Anna Bucko’s 27-year tenure at Redpath showcases a career of consistency. Joining the Company in 1998 as a Quality Assurance Technician, Anna progressed through several roles, including Quality Manager, where she managed food safety programs and mentored her team toward success. This past July, Anna was promoted to Environmental Manager, a role where she now leads initiatives on sustainability and environmental compliance, continuing her legacy of dedication and impact at Redpath.
Anna's position focuses on environmental reporting, maintaining accurate records and ensuring the Toronto refinery maintains seamless operation.
Anna began her career fresh out of Centennial College, initially on a 10-month contract with Redpath conducting product testing. When a position opened in the Quality Assurance (QA) team in 1999, she was hired full-time as a QA Technician, taking on product and microbiology testing. Over the years, her dedication and hard work led to promotions, first to Quality Supervisor and later to Quality and Environmental Manager, overseeing both departments.
As compliance demands grew, the roles were split, and Anna chose to focus on quality management, a position she held for many years. Recently, she was elevated to Environmental Manager, seeking a new challenge while creating opportunities for her team to advance.
“I was very comfortable in my quality management position,” Anna said. “I also had great people surrounding me on my team. I needed a new challenge and had an opportunity to move up and switch positions. It had been around 12 years since I worked in the environmental side, so I had the benefit of being familiar with it, but it has also grown and changed a lot since then, so that aspect is a new challenge for me. By taking this position, it was a benefit for both me and my team members, I was able to seek out a new challenge and they had an opportunity to advance.”
As Quality Manager, Anna was responsible for overseeing Redpath’s quality and food safety programs, ensuring compliance with the Safe Quality Food (SQF) standards recognized as industry benchmarks. She focused on designing and maintaining systems to meet customer requirements and food safety regulations.
Beyond managing programs, Anna takes pride in mentoring and developing her team, helping them grow into skilled professionals. Her dedication to fostering talent and ensuring the department’s success was a key highlight of her role, alongside adapting to the ever-evolving demands of food manufacturing and regulatory expectations.
“I’m truly proud I was able to help people develop in the quality department and let them grow to a point where they were recognized on the corporate level,” Anna said. “Seeing them succeed and seeing that department grow is something I hold near and dear to my heart.”
Anna’s advice for advancement is to embrace change and seize opportunities, even if they feel uncomfortable.
“You never know from which direction an opportunity will come from, whether that’s advancement or learning, so seize it when it does come,” Anna said. “Pivot when you have a chance to. We have so many learning opportunities here, so if you’re willing to learn, you will grow.”