Gary has invested his career in North American agriculture and food processing industries as a successful entrepreneur in both primary and value-added sectors.

In the last 15 years, he has directed the conception, development, and growth of Vantage Foods, a leader in the retail case-ready fresh meats market.  Today the company has five Customer Service Centres, supplying leading food retailers in Canada and the U.S.

A life-long passion for positive change drives Gary’s commitment to championing the company's Brand Promise and Core Values, which support the Vantage growth strategy.  Continually raising the bar on ensuring customer success, and developing the management competencies of the Vantage 1,200-member team, are his relentless pursuits.

Gary's advocacy for positive change has also extended to industry and community organizations, including directorships with the Olds College Centre for Innovation and AgriVest Capital Corporation.

An avid traveller, Gary maintains a global perspective on emerging food industry trends.  Gary holds an International MBA from IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Vantage Foods is a private company held by the Haley family with equity participation of senior management.

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 Certified Management Accountant and a graduate of the Commerce program from the University of Calgary, Don has spent over 25 years in the Canadian food industry.

Beginning in wholesale with Associated Grocers, Don has worked as a controller and financial manager in both food processing and food retailing (The Overwaitea Food Group), and in so doing has acquired a keen sense of the North American food distribution system and the importance of strong retailer/processing relationships.

An advocate of timely technology, Don is a self-professed “early adopter” and champions the integration of state-of-the-art technology for Vantage Foods. Don directs financial management for all elements of Vantage Foods and has been with the company from its beginning.

A Bachelor of Commerce graduate of the University of Alberta, Jim brings significant experience in the areas of human resources and corporate services attained in the oil and gas, clean technology, and management consulting sectors.

Jim’s career as a human resource generalist includes a balance of strategic and tactical initiatives, including recruitment and selection, total rewards, career transition consulting, business processes, and human resource service delivery alternatives through restructuring and outsourcing efforts.

Active in both professional and community roles, he is past Chairman of the Calgary Seminar’s Committee for WorldatWork and holds a Certified Human Resource Professional (CHRP) designation from the Human Resources Institute of Alberta.

In his role as Director, Human Resources and Corporate Services, Jim is responsible for providing leadership in all human resource and corporate services matters, including employee and labour relations, organizational effectiveness, total rewards design and delivery, office and facilities management, as well as strategic and operational planning.

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 Belleville Customer Service Centre.

Rob initially garnered his skills in case-ready processing for beef and pork during his early years, at which time he played an integral role in the design of production lines and processes for a new case-ready facility.  Rob joined Vantage Foods 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. 

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

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 2012, Rob took on the role of Vice-President, Canadian Operations East and Service Centre General Manager, Belleville.

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

Scott is contributing over 29 years of food industry experience to his role as Customer Service Center Vice-President/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.

As Customer Service Centre General Manager for Winnipeg, Christina is responsible for the operating profitability, organizational capability, and growth of our business in the Winnipeg Service Centre, while delivering on Vantage’s Brand Promise to our valued customers.

Christina brings over 15 years of experience in the agriculture, food processing, and case-ready meat industries, including continuous improvement and quality assurance leadership roles at Monsanto and Maple Leaf Foods.

Driven toward a discipline of operational excellence, Christina has a track record for developing and executing continuous improvement and quality strategies in food processing environments.

Her energy and passion, leadership, and learning abilities are evident and have contributed to her success in assuming more responsible roles as a Continuous Improvement Specialist and Best Practice Leader, as well as Production Manager before her recent appointment as General Manager in the Winnipeg Service Centre

Jon brings over 15 years of experience in logistics, inventory control, production processes and supervision, and plant operations to Vantage’s Lenoir, NC, USA Service Center.  He believes quality and service delivers on Vantage’s Brand Promise and his relentless pursuit of the customer’s success drives his strong work ethic.

Jon began his career with Vantage as the Service Center Coordinator, quickly progressing to the roles of Shipping Supervisor, Production Supervisor, and Production Manager prior to his recent appointment as General Manager in the Lenoir Service Center.  He played an integral role in the start-up and recent expansion to this facility.  Jon has a track record for developing teams and building efficient processes, which will serve him well in his new role.

Jon is a graduate of Lenoir-Rhyne University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration.