VESNA YOURKIN

The Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Manager is a new role at UNFI Canada focused on upholding the company’s core value of prioritizing safety and integrity. In this national role as Manager, I oversaw the implementation and execution of EHS strategies across three Canadian distribution centres. Key responsibilities included developing and maintaining a comprehensive EHS management system, ensuring compliance with regulations, leading safety initiatives, analyzing risk trends, and supporting injury prevention and return-to-work programs. The role involved close collaboration with internal stakeholders and regulatory agencies to foster a strong safety culture and improve EHS performance metric

Core Competencies

• Environmental Health & Safety Management: Proven expertise in developing, executing, and maintaining EHS management systems, including standardized national policies, annual safety plans, audits, and performance reporting
• Regulatory Compliance & Risk Mitigation: Strong ability to interpret and apply federal, provincial and local EHS regulations to reduce organizational risk and ensure compliance
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Skilled at partnering with cross-functional teams (HR, Operations, Finance, Security, Claims) and regulatory bodies to support safety initiatives and resolve compliance issues
• Training & Program Development: Experienced in designing and delivering injury prevention initiatives, safety campaigns, and targeted training programs to drive engagement and reduce incidents. Provided EHS onboarding to all new hires
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Proficient in analyzing EHS metrics, identifying trends, and leveraging insights to set targets, influence business strategy, and improve safety outcomes
• Incident Management & Return to Work: Adept at leading occupational injury programs, conducting root cause analyses, and supporting return-to-work processes in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders
• EHS Audit & Compliance Management: Proficient in conducting audits aligned with standardized national EHS programs, identifying gaps, and developing corrective action plans to drive regulatory compliance and operational excellence. Skilled in analyzing audit outcomes, preparing detailed management reports, and collaborating with cross-functional teams and regulatory officials to resolve non-conformities and implement sustainable improvements
• Cultural Leadership: Champion of world-class safety culture through strategic engagement, continuous improvement, and leadership in Joint Health and Safety Committees (JHSC)

Conducted internal audits across Canada to ensure franchise compliance with Provincial Regulatory and Employment Standards, Food Safety including Food Handling, Preparation, Storage and Employee Personal Hygiene and Practices, Ingredient Safety and Storage, Equipment Safety Controls, Facility Cleanliness and Sanitation, Pest Control as well as record keeping and documentation. Used COBS Bread’s proprietary audit program to assess and improve bakery performance. Developed key health and safety policies, updated training materials, and supported operations during COVID-19 by identifying and recommending best practices.

Transformed the franchisee audit process by fostering a collaborative, trust-based approach through consistent coaching and feedback. Promoted engagement and understanding of compliance practices, resulting in improved bakery performance and operations, employee satisfaction, and sustained adherence to COBS Bread’s high operational standards.

Core Competencies

• Regulatory Compliance Auditing – Skilled in conducting detailed audits across multiple provinces to assess compliance with health, safety, sanitation, and food handling regulations.
• Policy & Standards Enforcement – Expertise in evaluating operations against proprietary audit frameworks (e.g., COBS Bread Five Star program) and provincial regulations.
• Corrective Action & Follow-Up – Adept at developing action plans, providing constructive feedback, and ensuring timely resolution of non-compliance issues.
• Training & Education – Delivered targeted coaching and compliance training to support franchisees and staff in achieving and maintaining audit standards.
• Process Improvement – Identified systemic issues and implemented best practices to enhance audit readiness and operational consistency.
• Stakeholder Collaboration – Built strong working relationships with franchisees, area managers, and corporate leadership to support audit outcomes and drive continuous improvement.
• Documentation & Reporting – Prepared thorough audit documentation and reports, ensuring accuracy, accountability, and alignment with internal and external standards

Core Competencies

Championed compliance across multiple regulatory areas including Environmental, Health & Safety, Food Safety, Consumer Protection, Licenses & Permits, as well as Employment Standards. Conducted site assessments to identify risks and implement process improvements. led incident investigations, and managed return-to-work processes to minimize lost time. Collaborated with internal stakeholders to resolve compliance issues, facilitate change management by coaching staff, leading audits, and driving continuous improvement to enhance operational safety, reduce risk, and strengthen stakeholder engagement. Provided leadership by acting as primary contact during Operations Manager absence..

• Incident Management & Return-to-Work Coordination
  Oversaw full accident investigation process, including root cause analysis, modified duties, and successful worker reintegration
• Regulatory Compliance & Continuous Improvement
  Identified compliance gaps and implemented corrective actions; developed new compliance role and drove ongoing improvements
• Change Management & Stakeholder Engagement
  Led organizational change through education, coaching, and empowerment; built ownership and accountability across teams
• Health & Safety Program Leadership
  Directed internal Health & Safety initiatives, chaired JHSC meetings, and led evacuation drills, strengthening safety culture and practices. Provided Health & Safety training to all new hires
• Audit & Inspection Readiness
  Prepared store for audits including FSA, Pest, and Health Unit audits; developed post-audit action plans and tracked corrective actions
• Risk Identification & Mitigation
  Proactively identified and resolved high-risk Health & Safety and Food Safety issues through SOP development and stakeholder collaboration
• Operational Compliance Oversight
  Conducted comprehensive evaluations; prioritized improvements and enabled department managers to maintain standards at various sites
• Environmental & Regulatory Protocols
  Identified and resolved Ministry of Environment protocol breaches; ensured compliance with Provincial mandate