Nestor Gomez is a Technology Leader who brings over 20 years of experience leading cross-functional teams that drive digital product innovation, software development and technology advancements and achieved operational excellence across industries, including food processing, tech startups, and regional economic development.

Nestor excels at identifying challenges, developing strategic approaches, and designing innovative technology solutions and services that deliver measurable results.

As Chief Technology Officer at the Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN), Nestor led the implementation of YODL, an online community platform that grew 8x during its first 2.5 years. He also spearheaded the development of the Resource Finder, a specialized directory connecting innovators in the food sector with critical industry resources, and led the creation of advanced analytics tools to support the delivery of CFIN's funding programs, and the strategies of the marketing and business development teams. His leadership extended to optimizing IT administration, technology and vendor selection, adopting practices and measures that increased cybersecurity posture by 30% in 3 years, and implementing a CRM solution.

Previously, as Director of Digital Manufacturing at McCain Foods, Nestor initiated the digital transformation of manufacturing operations from team formation, technology planning, vendor selection, and by leading the development of the first predictive maintenance app part of this program. 

At McCain, as the Startup and Entrepreneurship Program Lead, he created and led a corporate innovation program establishing 25 co-creation pilots with 14 startups and contributing to the founding of Fiddlehead Technology.

As Director of the McCain River Valley Strategy Program (RVS), a community and career development initiative aimed at creating sustainable jobs, fostering career opportunities, and enhancing community well-being while attracting and retaining top talent, Nestor led the selection of a contractor-partner, conducted due diligence, and secured corporate funding to construct a 10-unit apartment building in Hartland, NB, benefiting employees and the broader community. He also led the development of a digital relocation toolkit to support employees and their families with information on services, amenities, and relocation resources, and organized the donation of hundreds of pounds of food, personally arranging transportation to deliver supplies to families in need, during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. To further drive local economic growth, he has mentored students from the University of New Brunswick's management, computer science, and engineering faculties and conducted ethnographic and SWOT research in Florenceville-Bristol to identify community and economic development priorities that guided the implementation of the RVS program.

• Digital product ideation, planning, functional design, development leadership, and user adoption
• Association Management
• Corporate technology innovation programs
• Cybersecurity education and technology training programs for staff
• Governance, Policy Development, and Information Lifecycle Management
• Vendor Selection, Vendor Management and RFP Processes

• Member of Canada’s Association of I.T. Professionals, New Brunswick Chapter. 

• Director, Board of Directors at Science East, Dec 2017 - Jan 2020.
• Representative of McCain Foods at the Board of Directors of TechImpact NB.
• Multicultural Association of Carleton County, New Brunswick, 2006-2008

• Machines will make our food tastier and healthier - Macleans.ca. October 12, 2023, MACLEAN’S magazine.
• Innovation Insights: Six applications of automation, robotics, and AI in Canada - Food in Canada. August 24, 2023, Food in Canada Magazine