Lou was a president of ConAgra Foods' Consumer Foods group. In this role, he was responsible for the overall management and profitability of a diverse portfolio of brands and products. He joined ConAgra as President of ConAgra Meats in 2005. He was previously President/CEO of the Federated Group, a private label supplier to the retail grocery and foodservice industries from 2002 to 2005. He was also a Group President, a Corporate Officer and an Operating Committee member of Dean Foods Company from 2000 to 2002. He joined Dean Foods in 1998 after 2 years with Mission Foods, a subsidiary of the Mexican corporation, GRUMA. Prior to Mission Foods, he spent 10 years with Kraft Foods in various brand management and strategic planning assignments. Lou started his career with the Quaker Oats Company in brand management where he worked for 5 years before Kraft Foods. Lou serves on the Ryder Systems, Inc and Auto Zone boards of directors since January 2007 and September 2008, respectively. He is currently a member of the Audit and Governance committees at both Ryder and Auto Zone. He served on the Board of Directors of White Wave, Inc., a Boulder, Colorado corporation, and of the Dairy Marketing Alliance, a joint venture corporation of Dean Foods and Land O'Lakes, from 2000 to 2002. Lou is a 1981 MBA graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration where he was elected President of the Latino Association and Vice President of the Marketing Club. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Chicago in 1977 where he served in numerous student leadership roles and was elected to the Maroon Key Honorary Society. In addition to his job responsibilities, he has been involved locally and nationally in the effort to increase educational opportunities for disadvantaged youth. He served as the founding Chairman of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School’s Board of Trustees from 1996 to 1997 and as a board member until 2000. He was also a two-term president of the Chicago Chapter of the National Society of Hispanic MBAs. He served as vice president of the board for the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) National Education Service Centers from 1990 to 1993. He was a national board member of Inroads, Inc. from 1995 to 1997.

Kantha Shelke, Ph.D. is a diversified scientist, expediting new product and technology development in food and nutrition. She is the Founder and Principal at Corvus Blue, a consumer packaged goods consultant. Ms. Shelke also chairs the Scientific Advisory Board of a global food brand co., advises as Director of the Illinois Global Partnerships (a private /government partnership), is the Ingredients Editor for Food Processing, Wellness Foods, & Natural Products Industry (largest trade publications in respective sectors), and provides industry analyses on the mid-market sector ($50 - $500 m sales). She provides expert witness services for patent infringement, product recall, and FDA / FTC compliance litigations. Her previous experience includes senior positions at ACNielsen, Ben & Jerry’s, Continental Baking Corporation, & Grand Metropolitan Food Sector (Pillsbury, Hagen Dazs, etc). She is often called to provide engagingly candid insights in the health, wellness and business aspects to food and beverage. Founding Member, GMFA www.greatermidwestfoodways.com; Ingredients Editor, Food Processing/Wellness Foods magazine www.foodprocessing.com; Inspire Editor, Mintel www.mintel.com; Scientific Advisory Board, New Hope Media magazines www.ffnmag.com

Mark Timbie is President – North American Consumer Foods. His responsibilities include overseeing the North American Consumer Food Group, including the U.S. Consumer and Industrial manufacturing plants, Mexico and Latin America as well as McCormick’s Global Export Department. He is also a member of McCormick’s Management Committee. Mr. Timbie joined McCormick in 1996 as Vice President – Sales & Marketing for the McCormick/Schilling Division. He served as Board Advisor to the Sales Group in the late 1990s. Mr. Timbie was named Vice President & General Manager – Perimeter Products and Consumer Marketing in 2000 and was promoted to President - McCormick Canada in 2001. In 2005, he was promoted to President – International Consumer Products Group. In this capacity he was responsible for overseeing McCormick’s consumer businesses in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, Canada, Mexico and Latin America as well as McCormick’s Global Export Department. Born in New York, he earned a BS degree from Rutgers and received his MBA degree from Columbia University. Mr. Timbie serves on the Board of Directors for Tasty Baking Company and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

Phil Perkins is Senior Vice President and Director of Research, Development & Innovation for Bush Brothers & Company. He was born and educated in the United Kingdom. Graduating from the University of Exeter with an Honours Degree in Chemistry in 1980, he went directly to a Ph.D. program and was able to complete his Doctorate degree in less than three years. His career spans over twenty-five years of working for world-class consumer goods companies, starting at Whitbread PLC (the United Kingdom’s third largest brewing company), moving onto M&M Mars (United Kingdom), then to Grand Metropolitan/Diageo/Pillsbury (United Kingdom and the United States of America) and now Bush Brothers & Company. In a professional capacity, Phil has worked with more than 150 food, ingredient and packaging companies in 20 countries throughout Europe, Central & South America, Africa, Australia, India, and the Far East. Phil has studied innovation practices for over ten years and recently contributed a chapter entitle “The importance of Product Innovation” for the book “An Integrated Approach to New Food Product Development” (Moskowitz et al. 2009). In addition to his role at Bush Brothers & Company, Phil serves as a GMA Science Institute Board Member and on the Science Institute Executive Committee and has been a GMA Science & Education Foundation Board Member since 2004. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Tennessee Department of Food Science and Technology and has been an active member of the Institute of Food Technologists since 1991.

Howard Moskowitz is the CEO of i-Novation Inc as well as President of Moskowitz Jacobs Inc., a firm he founded in 1981. Dr. Moskowitz is both a well-known experimental psychologist in the field of psychophysics and an inventor of world-class market research technology. Dr. Moskowitz graduated Harvard University in 1969 with a Ph.D. in experimental psychology. Prior to that he graduated Queens College (New York), Phi Beta Kappa, with degrees in mathematics and psychology. He has written/edited sixteen books, has published well over 300 articles and serves on the editorial board of major journals. His extensive speaking engagements span both scientific and market research conferences, as well as guest lectures at leading business schools and food science schools. His latest book with co-author Alex Gofman, Selling Blue Elephants (Wharton School Publishing) demonstrates and popularizes how IdeaMap (i-Novation`s flagship product) creates new products and messages... from areas as diverse as credit cards, jewelry offers, presidential messaging during election years, stock market communications, and trans-national innovation. Dr. Moskowitz has won numerous awards, among them the Scientific Director`s Gold Medal for outstanding research at the U.S. Army Natick Laboratories, and the 2001 and 2003 awards by ESOMAR (European Society Of Market Research) for his innovation in web-enabled, self-authored conjoint measurement, and for weak signals research in new trends analysis and concept development. The self-authored concept technology has brought concept/package design development and innovation into the realm of the researcher, significantly reducing cost, time and effort for new product and service development. In 2004, Dr. Moskowitz was elected as an IFT Fellow, and also was awarded the "David R. Peryam Award", from ASTM, in recognition of outstanding contributions to the field of basic and applied sensory science. In 2005, Dr. Moskowitz was awarded the Charles Coolidge Parlin Marketing Research Award for his substantial contributions and dedication to the advancement of marketing research practices. Most recently, he is the recipient of the ARF Research Innovation Award and The Market Research Council Hall of Fame Award, both in 2006. From November 2004 to November 2006, Dr. Moskowitz appeared weekly on ABC News Now as the Food Doctor. His segment highlighted the most innovative and interesting aspects of the food industry.

