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JANNETTE ROMAN Jannette Roman, the Director of Credit Northeast at Goya Foods Inc for the last 2.5 years, located at corporate office in Jersey City, New Jersey. Managing a dynamic team and providing credit leadership and management to Goya Jersey City, Goya’s Northeastern Headquarters, and support endeavors in Goya Texas and Goya CALIFORNIA locations. Jannette has 27 years of experience in Accounts Receivable, Credit and Collection, and extensive knowledge of Finance general ledger reconciliation. Born in San Juan Puerto Rico, raised in the state of New Jersey during her teens and mother to a wonderful NAVY Petty Officer Second Class who is currently serving as part of the United States Military Reserve. Four years ago, I recall driving by the Seaview, Secaucus locations toward my old employer’s 2nd warehouse and I would see the GOYA building on my way to the warehouse and sometimes I would think to myself, “I wonder how it would be to work for GOYA?” It was like I was either speaking to a higher power or manifesting the opportunity. Shortly after, that same year I got a call from a recruiter I worked with in the past asking me if I would be interested in a new opportunity. I did not know then that this new opportunity was with GOYA. I took a leap of faith and began the interview process immediately and I knew since my first visual interview with my boss Miguel Lugo, that I was the candidate he was looking for and GOYA was the workplace environment for me. Miguel Lugo asked to meet with me in person and soon after I became part of LA GRAN FAMILIA GOYA, and it has been a profound honor since. When I started at GOYA I dealt with a few challenges. The first challenge was to learn about the food industry. I have always worked in the retail/apparel industry and dealing with FOOD was different. From the way the orders came through, to shipping, to collection and the posting of funds on the aging. I needed to learn the process and adapt. Figuring the in’s & out’s of how the system worked as well as the complete process behind it. I fell headfirst and along the way I prayed every day to stay at float. The only way to learn was from experience and doing the same thing my team was doing on a daily basis. A year in and after I gathered the knowledge needed with all the experience, I started making minor changes to a few of the processes we have which helped my team advance and be more efficient. Managing twenty-four people was also demanding. Sympathizing with the staff and their challenges as well as their needs while keeping the staff happy. Focusing on making things better for them and simplifying some of their daily tasks and helping them be more productive was a top priority for me. Since I started with GOYA, the credit team has managed to bring down our PAST DUE to 5% or less, we digitized the credit application process in addition to minimizing the amount of papers we print, cash posting is easier to reconcile, and we began building great relationships with our sales force, department heads and growing our customer’s one-on-one experience. Today we have Accounts Receivable aging which we at GOYA are proud of and maintain with the highest integrity. I am privileged to be part of LA GRAN FAMILIA GOYA. I believe that “GOD”, or you may call it the “higher powers” brought me to GOYA for a reason. This is the place I need to be in and regardless of the opportunities or challenges that may arise I know I am at the right workplace, and for me every day is the right time at GOYA. I hope to continue to make momentous changes and grow with GOYA for many years to come. Director of Credit Northeast Goya Foods Inc