Raphaëlle O'CONNOR

Raphaëlle is highly experienced in the design, execution, and commercialisation of science and technology of consumer health products and personalised nutrition.

Cork

Research Expertise

Food Science
Food Chemistry
Food Technology
Dietary Supplements
Cosmeceuticals
Project Management
Technology Transfer
New Product Introduction
Nutrition

About

Raphaëlle is highly experienced in the design, execution, and commercialisation of science and technology. She deals specifically with consumer health products, leveraging a highly-developed managerial and leadership skills, as well as her own veteran expertise in systematic governance processes to support right-first-time project readiness. Raphaëlle has led numerous international and regional inter-disciplinary teams, acting as an innovation catalyst and product-portfolio ambassador. She has lead cross-functional technology transfer projects to internal sites and contract manufacturing organisations (CMOs), and ensures both adherence to client business processes and a robust transfer of clinical and commercial products, technologies, and services.

Education

University College Cork

Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Food Science and Technology / December, 2004

University of Limerick

Business/Commerce, General / December, 2012

La Rochelle Université

Master's degree, Biology, Life Science and Technology / December, 1995

Food Works Programme

Bachelor of Business Administration - BBA, Business / December, 2013

University of La Rochelle (France)

Masters degree in Applied Biology Food Science & Technology, Applied Biology Food Science & Technology / 1995

Experience

ESTROBoost

Founder / May, 2025Present

Lifestyle and nutrition coach to support women going through menopause. Health and wellness coach. Functional foods.

inewtrition

Founder & Company Director / January, 2020Present

inewtrition is a fully distributed food-product development consultancy, offering fractional technical support in food innovation, PLM, and new product development. Areas of focus are medical / clinical nutrition, FSMP, medical foods, functional foods and beverages, customised and personalised nutrition using bioactives and complex formulations with scientific evidence to demonstrate health benefits through nutrition. To find out more on how we could be of help to your project, message me here, email me at raphaelle@inewtrition.com or if you are ready to get started immediately, you can book a 1-1 consultation with me here: https://inewtrition.com/book-a-consultation/

BiaBiz Ltd

Company Director / October, 2018Present

The BiaBiz directory consolidates valuable ‘best of the web’ resources for the food industry and includes 100 free online food training guides, 50 free online people-skills training guides, instructional toolkits, training videos, a catalogue of regulations and supports for 113 countries, a global conference calendar, a YouTube channel, and 2100 web links to categorised content for all food sectors and for businesses of any size. Our publications, blogs, and newsletters all focus on food business and people development.

Amicus Therapeutics

Technology Transfer Manager / November, 2024July, 2025

• Coordinates and oversees all aspects of introducing new pharmaceutical products into GMP manufacturing facilities, including managing raw material specifications, batch manufacturing records, equipment qualifications, and resource alignment to ensure successful product launches while meeting regulatory standards and customer expectations. • Leads cross-functional project teams to deliver against contracted commitments and timelines, serving as the primary point of contact for project status and progression, while also managing technology transfers across the manufacturing network and resolving potential conflicts or issues that may arise during the product introduction process

Amgen

Strategic Planning & Operations Manager / June, 2022October, 2024

• Develops and manages strategic relationships with Contract Manufacturing Organizations (CMOs) and external partners, overseeing contract negotiations, performance metrics, and continuous improvement initiatives to ensure optimal product quality, availability, and cost-effectiveness. • Leads cross-functional teams to align internal stakeholders, implement sourcing processes, and drive operational excellence in external manufacturing, including coordinating technology transfers, managing production schedules, and resolving supply chain issues to support both clinical and commercial product needs.

New Product Introduction Project Manager / July, 2020May, 2022

I manage all aspects of key initiatives and projects, with a special focus on Site Selection (SS), Technology Transfer (TT), and Life-Cycle Management (LCM). • Manage multiple cross-functional TT projects of medium to high complexity to Contract Manufacturing Organisations (CMOs) and ensured adherence to clients’ business processes, ensuring a robust transfer of biologics, biosimilars, combination products, and small molecules. • Coordinate communications for each project in the areas of timeline impact, scope, budget, risk, and work resource management. • Lead continuous improvement projects that delivered measurable gains in quality, efficiency, and alignment within the company. I applied the knowledge, skills, and tools of project management / Operational Excellence (OE) and ensured the optimal execution of projects, while identifying potential savings and continuous improvement initiatives.

EIT Food

Senior Subject Matter Expert / January, 2020December, 2020

With EIT4Food and EIT4Health, I supported entrepreneurs and startups in designing experiences, systems, and services that improve lives by sharing my extensive expertise in functional foods and bioactives, foodtech, food microstructures, food chemistry, food fibres, plant-based multifunctional and nutritional ingredients, hydrocolloids, new protein sources, emulsion systems, encapsulation, new product development, and process optimisation.

Johnson & Johnson

Senior Project Manager / May, 2019June, 2020

As a key member of the extension program to the Limerick site, I project managed new manufacturing lines, from commissioning, to design, to commercialisation, to product release, with internal multidisciplinary teams and external strategic partners. I worked with Vision Care, Limerick, where the world-leading ACUVUE® range of contact lenses is manufactured. I was part of the extension program to the Limerick site, project managing new manufacturing lines and commissioning all for commercialization from design to product release with internal multi-disciplinary teams and external strategic partners.