Dr. Douglas Powell is an associate professor of food safety at Kansas State University. Trained in molecular biology, and employed as a journalist, Dr. Powell found that food safety was a discipline where he could meld his interests in science, society and policy -- more formally known as risk analysis. His laboratory seeks innovative ways to compel everyone in the farm-to-fork food safety system -- individual producers, retail employees, and consumers, among others -- to acknowledge and adopt best practices to reduce the risk of foodborne illness. He publishes the electronic newsletter bites.ksu.edu, barfblog.com, and hosts donteatpoop.com. A native of Brantford, Ontario, Doug is passionate about food, has five daughters, and is an OK goaltender in pickup hockey. - bites.ksu.edu - barfblog.com

Todd Hale has more than 30 years of experience in consumer panel analysis, including 24 years with The Nielsen Company, where he has held various marketing and sales management positions. Over the course of his career, Hale has been heavily involved in the development of innovative consumer panel applications for consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers and retailers. A frequently sought-after industry and client speaker, Hale shares his insights on consumer shopping and buying behavior and attitudes to provide CPG manufacturers and retailers with strategic visions to facilitate brand, category and retail sales growth. Hale is often quoted in the press on CPG trends and consumer shopping behavior, including the Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Washington Post, FOX Business News, Chicago Tribune and numerous trade publications. Mr. Hale earned an MBA and a BA in Business from Wright State University.

Susan Forsell serves as Vice President, Supply Chain Quality Systems for McDonald’s USA. In this role, Susan oversees the Quality Systems Team and leads the initiatives around building and maintaining the highest product quality for McDonald’s. In addition, Susan is responsible for directing all supplier quality systems requirements for U.S. Supply Chain and aligning cross-functional resources to strengthen McDonald’s world-class quality. Prior to her current position, Susan was Senior Director, U.S. Supply Chain Quality Systems (2005-2006), responsible for leading quality strategies and initiatives. Before that, she served as Senior Director, Central Division Supply Chain (1997-2005), where she oversaw $2.5 billion worth of purchasing and coordinated distribution for the 4,400 restaurants in the division. Susan began her career at McDonald’s in 1993 as Zone Director for McDonald’s Asia Pacific, where she was responsible for people and infrastructure development in Supply Chain management across twelve countries (1993-1997). She also directed quality and safety standards in the region and worked with system suppliers to develop enhanced procedures throughout the area. Prior to joining McDonald’s, Susan worked for 10 years at HAVI Global Systems. During this time, she was instrumental in building Perseco Worldwide Services in Hong Kong from a department of two employees with sales of $10 million to a separate company with more than 45 employees and over $300 million in sales. Susan has a B.A. in Asian Studies from Northwestern University and an M.B.A. from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. She has more than 14 years of international experience in Asia and is fluent in Mandarin Chinese. Susan is the recipient of several McDonald’s Team and Partnership awards, and is a current member of the Woman’s Leadership Network (WLN). Susan and her husband, Jeffery, have two children and live in the western suburbs of Chicago.

Kraig R. Naasz is the president and chief executive officer of the American Frozen Food Institute. AFFI represents 500 companies engaged in the production, distribution and marketing of frozen foods. Kraig directs the institute’s public policy efforts before Congress and the administration, and sets its strategic agenda for communications, grassroots mobilization and political outreach. In addition, Kraig oversees the efforts of the Frozen Potato Products Institute, National Frozen Pizza Institute, National Yogurt Association and the Frozen Food Foundation. Kraig is also an active member of several key groups that advocate for business in our nation’s capital, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Association Committee of 100 (C-100), Business Industry Political Action Committee (BIPAC) and National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Council of Manufacturing Associations. He is also a member of the ASAE Key Industry Associations Committee (KIAC) and the Trade Association Liaison Council (TALC). Prior to joining AFFI, Kraig served as president and CEO of the National Mining Association (NMA) advocating the interests of coal, metal and mineral producers and mining equipment manufacturers with combined annual sales of $200 billion. While working to modernize mining’s image, Kraig spearheaded the first major reform of the nation’s mine safety laws in over 30 years following the Sago Mine tragedy in January 2006. Kraig previously served as president of The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) representing fertilizer manufacturers, distributors and equipment manufacturers. During that time, Kraig directed the industry’s efforts to address security concerns stemming from the Oklahoma City bombing and 9/11. He also founded the Nutrients for Life Foundation to educate the public about the benefits of fertilizer to society. Kraig also served as president and CEO of the U.S. Apple Association (USApple) advocating the interests of our nation’s apple growers and processors. Having garnered an unprecedented $550 million in federal assistance for America’s apple growers, Kraig was named “Apple Person of the Year” in 2001 by Vance Publishing Corp. for his “dedication, hard work, ethics and effectiveness.” Prior to USApple, Kraig served as vice president of the Northwest Horticultural Council (NHC). A veteran of several political campaigns, Kraig served as the Washington state executive director of former U.S. Senator Bob Dole’s presidential campaign. He also worked in various staff capacities on Capitol Hill for former U.S. Senators Daniel J. Evans and Slade Gorton, former U.S. Reps. Rod Chandler and Sid Morrison, and the House Committee on Agriculture. Kraig graduated from Washington State University in 1984 and serves on the WSU Foundation Board of Trustees. A native of Yakima, Washington, Kraig, his wife and daughter presently reside in Oakton, Virginia.

Paul Comey is Vice President of Environmental Affairs for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. His responsibilities include assuring the company’s sites are in environmental compliance with all local, state and federal laws, reducing the environmental impact of the company’s operations, and contributing to the management of the company’s environmental, financial and social bottom lines. Paul has a vision of accelerating Green Mountain Coffee’s leadership in the environmental arena by using climate change as a competitive advantage. His initial efforts to map the company’s environmental footprint have resulted in significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. He sees the company’s commitment to GHG reduction and mitigation as essential to the company’s core belief that business can be a change agent in the world. Paul has initiated programs and processes that exhibit his belief that environmental practices are typically best business practices. His focus on the four R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle, recover) through the use of EMS (Environmental Management System) has diverted much of the waste stream resulting in a financial revenue stream. Paul shares the company’s environmental best practices through public speaking engagements and by testifying before state and federal agencies to influence environmental policies. Prior to joining Green Mountain Coffee in 1993, Paul founded and managed Baseline Solutions, a consulting company focused on bottom line improvements in manufacturing operations, pollution compliance, equipment design and process layout. During this time, GMCR was a major client for Baseline Solutions. Paul graduated from Boston State College with a major in sociology and a minor in education. After teaching for four years he was awarded a fellowship to Fitchburg State College, earning an ME.

