About

Katie Third

Favourite Sauce: Anything my Mom makes
Favourite Restaurant: Wolf in the Fog – Tofino, Canada

General Manager and Vice President of Franke’s Canadian division, Katie is our fearless leader. Since 2014 she has led our team from scrappy start up to an innovative leader in foodservice equipment. Katie’s role naturally finds her involved in business strategy, product innovation, financial management, and many other integral functions to our success. Her calm, confident, positive attitude and ability to find clarity in all situations has earned her the trust and admiration of her team.

Dave Leroux

Favourite Sauce: Béarnaise
Favourite Restaurant: St Lawrence – Vancouver, Canada

Dave, our Director of Sales, provides oversight and strategic direction for sales and marketing functions. Working closely with our customers and Product Development Team, his focus lies in ensuring product innovation aligns with customer needs. Outside of work, Dave’s four-legged friend Quila accompanies him on hikes around Vancouver’s vast trail networks.

Adrian Fisher

Favourite Sauce: Secret Aardvark Sauce
Favourite Restaurant: The Kitchen at Da Silva Winery – Penticton, Canada

As Director of Product Development, Adrian is at the heart of our new product and custom solution projects. His diverse experience in film special effects, medical, aerospace and fuel cell engineering brings a broad foundation of knowledge and expertise to our product development team.

Shadi Rohani

Favourite Sauce: Chipotle
Favourite Restaurant: Shandiz – Tehran, Iran

As Director of Operations, Shadi oversees our complete supply chain and inventory management. Her role sees her maintaining active relationships with key suppliers, ensuring smooth operations of warehouse and shipping departments, and developing policies, procedures and a strategic plan that align with department and corporate goals…aka, she’s busy. Graduating with a Bachelors in Electronics Engineering, Shadi’s experience comes from working in strategic sourcing and purchasing for a number of tech companies where she gained exposure to operations and supply chain management.

Ranbir Gill

Favourite Sauce: Anything hot and tangy!
Favourite Restaurant: An ethnic restaurant nestled in the Jaisalmer desert – I can’t recall the name!

Ranbir keeps FIFO’s finances flying high! Previously trained as a pilot, she now heads up our finance and HR functions, ensuring the financial health of the business. Prior to commencing with FIFO Ranbir’s career spanned across Finance and Accounting as well as lecturing in Chandigarh, India. Beyond work she likes to spend her spare time exploring nature’s beauty.

Farooq Shariff

Favourite Sauce: Matouk’s Hot Sauce
Favourite Restaurant: Darjeeling Express – London, UK

Heading up international sales efforts, Farooq leads FIFO’s growth beyond North America. Through working closely with our global key accounts, he ensures our partners are at the forefront of dispensing innovation. Prior to joining FIFO Farooq spent a number of years on the other side of the squeeze bottle as an accredited Red Seal Chef, operating and starting a number of foodservice businesses. Outside of work Farooq’s passion still lies in the kitchen both at home and in his Vancouver restaurant.

Tim Johnston

Favourite Sauce: Valentina Hot Sauce
Favourite Restaurant: Ticonderoga Club – Atlanta, United States

Tim’s focus lies in managing all sales activities within the US and Canada. His wealth of experience, passion and broad understanding of the Foodservice Industry allow Tim to provide excellent insight to help our clients find efficiencies in their operations. If not restaurants or wine, ask Tim about the latest in the NBA or Soccer ;)

Chi-En

Favourite Sauce: The “Secret” sauce
Favourite Restaurant: Joe’s Pizza – New York, United States

Chi-En, our Design Specialist, integrates with multiple facets of the business, including innovation, product development and brand direction. Prior to joining our team, he worked in design consultancies and advertising agencies on projects in the consumer products, electronics, transportation and medical design industries.

Dominic Nduku

Favourite Sauce: Kozlik’s Canadian Mustard
Favourite Restaurant: Pizzazz Pizza – Harare, Zimbabwe

If you’ve contacted FIFO, you’ve probably spoken with Dominic. Beyond running customer service, Dominic works closely with our Sales and Marketing teams, supporting our Account Managers and helping create marketing materials. A recent business school grad, Dominic’s experience also includes working in quick-serve kitchens. This first-hand experience allows him to directly relate to our customers' needs!

Xi Wen Goh

Favourite Sauce: Malaysian Sambal
Favourite Restaurant: Singapore Hawker – Coquitlam, Canada

Some say it’s from all the cycling. Maybe it’s his expertise in product design. Whatever it is, Xi Wen is always full of wheelie good ideas. Hailing from Malaysia, he moved to Vancouver at age eighteen to study Mechanical Engineering. Since making the move he’s always on the lookout for Vancouver’s best Malaysian food and flavors that take him back home.

When working on products, Xi Wen puts himself in the shoes of the final customers, because he's been there. His time spent working in restaurants during his studies offers insight to better tailor solutions for the food service industry’s needs. As part of the Engineering team, he contributes to product improvement projects, developing brand-new solutions, as well as furthering the automation of FIFO’s production.

Dionne Belaro

Favourite Sauce: Alfredo
Favourite Restaurant: Vikings - Marikina, Philippines

Jay Caruso

Favourite Sauce: My handmade grandma’s tomato sauce
Favourite Restaurant: Rascal - São Paulo, Brazil

Meet our operations assistant, Jay. He’s a wizard. Not the kind that lives in Hogwarts and shoots fireballs, but the kind that turns directives into results. Jay’s the bridge between the management and the warehouse. You’ll find him conjuring up work orders, picking tickets, and managing inventory. When needed, he’s never afraid to go that extra mile and help the production team knock out large orders. A big Potter-head (if it wasn’t clear yet), he hails from the colorful city of São Paulo. During the weekends Jay loves exploring British Columbia and capturing breathtaking photos for his website, 2 Mixx

Jonathan Mamon

Favourite Sauce: Buffalo
Favourite Restaurant: The Captain's Boil - Vancouver, Canada

Salar Sedigh

Favourite Sauce: Pomegranite sauce
Favourite Restaurant: The Flying Pig - Vancouver, Canada

If you were to plan a daring voyage across the seven seas and needed a seasoned captain, Salar’s the man you’d want in charge of your crew. As FIFO’s Production Team Lead, he runs a tight ship, setting and monitoring production tasks, ensuring standards are met, and keeping the team focused. Don’t let the nautical metaphors trick you into envisioning a surly, joyless soul. Salar is a delight to work with, always ready to celebrate the team’s wins!

Bonnie Samar

Favourite Sauce: Sweet Chili
Favourite Restaurant: Gerry’s Grill - Manila, Philippines

Jennifer Key

Favourite Sauce: Spice is the Key!
Favourite Restaurant: Dampa – Manila, Philippines

Jennifer, “Jill of all trades” (often more fitting given her experience and the breadth of her role), is our Administrator and Bookkeeper. While Jenny is a key member of our financial team, it’s not uncommon to find her offering support across all departments. Before starting with FIFO, Jenny worked extensively within the Philippine Export Industry, gaining exposure to a diverse range of industries, practices and business philosophies. While she has never officially worked in restaurants, she holds the title of Executive Chef at home. ;)