Meet Linelle Paulette
About you
As Certification Manager at Cashew Food’s, the processing arm of the Cashew Coast Group in Côte d’Ivoire, I oversee the organisation’s compliance to internationally recognised quality and safety standards. My role is central to ensuring that our products consistently meet the rigorous requirements of global markets while reinforcing the credibility of our integrated value chain.
My professional trajectory reflects a strong commitment to operational excellence with a guiding principle that quality is not just a system, but more importantly a culture. In my pursuit of a master’s degree in Standards and Quality Control of Agri Food Products, I have developed solid technical expertise spanning audit management, certification systems, food safety and continuous improvement.
Beyond my professional responsibilities, I am dedicated to personal development and women’s leadership areas that continue to strengthen my strategic perspective and leadership capabilities.
Why did you join the BRCGS Professional Programme?
My decision to join the BRCGS Professional Programme stemmed from a clear ambition: to deepen my mastery of international standards and strengthen my ability to drive strategic certification initiatives in a fast growing, highly regulated environment.
I was also motivated by the opportunity to enhance brand protection for my company, gain stronger expertise in Product Safety Management. The programme offered an opportunity to elevate my influence as a compliance leader within the organisation.
What value do you personally feel the BRCGS Professional certification brings to you?
Achieving the certification has been instrumental in broadening my strategic thinking and strengthening my analytical capabilities. It has enhanced my confidence in high stakes and complex audit environments and elevated my professional credibility, enabling me to contribute more effectively to organisational decision making on quality and food safety matters.
It has also strengthened my employability, expanded my knowledge of Product Safety Management, and connected me to a community of professionals committed to excellence.
How has the training helped improve operations at your site/company?
The programme provided practical tools that have directly improved our internal systems, particularly in risk assessment, audit planning, and document governance. Supported by Cashew Coast’s strong leadership commitment to food safety culture, these improvements have reinforced our ability to anticipate risks, manage non conformities proactively, and maintain robust certification performance outcomes that translate into stronger client trust and a more resilient and reliable operational model.
This has translated into improved product safety and increased credibility with our customers and partners.
What did you most enjoy about the training?
The programme’s combination of theoretical depth and practical relevance stood out. The quality of case studies, coupled with an interactive and results oriented approach, offered actionable insights that immediately strengthened my professional practice. These elements collectively shaped a more strategic and integrated view of certification and operational excellence.
What are you most looking forward to within the Professional community?
I look forward to contributing actively to a global network of experts committed to advancing best practices in food safety and certification. This community represents a platform for high value knowledge exchange, strategic insight, and genuine collaborative learning key drivers of continuous professional growth.
How do you plan to keep your skills up to date?
To maintain and elevate my expertise, I plan to engage regularly in e learning modules, participate in specialised technical webinars, and closely follow updates to relevant standards. Strengthening internal knowledge sharing within Cashew Coast is also a priority, ensuring that our teams remain aligned with best in class practices.
What are your career ambitions/aims?
My ambition is to evolve into a recognised expert in certification systems and audit management within the agri food sector. Through my ongoing work at Cashew Coast, I aim to contribute to building resilient, high performing organisations that uphold the highest standards of compliance while supporting the continued rise of African agro industry on the global stage.
Become a BRCGS Professional
Join a global community of food safety and quality professionals, build your expertise through BRCGS training, and gain the knowledge and recognition to support businesses in strengthening standards, managing risk and driving continual improvement.