For over 20 years, Yves Potvin has been a pioneer in the food industry, a remarkable entrepreneur dedicated to the health and well-being of people who love to eat, and want to eat well. It all began in 1985, when a cross country biking trip and a lack of healthy fast food choices inspired Yves to create a line of convenient, delicious food that’s good for you. Yves took a chance and hung up his chef’s hat to launch his revolutionary Yves Veggie Cuisine line. And the rest, as they say, is history. What began as a one-man operation grew to become the largest refrigerated, meat-alternative producer in North America and redefined the convenient health-food category. In 2001, with annual sales exceeding $60 million and products distributed throughout North America, South America and Asia, Yves sold his company to The Hain Celestial Group, a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ. Throughout his career, Yves has received numerous accolades for business excellence. As founder of Yves Veggie Cuisine, Yves was recognized as one of Canada’s top 40 entrepreneurs under the age of 40 by The Financial Post Magazine, and was also named Pacific Canada’s Entrepreneur of the Year in Agriculture and Food. Yves Veggie Cuisine won the international food industry’s top prize, the SIAL d’Or from Paris, the BC Trade Export Award and an unprecedented five Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards. Yves’ new company Garden Protein International (GPI), has created the next generation of healthy, sustainable vegetable protein called Gardein™. This great tasting and versatile food ingredient is made with a savoury blend of nutritious vegetable and grain ingredients specially prepared to provide consumers with the authentic taste, texture, and nutrition of premium, lean meat. With Garden Protein International, Yves’ passion continues to be fueled by his commitment to creating great tasting convenient food that’s good for people, and for the planet.

Al Almanza is the Administrator of the Food Safety and Inspection Service. From May 2004 until his selection for this position Almanza served as the manager of FSIS's Dallas District, one of the agency's 15 districts nationwide, which includes more than 350 federally-inspected meat and poultry establishments. From 2000-04 he was FSIS's Deputy District Manager in Dallas, after having served as a special assistant to the District Manager in Dallas from 1998-2000. Almanza worked as a labor relations specialist for FSIS in Dallas from 1992-98, after having been a program specialist in Dallas from 1989-92. He worked as a total quality control inspector based in FSIS's Field Office in San Antonio, Texas from 1987-89, after having been a program assistant in FSIS's Area Office in Austin from 1985-87. From 1982-85 he worked as an FSIS processing inspector based in San Antonio. He began his career with FSIS as a slaughter inspector in Dalhart, Texas in 1978.

Dr. Khoo is currently Vice President of Global Nutrition and Health at the Campbell Soup Company. She is also the Director of the Campbell Center for Nutrition and Wellness. Dr. Khoo has responsibility for nutrition and health initiatives of all Campbell’s businesses worldwide. She is involved in Campbell's science, technology, product, marketing, advertising and regulatory initiatives in addition to customer sale, corporate strategic planning and litigations. Her accomplishments include the development of Campbell’s reduced sodium internal and external research and technology, positioning nutrition and wellness as business opportunities to revitalize base business or create new businesses. She is also involved in establishing external partnerships with universities, health professional, and science and consumer groups. Dr. Khoo earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Oregon, her Ph.D. in Nutrition Science, with double minors in Biochemistry and Physiology, from Iowa State University. She completed her post-doctoral research on trace minerals and cardiovascular function at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Khoo has authored over 50 scientific papers and presentations on multiple topics ranging from diet and cardiovascular disease, diet and teenage pregnancy, diet and performance of elite skaters and tri-athletes, sodium reduction technologies, nutrition trends and consumer behavior. She is also an inventor with 5 patents in multiple areas: dietary program for heart disease, diabetes, obesity prevention and management, nutritional fortification mixes and components, behavior modification and nutrition education programs, algorithm for menu planning for caloric control. At Campbell’s Dr Khoo has helped spearhead the Campbell’s effort on sodium reduction, pioneering in sodium reduction technology development and the support of multi-university research on molecular mechanism of salt taste. Today salt reduction is a total company global effort, with sale exceeding 600 million globally. Her group has also help in the development and repositioning of many Campbell’s successful nutrition launches—V8 vegetable juice, Healthy Request soups, whole grains Pepperidge Farm breads, reduced sugar Godiva chocolates, and whole grains and low sodium PF Goldfish. Campbell’s healthy and nutritious brands now accounts for more than 2 billion dollars in sales. This year Dr Khoo led a project to forecast the changes in Science and Technology 50 years from now how this will affect R&D models and scientist skill sets . Dr. Khoo serves on multiple panels and Boards including the American Heart Association Industry Nutritional Advisory panel, the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation Corporate Board, the American Diabetes Association Corporate Steering Board. More recently she was elected to serve on the American Dietetic Foundation Board. Currently she chairs the International Life Science Institute (ILSI) Sodium Committee, serves on the GMA Nutrition Committee. She is a member AIN, the New York Academy of Science, the AHA Basic Research Council, AHA Metabolic and Obesity Council, the American Society of Hypertension, Institute of Food Technology. Dr Khoo’s hobbies include reading, studying longevity diets and living, collections of jokes, observing slangs and daily habits, and watching football games.

Kelley Fitzpatrick, M.Sc., serves as the director of health and nutrition for Flax Canada 2015 a unique industry-government relationship with the aim of increasing the overall economic value of flax. In this role, she coordinates funding of private and public initiatives in the areas of human and animal health and nutrition, functional food and natural health product (NHP) development, and plant genetics and agronomy. Fitzpatrick also leads the activities of the company, NutriTech Consulting. Her area of expertise is human health and nutrition. In a previous role, she was the founding president of the Saskatchewan Nutraceutical Network. She has also worked for the National Research Council of Canada and the University of Manitoba in business development and research commercialization. She has a master's degree in nutrition from the University of Manitoba and a bachelor's degree from the University of Winnipeg. The Flax Council of Canada is a national organization which promotes Canadian flax and flax products for nutritional and industrial uses in domestic and international markets. One of the most important functions of the Council is to disseminate credible, scientific information through publications in English, Spanish and Japanese. The Council participates in national and international trade shows. The Council also funds nutrition and agronomic research and coordinates crop and product research and development.

