LEN HARING
Chief Compliance Officer
Leonard L. Haring, Jr., is the Chief Compliance Officer of Total Quality Integration Group LLC. Our Group is committed to “Transforming the quality, wholesomeness and food safety of the food industry supply chain”. Since entering the pharmaceutical industry in 1974, the confectionery industry in 1987 and the artisan food industry in 2008, Leonard brings over 40 years of experience in the design of systems, compliance activities and hands-on work in the analytical and microbiological laboratories, Quality Control, Quality Assurance and Quality Integration at R. P Scherer, L. A. Dreyfus division of Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company and Tribeca Oven/C. H. Guenther and Sons Company.
Leonard has achieved certifications as a Quality Auditor and a BRC Certified Auditor, Certified HACCP Auditor from the American Society for Quality. He also has been certified as an ISO internal auditor, and as an SQF Practitioner. He is qualified as a Six Sigma Green Belt and a Senior member of the American Society for Quality. In 2016, Len achieved certification as a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual for FSMA, and certification as an ASQ Certified Supplier Quality Professional.
During his career, Leonard has developed quality systems from inception through implementation, and improved existing systems for efficiency and cost effectiveness without sacrificing compliance and service to the organization. These included supplier systems from specification to vendor certification to reception and use, inspection processes executed by floor staff with satellite laboratory functions also operator driven, manufacturing improvements, laboratory systems, GFSI-compliant systems, quality reporting for management awareness and process improvement planning, auditing- both internal and supplier, auditor training and certification, HACCP development and maintenance, Sanitation management, and the integration of quality processes into the entire business process.
As the first quality assurance manager at Tribeca Oven Inc., Leonard designed and put into place procedures and processes required for both client and GFSI (SQF) compliance, and successfully shepherded the organization through the initial certification in 2001 and the 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 recertification cycles. He set up the compliant HACCP program, and worked with the Sales and Service groups to bring Quality into their realms and to enhance the company vision of “revolutionizing the culinary experience”.
During his tenure at L. A. Dreyfus/Wrigley, Leonard improved the quality assurance process which allowed a reduction of laboratory manpower by 50%, modified the finished goods release testing from a two day series to a five hour process, allowing products to ship the day produced, as well as moved from a three-day raw material quarantine/testing regimen to a supplier certification program which allowed materials to move directly from the truck to the point of use. These saved $355,000 annually and greatly enhanced the response to customer needs. These improvements also allowed the firm to lease out part of the facility where previously the same space was needed to store material awaiting incoming and outgoing testing.
At R. P. Scherer, Leonard set up compliant systems to meet cGMP and customer requirements, managed the 24-7 inspection and testing processes, and designed equipment to cull undersize/oversize capsule pieces at the initial point, allowing for quick recycling and reuse. Leonard also designed and put into place two video sorting units to inspect, measure and disposition completed hard capsule units without manual intervention. These units doubled the production rate of the manual process.