Nestlé

Product Development Team Lead / June, 2016April, 2019

As Product Development Lead, I spearheaded the development of personalised, customised, and stratified nutrition projects with a focus on biosystems and bioactive nutrients, lactoferrin, A2 milk, HMOs and BMOs, dietary supplements including multivitamins, multiminerals, carotenoids, and omega-3 fatty acids, as well as nutraceuticals, synbiotics, probiotics, FOS/GOS prebiotics, and postbiotics. I expanded the corporate portfolio in preconceptive and postnatal supplements for brands such as Mom&Me, Illumcare, Inneov (JV Nestlé and l’Oreal), Promama, BioGaia, Materna, Illuma, G-Balance, NAN, and Opti-Lac. Within the highly regulated pharmaceutical/food industry, I oversaw the development of products at all stages, from R&D, to formulation, to regulatory and quality control, to commercial and post-commercial cycles, across global markets. • Led multiple global and regional technical and business deployment projects for infant formula (A2 milk) and maternal categories, contributing to the brand extension process for Inneov, Illuma, S-26, NAN, and Materna. • Was the technical and operational lead for private and branded label products with contract manufacturing organisations (CMOs) and contract research organisations (CROs). • Prepared analyses of competitive landscapes, regulatory frameworks, business cases, risk mitigation alternatives, and feasibility assessments for global R&D projects, and coordinated cross-platform presentations to the portfolio review committee. • Prepared, managed, and implemented project designs for global development plans, including timelines, sourcing, roll-out mappings, budgets, and technical reviews for senior management. • Led and managed several projects that developed new ingredients, products, packaging, and processes, in alignment with consumer trends and insights. • Contributed to winning new business through commercialisation and compliance strategies, and contributed to brand strategy and strategic planning with our CMOs.

Senior Project Program Manager / February, 2013December, 2015

I managed strategic, operational, cross-functional projects with a high impact on the SBU, in alignment with global initiatives and Project Management Office (PMO). Proactive interactions with our other functions, especially the Business Lead and Operations, ensured the delivery of the overall project objectives for Illuma, S-26, and Materna brands. • Partnered with business units to establish the international, cross-functional project team that delivered on time and on budget. • Drove the development, planning, and efficient implementation of the strategy and integrated the project plans and timeline of FSMP, medical foods and nutritional therapy. • Managed the team the execute the project plans and timeline to launch the product on time and within scope. • Was the Taste Consumer Insight Lead for dietary supplements in soft- and hard-gel capsules, and tablets. • Actively participated in the strategic plans and pipelines for assigned projects to support infant formula and maternal brands. • Led the project team and navigated the governance process, with operational responsibility for the overall project. • Managed and coached the team on effective team dynamics. Secured management support for the team. • Adhered to portfolio management and project management best practices, as defined by the PMO.

Pfizer

Senior Technical Lead / January, 2010May, 2013

As a Senior Product Development Specialist and Operations Lead, I built brand architecture for infant formula and maternal products. I was also the intrapreneur for pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, cosmeceuticals, nutriceuticals, and VMS and OTC products, for the Centrum, Illuma, Illumcare, Bonna, Bonamil, and S-26 brands. • Managed and led process and product development from concept to launch, from market intelligence analysis, to raw material qualification, harmonisation of recipes, ingredient qualification, formulation, compliance by design, scale-up, and commercialisation of nutritional products. • Managed the project portfolio, and the governance and deployment of the PMO on site. • Managed operations activities and budget for Materna Centrum, and resources and recruitment for the maternal category. • Oversaw technology transfer and operations activities at internal manufacturing sites, co-packers, and third-party manufacturers. Trained and participated in special trouble-shooting task forces and leadership initiative roles in problem solving. • Remained on the forefront of emerging industry practices and technologies in all aspects of development and manufacture of powder and liquid products. • Collaborated strongly, with a results-oriented, international focus. • Executed due diligence activities, aligned people, systems, and bioprocesses, and led strategy with CMOs and CROs. • Supported marketing, operations, and quality and regulatory functions (GRAS and novel food submissions) with technical expertise.

GLG and AlphaSights

Senior Consultant SME / November, 2018December

Provide insights to make strategic decisions manage risk and confidently expand B2B and B2C businesses to solidify your assumptions and hypothesis. Identify growth markets navigate market regulations and explore new partnerships and channels. Conduct supplier buyer and purchaser research to get a clearer view of your impact advantages and challenges. Gather niche insights to drive innovation on existing products or new lines of business. Evaluate pricing packaging and channel extension to get a broad look at the competition.

www.informamarkets.com

Advisory Board for FI Europe and Vitafoods Europe / November, 2021December

Building relationships with clients to provide relevant technical information to support sales growth for events in Europe. Provide technical marketing support to the commercial team in securing new business opportunities globally. Attend customer meetings conferences and exhibitions globally to provide product and service technical support. Contribute to blogs podcasts and other social media activities in a technical capacity. Actively pursue collaborations in academia and other relevant industry and professional networks to support growth. Jury member for the start-up innovation challenge (FI Europe and Vitafoods)

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