Mike Joined High Liner Foods/FPI in 1987 as Manager of Research and Development and is currently Vice President of Technical Services where he overseas all product development, Culinary and Quality Assurance activities. Mr. Sirois earned a Master’s degree in Food Science/Seafood Technology from the University of Maine in 1983. Prior to joining High Liner Mr. Sirois was a Senior Food Technologist with the U.S. Army Natick Research Development & Engineering Center, while there he received three commendation awards for his product development work on military field rations, In addition, he was a co-founder of Horton’s Smoked Seafoods in Waterboro, Maine. Mike is a member of the Institute of Food Technologist an associate member of the Research Chefs Association and a member of the Board of advisors for the Lobster Institute. High Liner Foods Incorporated is a processor and marketer of superior quality seafood products. We market our products under the High Liner®, Fisher Boy®, FPI®, Mirabel®, Sea Cuisine® and Royal Sea® brands to most major retail chain and club stores in North America and to restaurants and institutions for food service throughout North America. The company began in 1899 with the founding of W.C Smith & Company, a salt fish operation located in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia -- the current home of our head office and one of the most modern and diversified food processing plants in the world. On December 20, 2007 the Company acquired the North American marketing and manufacturing business of Fishery Products International. Today, we are one of North America's largest marketers of prepared frozen seafood products.

Dan Skrypec is a Kraft Foods Fellow, Global Toxicology in the Food Safety Department of Kraft Foods Inc. He has responsibility for a variety of health and safety-related issues with a focus on food allergens and food ingredient safety. He works closely with Legal, Corporate Affairs, and Quality and provides expertise in the area of chemical risk assessment and the regulatory approval of ingredients and technologies. Dan represents Kraft in a number of trade and scientific groups, including the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI), Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), the Food Allergy Research and Resource Program (FARRP), and is member of the Food Industry Advisory Council for the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN). Dan joined Kraft in 1985 in the Nutrition Research Department and transitioned to the Scientific Relations Group in 1990. Prior to joining Kraft, Dan was in Scientific Affairs for the NutraSweet Company. He has dual Ph.D. degrees in Food Science and Environmental Toxicology from Michigan State University.

Gary Nowacki is the CEO of TraceGains. Gary joined TraceGains in January 2008 after spending the prior 13 years in a variety of software industry executive positions in the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), Supply Chain Management, and Quality space for Food & Beverage and Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG). Prior to that, Gary held management and individual contributor positions in programming, implementation services, and sales in the ERP software business. In prior positions, Gary was instrumental in significantly growing revenue and market penetration in the Food & Beverage and CPG industry for leading edge systems that helped companies protect their brands, reduce costs, and grow sales and profits. Gary’s prior work experience includes serving in senior management at CDC Software – Ross Systems, a leading ERP supplier to the Food industry. He has a bachelor’s degree from Lawrence University and has been active throughout his career in a wide variety of industry associations and has written and spoken on a variety of supply chain and operations topics throughout his career. TraceGains specializes in advanced brand protection and promotion solutions. Our supply chain and process monitoring and alerting solutions let customers reject non-compliant shipments before they arrive for processing, and catch violations of critical business rules as they occur upstream and within the organization. By preventing problems before they occur, and later minimizing the cost and time associated with product recalls, the brand is protected from long-term damage and rehabilitation. The TraceGains solution maintains complete product pedigree, genealogy, ingredient, and raw material identity across all forms of transformation. Powerful analytics are brought to bear that show which processes, ingredients, and suppliers positively or negatively impact quality, profitability, and customer satisfaction.

Dennis Quonce is the Professional Services Manager for EtQ, Inc, in Farmingdale, NY. Dennis has over 30 years of experience in various roles in Manufacturing, Quality Management, Compliance—including SQF, GSF, ISO 22000, ISO 9000, ISO 14001, TS 16949, OHSAS 18001—Software Project Management and Lean Six Sigma (LSS). Dennis has over 12 years of experience with EtQ implementations, being one of the early adopters of automated quality management solutions. He led the effort for the successful deployment of EtQ Quality and EHS suites for a major aluminum manufacturer with locations in the US, Germany, Korea, Malaysia and Thailand. In his last position as Quality Systems Manager at an international packaging company, he successfully implemented a multi-site instance of Reliance for nine US locations. Dennis studied Information Science at SUNY Oswego. His prior experience includes serving as a Quality Assurance Specialist, Plant Quality Engineer, Business System Automation Specialist and Corporate Quality Systems Manager. Dennis is also a trained LSS Black Belt and LSS Deployment Leader.

Gary M. Smith is the Technical Director of the SQF Institute where he is responsible for the development and coordination of the SQF standards and supporting documents. He also works with committees and certification bodies executing the SQF standard and conducts training courses in implementing and auditing SQF Systems. Gary began his more than 20-year career in food safety as an Environmental Sanitarian with the State of Missouri Department of Health before progressing to the manufacturing sector, where he worked as a quality manager within the meat products industry. From 1994 to 2005 Gary lead the Technical Services Department at Silliker, Inc, where he was responsible for development of their education and auditing programs. Prior to joining SQFI in 2008, he spent over three years with US Foodservice as Director of Food Safety for Distribution and Private Label Suppliers, where he oversaw the implementation of US Foodservice's requirement for private label suppliers to be SQF certified. He is a registered environmental sanitarian through the National Environmental Health Association, a certified Quality Auditor - HACCP through the American Society of Quality, a certified HACCP instructor for the National Seafood HACCP Alliance and the International HACCP Alliance, and he has been trained by Temple Grandin to conduct animal handling audits for a variety of livestock. Gary is also an active member of the International Association of Food Protection (IAFP). Gary holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Sciences from the University of Illinois and a Masters degree in Environmental Biology from Governor's State University, University Park, IL.

Elizabeth Pivonka is President of the Produce for Better Health Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) foundation devoted to increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables. A passionate advocate of greater consumption of fruits and vegetables for America’s better health, Dr. Pivonka has been integrally involved with the Foundation’s efforts since it was incorporated in 1991 as a founding partner of the National 5 A Day for Better Health Program. She served as Director of Nutrition and Science and then as Deputy Executive Director before she was selected as President in 1997. She guides the Foundation’s efforts to work through industry members and government partners – who collectively leverage over $100 million in public and private sector resources – to advance the overall effort of increasing fruit and vegetable consumption through past implementation of the 5 A Day Program and now through the roll-out of the new Fruits & Veggies—More Matters health initiative. Dr. Pivonka plays a critical role as co-chair, together with CDC, of the National Fruit & Vegetable Alliance’s Steering Committee. The National Fruit & Vegetable Alliance is a confederation of government, nonprofit and industry groups working together to increase fruit and vegetable consumption for improved public health. A nationally-recognized expert on nutrition and the role fruits and vegetables can play to promote better health, Dr. Pivonka regularly interfaces with policy makers, regulators, academia and industry on increasing fruit and vegetable consumption, and is widely quoted in consumer media. Her work has been published in leading professional nutrition science journals, and she co-authored 5 A Day: The Better Health Cookbook, published in 2001 by Prevention magazine publisher Rodale Press. Dr. Pivonka was recently recognized as the one of the “Top Women in Grocery” by Progressive Grocer. She was recognized as one of the “Top 25” produce industry leaders in 2005 and as the 2001 Marketer of the Year, both by the produce industry’s leading publication, The Packer. Kansas State University selected her as their 2005 Alumni Fellow for the College of Human Ecology. Under Pivonka’s leadership, the Foundation has also received one of Secretary Tommy Thompson’s Health & Human Services 2004 Innovation in Prevention Awards and the 2003 Produce Industry Advocate of the Year Award from the United Fresh Produce Association. Dr. Pivonka is a Registered Dietitian, and holds a doctorate in food and nutrition science from Kansas State University. She is married and has two children.

