How to Become a Food Safety Business Leader. Episode 4

Jorge Hernandez is the Vice President of Quality Assurance for the Wendy’s Company. As such, he is responsible for the design, implementation and leadership of the Food Safety and Quality Assurance Programs that impact suppliers, distribution centers and restaurants. Accordingly, he is directly responsible for the food safety, quality-brand protection at Wendy’s.

Previously, Jorge was the Chief Food Safety Officer at Wholesome International, a restaurant company with concepts and brands in the US fast casual foodservice markets; the Senior Vice President for Food Safety and Quality Assurance at US FOODS, the second largest Distributor in the US; the Vice President of Food Safety and Risk Management at the National Restaurant Association; the Food Program Manager at the Illinois Department of Public Health and a Senior Sanitarian at the Winnebago County Health Department in Illinois. 

Jorge has Degrees in Biology from Rockford University, Microbiology from the Centro de Estudios Medico-Biologicos in Mexico City, Mexico, Languages and Literature from la Universite de la Sorbonne, Paris, France and Executive Leadership from the Said School of Business at Oxford University in Oxford, England.

Mr. Hernandez published a number of food safety and quality articles and, in 2019 received the National Restaurant Association’s “Outstanding Food Safety Leader Award”. He also belongs to several national and international organizations and boards, including the Homeland Security Department’s Food and Agriculture Sector Council tasked with the coordination of activities for prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery systems to ensure the resiliency of the Nation’s food and agriculture critical infrastructure; Harvard Business Review’s Advisory Council; STOP Foodborne Illness, an organization of people who have been seriously impacted by foodborne illnesses; the International Food Protection Training Institute (IFPTI) an organization that provides expertise to help government regulatory agencies and organizations around the globe build a professional workforce; QA Magazine, the Food Safety Summit, The Global Food Safety Initiative and the Food Safety Consortium.