in leading teams, optimizing workflows, maintaining strict health and safety standards, and supporting facility launches. I am passionate about building safe, efficient, and organized operations while fostering strong team collaboration. Skilled in inventory management, ERP systems (Microsoft Business Central), preventative maintenance, and cross-department coordination. Known for a hands-on leadership style, I thrive in fast-paced environments where process improvement, operational efficiency, and compliance are top priorities. Core strengths include: facility & production operations, health & safety leadership, inventory control, preventative maintenance, team supervision & training, process improvement, audit preparation, and warehouse/distribution operations.

Experience

  • Senior Manager of Production Distribution at Second Harvest
    Apr 2026 - Present · 3 mos

  • Real Food For Real Kids (1 yr 9 mos)
    • Facilities Manager
      Mar 2025 - Apr 2026 · 1 yr 2 mos

      Lead daily facility operations, warehouse, and distribution in a high-volume pick-and-pack environment. Oversee scheduling, workflow, inventory control, and health & safety compliance. Maintain equipment sanitation and preventative maintenance programs. Identify process improvements to increase efficiency and reduce waste.

    • Facilities Supervisor
      Aug 2024 - Mar 2025 · 8 mos

      Assisted in opening and launching a second facility, including staffing support, equipment setup, and workflow coordination. Helped establish operational systems to support a stable and compliant startup. Worked closely with production, warehouse, and leadership teams to align daily operations.

  • Real Food For Real Kids (10 yrs 1 mo)
    • Operations Lead
      2022 - 2024 · 2 yrs

      Supported ERP implementation (Microsoft Business Central), including system testing, troubleshooting, and improving processes. Helped streamline warehouse workflows to improve inventory accuracy and fulfillment efficiency. Improved stock tracking and reporting to better support production planning.

    • Warehouse Operations Specialist
      2019 - 2022 · 3 yrs

      Managed full inventory control and supported audit preparation. Maintained FIFO rotation and accurate tracking of perishable inventory. Coordinated with production teams to ensure materials were available and disruptions were minimized.

    • Lead Material Handler
      2017 - 2019 · 2 yrs

      Supervised daily staging, receiving, and warehouse workflows. Supported and trained warehouse team members.