Prof. Diana Derval, MBA, is the President and Research Director of DervalResearch, global market research firm specializing in new product development and commercialization, partner of the COPUS Year of Science 2009 (see www.derval-research.com). Visionary researcher, Diana Derval turns the latest neuroscientific breakthroughs into powerful marketing frameworks like Wait Marketing (see www.wait-marketing.com) and the Hormonal Fingerprint (see www.hormonal-fingerprint.com). Author regularly featured in the media—Marketing Week, La Tribune, BFM Radio—Diana Derval accelerated the development of Fortune 500 firms, including Sara Lee, Philips, Michelin, HP, TomTom and Danone. Diana Derval holds an Executive MBA and a Masters Degree in Marketing from ESSEC Paris-Singapore Business School. Member of the Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, she is Professor of Marketing and Innovation at the University of Wales MBA/Robert Kennedy College, teaches Cognitive and Sensorial Marketing and gives inspirational lectures and workshops from San Francisco to Tangier.

In a career spanning 25 years, Michael Taylor has worked across the breadth of bakery business environments, from working in a small bakery before School to leaving on a YTS scheme in 1985. Michael bought this family bakery in 1991 with a £100,000 loan from the bank at the age of 21. Michael operated this as a sole Proprietor of his own bakery business for 12 years until he sold out to a Blackpool based food group in 2003. He’s faced the challenges and enjoyed the successes of being in business, and brings that experience to his current role as Operations Director at Fosters Bakery and also his other positions as Chairman of CenFRA Limited and also as a Business Governor for Barnsley College. Michael Taylor was appointed as Operations Director at Fosters Bakery in October 2004 and joined the company with enthusiasm and a commitment to tackle Operational and HR problems and to develop a stronger culture of investment in people. Michael has developed a number of initiatives to address education and skills issues which is a key part of the company’s strategic plan to drive Operational excellence throughout the business. Michael is a fully qualified baker and also has a Masters Degree in Food Safety Management. Michael is also a registered trainer with the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and most recently in 2007 passed his Diploma in company direction with the IOD. During nearly five years at Fosters Bakery Michael has played a key part in increasing the company’s turnover and profitability. He has also contributed significantly to making Fosters Bakery a knowledge based company with a career pathway for all. Michael is passionate about the bakery business and most importantly the people that operate in his bakery. He is without doubt regarded as the coach and mentor on the Fosters Bakery board. Over nearly five years at Fosters Bakery, Michael has played a key part in establishing solid foundations to guide the business forward and position the company for further growth. Michael was a member of a DTI Mission Team visiting China in 2006 to research the functionality of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Food. Michael has also been involved in research trips to Holland and Sweden. Michael has been a guest speaker at two World Innovation Forums in 2007/08 (Dublin and Rotterdam) and also many other events in the UK. Michael has been invited to speak again at the 8th World Innovation Forum in November 2009. Michael was appointed as a Governor of Barnsley College in January 2008 for a four year term under the business category. He has also been a company supervisor of two Knowledge Partnerships with Sheffield Hallam University. Michael was appointed to the CenFRA board in 2007 (Centre for Food, Robotics and Automation) a Yorkshire Forward funded organisation. Michael was made Chairman in January 2008. Michael was delighted to be awarded the Institute of Directors Young Director of the Year 2008 for Yorkshire and Humber at a prestigious awards evening in Leeds on Thursday 4th September 2008. Fosters Bakery has also most recently in November 2008 been awarded Barnsley Chamber Business of the Year 2008 and also awarded the COLAS LSC Chairs award for Employers most significant contribution to learning and Skills for Yorkshire and Humber 2009.

Prior to joining Waters, Paul had been employed by the UK Government in the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for Northern Ireland (DARDNI) for more than 25 years, involved in ensuring compliance with EU food safety regulations. During that time, he also acted as a consultant on behalf of the Food and Agriculture Organisation/IAEA Joint Division, offering advice to developing countries. He has organised and delivered training on food safety management in numerous developing countries in Asia and Latin America on behalf of the European Commission and private industry. Additionally he has acted as an EU Commission, Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) inspector auditing third country food safety systems and he continues to lecture at FAO/IAEA organized food safety training workshops for developing countries. In March 2007 Paul took a position with Waters Corporation, the prominent scientific instrument manufacturer based in Milford, MA, where his responsibilities include monitoring global regulatory affairs relating to food safety standards. Waters is playing a very active role in taking forward the food safety debate to ensure purposeful innovation of technological solutions specifically to meet the regulatory demands placed on food manufacturers.

With 25 years of experience in the food industry, in the areas of regulatory affairs, food safety, quality assurance and sanitation Holly Mockus has been privileged to work with the exceptional team of professionals at Sara Lee Corporation during the past 5 years. As the Director, Food Safety working across all of supply chain her time at Sara Lee has topped a career which includes increasing levels of responsibility with a diverse variety of food products – from pork slaughter to snack and bakery items to frozen meals. She is the driving force behind Sara Lee’s GFSI compliance through SQF certification and very much enjoys working with people. After all - teamwork makes it all happen! Holly graduated from Southern Illinois University with a Bachelors degree in microbiology. She has been joyfully married to her husband John for over 30 years. They have two beautiful daughters, a houseful of rescued pets, and currently reside in the western suburbs of Chicago.

Svetlana Uduslivaia is a Research Analyst working in Euromonitor International’s Chicago office. In her role, Svetlana manages the research program on Canadian consumer markets and coordinates a team of in-country analysts located in Canada. Previously, she was working as an in-country Research Analyst for Canada and was located in Montreal, Quebec, covering industries such as Pet Food and Pet Care Products, Cosmetics & Toiletries, Packaged Foods and many others. Svetlana has a Master degree in Sociology from Lancaster University, UK, and Central European University (Hungary). Euromonitor International has a network of more than 600 field-based analysts worldwide. Local research is supported by teams of project managers and analysts in Euromonitor International’s offices in London, Chicago, Singapore, Shanghai and Vilnius who provide international-level research and analysis. Our global research network allows us to fully meet the needs of large multinational clients as well as local companies. We bring the same depth of knowledge to bear on the unique requirements of each individual client. Primary research through trade interviewing is a core competency and we are experts in qualitative and quantitative based trade interview surveying not defined by numbers of survey samples, but by the assessment of the quality of answers received and the analysis of that data intelligently and transparently. We always approach research issues from a relevant variety of perspectives, to validate information from individual sources, to cross-check the reliability of all data presented and to understand all potential angles of interpretation of trends and developments.

