Oriana Vanderboon helps keep Foundry Kitchens moving in the same direction.
As vice-president, she works across teams to bring structure to the way projects move through the business. Her role touches sales, design, project management, fabrication and delivery, with a focus on making the work clearer, more connected and easier to manage.
Before joining Foundry, Oriana worked in hotel operations, major venue projects and restaurant construction. That background gave her a practical understanding of buildings, teams, timelines and the pressure that comes with getting a project over the finish line.
Below, Oriana talks about operations, processes, problem-solving, and the part of the kitchen she leaves to her husband.
How would you describe your role at Foundry Kitchens?
“I was originally brought in to help support the project management team and bring more structure to that side of the business.
From there, my role has grown. I spend a lot of time looking at how work moves through the company and where we can make things clearer or more efficient.
A big part of operations is making sure people have the information they need, at the right time, so they can do their jobs well.”
What does a good process look like to you?
“A good process should make people’s jobs easier. It shouldn’t just be paperwork for the sake of paperwork.
When the process is clear, people know what needs to happen next. They know who is responsible for what. They can see where things are getting stuck and deal with issues earlier.
That matters because small misses can turn into bigger problems later. The goal is to catch things before they become difficult to fix.”
How would you describe your leadership style?
“I think my approach is calming.
If someone comes to me anxious, frustrated or unsure of what to do next, I try to slow it down and look at the facts. What happened? What do we know? What needs to happen now?
There is usually a way through. Sometimes you just need to break the problem down and deal with the next right step.”
What do you enjoy about working with the Foundry team?
“There are a lot of people here who care deeply about the work.
The design team cares about getting the details right. The project team cares about the client experience. The stainless team cares about the quality of what they build. The install team takes pride in doing the work properly.
That matters. When people care, you can build better systems around them.”
What is your kitchen like at home?
“You’re going to laugh, but I’m not a very good cook. I can get by, but my husband is a chef by trade, and when we built our house, the kitchen was all his.
The appliances, the layout, the flow, that was his domain. I had some input on colours and where things would be put away, but aside from that, I stay out of it.
I’m the one who fixes things. If the pilot light isn’t working or the sink is backed up, I’m the plumber. I love our kitchen, and I love being in it, but I also really enjoy sitting at the island and watching my husband cook in a space he loves.”