Willie Loh is the AVP Marketing for Cargill's Specialty Canola Oils business unit. He heads a team of managers responsible for market development and sales of high oleic canola and sunflower oils. Prior to joining Cargill, Willie was the Director of Research & Development for InterMountain Canola Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of DuPont Agricultural Products Group. Willie received his Bachelor's Degree in Biology from Columbia. He also has a Master's Degree in Botany from Rutgers University and a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the Ohio State University. Willie has published original research articles in Oil Chemistry, Oilseed Biochemistry, Microbial Physiology and Plant Molecular Genetics and has been granted more than a dozen patents in these areas. He is an inventor on most of the patents issued for high oleic canola. Cargill's Specialty Canola Oils Business Unit develops, manufactures and markets high oleic oils, primarily canola, to food processing and food service customers in North America.

Hollison Technologies, LLC is focused on providing breakthrough solutions for ensuring and maintaining food safety and security. Hollison provides unique products and services for food protection and the detection of contaminants in the food supply chain including, but not limited to, farms, bulk storage facilities, commodity transportation, food processing, food distribution and point of consumption. The company offers capabilities for the protection of the entire food supply chain with the detection and identification of chemical, biological and radiological contamination in food commodities, processed food and beverages. Hollison has also developed a proprietary secure web based food tracking capability for use with its breakthrough sampling and detection technologies to offer complete chain-of-custody information complete with contamination test data. Further information can be obtained via email from info@hollison.com

Elizabeth joined Sensitech in 2004, after spending over 15 years in high-technology strategic marketing and business development roles. At Sensitech, Elizabeth works closely with food industry leaders to stay abreast of market trends and regulatory requirements. She provides leadership for product innovation and marketing outreach. Elizabeth actively participates in global food technology, safety and quality organizations including Global Cold Chain Alliance, National Fisheries Institute, Produce Marketing Association, United Fresh, and Institute for Food Technologists. She holds a B.S. in Marketing Management from the University of Massachusetts and a M.Ed. from Salem State College. Sensitech offers complete cold chain solutions for monitoring temperature-sensitive products enabling our customers -- global leaders in Food, Pharmaceuticals, Biologics, and Industrial -- to track and monitor assets from beginning to end of the cold chain. Our products and services help to increase profitability, deliver higher quality products, ensure consumer safety, comply with rigorous regulatory requirements and protect brand equity. Ultimately, our solutions strengthen your bottom line by allowing fast and accurate flow of data straight from the loading dock to the corporate office. Sensitech supports cold chain monitoring programs in 7 of the top 10 U.S. supermarkets, 18 of the top 20 multi-national pharmaceutical companies and 9 of the top 10 biopharmaceutical companies. Sensitech also supports HACCP compliance and food safety programs in 10 of the top 15 restaurant chains. Sensitech is an active member of EPCglobal and a leader in the move to “automate the cold chain” through the use of RF-enabled instruments and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). Our quality certifications – including ISO 9001:2000, CE, EMC and NIST – further differentiate Sensitech in the marketplace. Sensitech is a business unit of Carrier Corp., the world’s largest provider of heating, air conditioning and refrigeration solutions with operation in 172 countries.

As a Senior Research Analyst with the Aberdeen Group, Matthew drives Aberdeen's manufacturing research agenda and studies how manufacturing enterprises manage people, process, and technology to address continually changing market pressures. His areas of expertise include: Manufacturing Operations Management, Enterprise Quality Management and Compliance, Lean, Energy Management, and Technology Interoperability. Over the past three years at Aberdeen, Matthew has benchmarked the performance of over 5000 manufacturing executives, authored more than 50 research reports, and given over 25 presentations to audiences ranging in size from 25 to over 1,000. Matthew is also a frequent contributor to Aberdeen’s Manufacturing Advisor newsletter (reaching more than 60,000 subscribers globally), Aberdeen’s Manufacturing Research blog (http://research.aberdeen.com/index.php/-manufacturing-research ), and many other leading industry publications. Finally, Matthew is a recognized industry expert and continually advises manufacturing executives on how to best leverage technology in their operations. Prior to joining the Aberdeen Group, Matthew spent the last five years working for multi-billion dollar food manufacturers (Unilever, HP Hood) in both engineering and management roles. He has graduated cum laude from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a BA in Economics and MS in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research.

Robert Prevendar has 18 years of experience in the regulatory and industry aspect of global food safety training, auditing and certification schemes. He is a licensed Environmental Health Practitioner and a former member of the Board of Directors for Illinois Environmental Health Association (IEHA), where he chaired the Public Relations and Licensing committee. Prevendar spent the first 8 years his professional career working for local government health departments, where he was responsible for food safety inspections, training, and program development. In 1999, he moved to Budapest, Hungary where he spent 2 years providing food safety consulting services. Prevendar returned to the U.S. in 2002 and Joined NSF International as part of their rapidly expanding food safety program. He helped to develop the audit team and worked closely with major retail customers. Prevendar has also served as Managing Director of NSF Shanghai Co. Ltd, a joint venture company expanding NSF’s range of services into China. Prevendar currently serves as Director of Global Food Safety Certification Systems at NSF International, a leading provider of Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI)-benchmarked standards certification. Many of the world’s largest food companies have chosen to mandate supplier compliance with one of the GFSI-benchmarked* standards. NSF International has expanded its professional auditing capacity to support the food industry and can audit against any of the Global Food Safety Standards, including Safe Quality Foods (SQF) and British Retail Consortium (BRC). Prevendar earned his Master of Public Health (MPH) from Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois, and his Bachelor of Science in environmental health from Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. NSF International, The Public Health and Safety Company™, a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization, is the world leader in standards development, product certification, education, and risk-management for public health and safety. For 65 years, NSF has been committed to public health, safety, and protection of the environment. While focusing on food, water, indoor air, and the environment, NSF develops national standards, provides learning opportunities through its Center for Public Health Education, and provides third-party conformity assessment services while representing the interests of all stakeholders. The primary stakeholder groups include industry, the regulatory community, and the public at large.

Our roots run deep - Sweet Green Fields brings together three companies, each with over 110 years experience: Sanitarium Founded in Australia, Sanitarium, The Health Food Company's core philosophy is "a better life through better nutrition." At Sanitarium, we're about more than just selling food. Our mission is to help you enjoy more energy and vitality. We've been committed to this philosophy for over 100 years and it's the reason we exist today. We also believe that good business is based on trust, respect and community involvement. As you look at our history, our emphasis on nutrition education and our work within the community, you'll see that we do everything with our twin goals in mind - to provide you with healthy foods that actively improve your well-being and to offer you easy-to-understand nutrition information. Sanitarium first introduced their soymilk product in 1986, So Good®, which is now Australia's favorite soymilk. And for the past 30 years, Weet-Bix, a Sanitarium cereal, has been the most popular breakfast cereal in the country. Agriculture Expertise Hawaii Agriculture Research Center (HARC) is a pioneer in Sweet Green Fields. Founded in 1895, HARC specializes in horticultural crop research including agronomy and plant nutrition, plant physiology, breeding, generic engineering and tissue culture, and control of diseases and pests through integrated pest management. HARC also performs process method development and training in areas such as pesticide application and environmental compliance; ground water monitoring; and technical literature searches. Gay & Robinson, was established in 1889 and remains one of Hawaii's oldest businesses. On the island of Kauai, G&R operates a 7,500 - acre sugar cane plantation and mill, producing approximately 50,000 tons of sugar annually. Seeing the need for an all-natural, no-calorie sweetener, the companies invested in Stevia farming in the late 90's. After years of development, they finally had their big breakthrough: a refining process that yielded nearly pure Rebaudioside A, the stevia sweetener extract.

Qualicon is a business within the DuPont Agriculture and Nutrition portfolio, located in Wilmington, Delaware. We provide innovative, science-based diagnostic products that can reduce the impact of pathogens and other unwelcome organisms in food and pharmaceuticals. These practical solutions utilize speed and accuracy to deliver measurable business value for customers worldwide. The diagnostic technology from DuPont Qualicon goes further to protect customers' brands, time-to-market and future success. That is the power of science and the real world--measurable and accurate. As technology evolves and the needs of industry change, DuPont Qualicon will continue to develop, improve and revolutionize diagnostics to the fullest extent. By building on current practices and products, drawing from the 200-year heritage of research and development, and utilizing global resources, DuPont will remain a worldwide leader in health and safety solutions. From its beginnings with the smallest building blocks of life--DNA and genetic-based diagnostics--DuPont Qualicon continues to pursue new technologies and innovative products for industry.

In 1998 the British Retail Consortium (BRC), responding to industry needs, developed and introduced the BRC Food Technical Standard to be used to evaluate manufacturers of retailers own brand food products. It is designed to assist retailers and brand owners produce food products of consistant safety and quality and assist with their 'due diligence' defence, should they be subject to a prosecution by the enforcement authorities. Under EU food Law, retailers and brand owners have a legal responsibility for their brands. In a short space of time, this Standard became invaluable to other organisations across the sector. It was and still is regarded as the benchmark for best practice in the food industry. This and its use outside the UK has seen it evolve into a Global Standard used not just to assess retailer suppliers, but as a framework upon which many companies have based their supplier assessment programmes and manufacture of branded products. Many UK, North American and many European retailers, and brand owners will only consider business with suppliers who have gained certification to the appropriate BRC Global Standard. Following the success and widespread acceptance of the BRC Food Technical Standard, the BRC published the first issue of the Packaging Standard in 2002, followed by Consumer Products Standard in August 2003, and finally by the BRC Global Standard - Storage and Distribution in August 2006 . In 2009, the BRC partnered with the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) to develop the Global Standard for Consumer Products North America edition. Each of these Standards is regularly reviewed revised and updated at least every 3 years after extensive consultation with a wide range of stakeholders.

Competence in the field of nutrition and know-how about what is required from a distributor of ingredients, combined with our understanding of Omega-3, make TINE one of very few traders who can help the customers in effective product development, product implementation and product optimizing. Our EPADHA Omega-3 emulsion is developed by a team consisting of researchers and product developers from the dairy industry, with one goal; to make an ingredient for use in dairy applications, and at the same time add the requested quantities of EPA and DHA to the products. TINE offers several alternatives types of its EPADHA Omega-3; pure marine oil, mixture of rapeseed oil and marine oil and emulsion. The biggest challenge in producing Omega-3 oils is to prevent oxidation. It is therefore important to have control of the whole process, from fish to final application. Maritex and TINE enjoy a unique position, as one of the only producers in the world who control the entire value chain from raw material to final ingredient, in terms of our EPADHA Omega-3 oils or EPADHA Omega-3 emulsion. A short distance between catch and processing is essential in order to reduce oxidation of raw materials. To meet this challenge TINE has invested in a modern factory for production of fish oil and a state-of-the-art factory for production of our emulsion. After years of research and product development TINE can offer marine Omega-3 oils with an extremely low oxidation level. Our EPADHA Omega-3 oils are produced in a controlled and customized environment. We can guarantee that only fresh oil and only the best quality raw materials are used in the manufacturing of our products. The oil is traceable in all parts of the value chain

Infor Food and Beverage Essentials helps minimize the cost and complexity of satisfying the most demanding customers, sustainability mandates, and stringent compliance regulations—without compromising profitability. We'll help you transform your food and beverage business into a dynamic, consumer-responsive enterprise. Infor Food and Beverage Essentials is comprised of solutions that integrate all aspects of the product lifecycle to ensure superior quality on thin margins, increase revenue by accelerating time to market, and facilitate collaboration with customers and suppliers to reduce promotional costs and meet service level agreements (SLAs). Infor has years of embedded industry expertise acquired by partnering with global food and beverage companies including Cadbury Schweppes, Basic American Foods and Rich Products. Our business-specific, integrated solutions are tailored for the food and beverage industry, ensuring that you meet the challenges of a hyper-competitive marketplace. As a result, you’re able to reduce the cost of quality, improve product success rates, boost profitability … and be more enterprising.

GAT Food Essentials is a young and fast growing technology company active in the functional food and beverage industry. Specializing in a proprietary microencapsulation technology platform - wowCAPS® technology - our vision is to become a long-term technology partner to ingredient suppliers and innovative food and beverage companies, providing solutions for complex functional food ingredients and their use in a wide range of food and beverage applications. R&D is at the core of our business and we are proud to be a renowned microencapsulation specialist in the industry. We are passionate about developing and marketing new concepts and solutions worldwide with our customers and partners ranging from regional market leaders to multinationals. We believe that, in combining scientifically substantiated ingredients with our innovative and sophisticated technology, we can offer our customers sound concepts for a wide range of value-added food and beverage products that promote general health and well-being.

Greg Horn has been in the beverage industry for over 20 years. He recently accepted a new position at WILD Flavors, Inc. as the Senior Director, Sweetener Technology to manage the commercialization and application of stevia and taste modifiers for high intensity sweetners.Prior to that, Greg was the Senior Director of Technology and Innovation at WILD Flavors where his primary roles were to investigate the benefits, application and commercialization of novel health ingredients, natural colors, and specialty ingredients. Greg previously worked for Pepsi Cola managing the development and national rollout of several new initiatives. He has presented numerous papers on product development, trends in the beverage industry and new innovations. Greg is serving as the Vice Chairperson of the Non-Traditional Beverage Committee in the International Society of Beverage Technologists (ISBT). Greg received his Masters in Food Science from University of California- Davis, a Masters in Management from New York Universuty, and a Bachelors in Food Science from Rutgers University

Rob Kerfin is an Executive Sales Manager with Red Arrow Products Company LLC in Manitowoc, WI. He also serves as the company's Business Development Manager for Savory Reaction Flavors. Rob is responsible for implementing sales, development, and marketing activities for Red Arrow’s emerging “Cooking-Method” Flavor Business. Prior to joining Red Arrow, Rob worked in strategic sales and management roles with American Maize, Wixon, and Kerry. Rob holds a bachelors degree in Chemistry from Northern Illinois University. He lives in Chicago with his wife Stacie. When not working, Rob enjoys gardening, riding his motorcycle, and rooting on his favorite Chicago team, the White Sox.

Annika Mäyrä studied microbiology and dairy technology at Helsinki University. She has worked with microbes, food applications and especially functional foods serving as an R&D director for both Valio Ltd and Raisio Ltd. Annika has always been interested in design, marketing and consumer research and founded Verso Ltd at the end of 2006.

Richard joined Hagelin Flavor Technologies as Technical Director in 1999 and has served as the Vice President of Flavors since 2003. In this capacity, Richard oversees Global Sales, Marketing and Product Development of Flavors. With a BS in Biology and MS in Food Micro-Biology, both from Virginia Tech, he began his career in the flavor industry over 17 years ago in Product Development positions at flavor development companies Givaudan and International Flavors & Fragrances. While at IFF, Richard was named on several patents for his work on cane leaf extraction methods and has also published several articles related to his graduate work.

Ravi Sankar is a results oriented executive with 25 plus years of experience by developing and implementing innovative technology based solutions to meet the business needs of Global 1000 and SME corporations. He has extensive experience with consumer oriented organizations having worked or consulted with companies like Dr Pepper Snapple, MacDonald’s, Avon, Delchamps, Pathmark, CVS, Duane Reade, GN, Toyota, GM, Chrysler, Mazda, Penske, CSX, Sea-Land He has held various roles such as Director, solutions at HCL, AVP for the Retail/CPG practice at Satyam, VP of Supply Chain at David’s Bridal, VP of Corporate Strategy and Information Systems at Sumitrans, and assorted management roles at KPMG Consulting, CSX Logistics and Leaseway Transportation. Ravi has a an MS in Operations Research from Case Western Reserve University where he was elected to the OR Honors Society (Omega Rho) and a B. Tech in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India. Ravi has published over a dozen papers focused on innovations in technology and management processes including: •“Food Safety and Traceability Legislation impact: HR2749 and NAIS - The Confusing Tale of Two Food Safety Policies, By William R. Pape, TraceGains, Inc. and Ravi Sankar HCL Technologies, Oct 2009 •“High Performance Project Management”, PMI congress, Bangkok, Thailand, Feb 2006 •“Eureqa Methodology for Requirements Engineering for Large Fixed Bid System Development Projects” PMI international conference, Hyderabad, India , April 2005 •“Inventory Management across the Retail Supply Chain”, Supply Chain Management Review •“The Boundary less Supply Chain - Integrated Supply Chain trends, challenges and organizational impact”, Middle Earth Futurist Series Workshop •“Developing an Inbound JIT Routing system”, Distribution Computer Expo/Seminar, Chicago, IL •“The Effect of Estimation Risk in Establishing Safety Stock Levels in an Inventory Model”, Journal of the Operations Research Society

**Please note due to Government commitments, Jerry Mande's presentation role at the conference will now be taken by Mr. Al Almanza, Administrator of the FSIS. Thank you** Jerold R. Mande is Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Mande has responsibility for the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the USDA agency which protects public health by ensuring that the nation's supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome and correctly labeled and packaged. Mande began his career in the U.S. Congress where he was first hired to work on food safety legislation. He has served in several posts in the Administrative Branch, including as a health policy adviser on the White House staff leading key food safety, tobacco control and cancer initiatives, including the expansion of FoodNet and PulseNet. As Senior Advisor and Executive Assistant to the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, he led the project to design the Nutrition Facts food label. As a result of his leadership, he was given the Presidential Award for Design Excellence. He also worked at the Department of Labor as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Occupational Health. He most recently served as Associate Director for Public Policy at the Yale Cancer Center. There, he developed a national model to increase support for cancer prevention and control. He also initiated and helped manage the cancer center disparities program, to improve cancer control and care in undeserved populations. He lectured in public health and helped train groups of physicians for public policy careers. Mande holds a Masters Degree in Public Health (nutrition and epidemiology) and a Bachelor of Science Degree (nutritional sciences) from the University of Connecticut at Storrs. He also completed a program for senior managers in government at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Since 1999, Aryeh Hecht has been the President of Vitalicious, Inc. A maverick in brand development and food marketing, Hecht recognized the need for a portable and tasty alternative to cereals and snack bars while commuting on the train from Philadelphia to New York. The lack of healthy snacks and the lines of ravenous, timestarved commuters motivated Hecht to apply his expertise in food technology to help consumers find both nutrition and flavor in a convenient, healthy product. The idea for the “VitaMuffin™” was born and the product was introduced to the market in 2000. Hecht is a veteran in branding and product development from concept to launch. He is also the founder and owner of Visual Persuasion, Ltd., a design firm specializing in the development of visual identities. Hecht has coordinated global brands and packaged design programs for multinationals and leading marketers, including Coca-Cola, Cadbury-Schweppes, Colgate-Palmolive, Lucent Technologies, AT&T, Visa Credit Cards and Parker Pens.

Technia is the leading supplier in the Nordic area of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Solutions for creating and managing product information throughout the entire product lifecycle, from product planning, development and design to production, sales and support. Technia offers software and services that contributes to an effective management of product information throughout the product lifecycle. The solutions that Technia offers are based on the PLM solutions from Dassault systèmes. Technia also offers solutions within CAD, technical document management, product configuration, visualization, integrations and portals. This is made by partnerships with the leading suppliers in their field. Technias services include everything from business process review, change management, implementation to deployment, training, maintenance and support.

As a research analyst with the Aberdeen Group, Mehul focuses his research on helping enterprises leverage business processes and solutions to effectively manage manufacturing operations. Mehul focuses his research on the growing importance of sustainability in the industrial operations, mainly from energy, environment and safety perspective. He guides manufacturing executives on how to positively impact bottom line by implementing corporate wise sustainability programs. Over the last three years, Mehul has authored more than 50 research reports, benchmarked over 5000 manufacturing executives, to raise awareness into the process, organization, knowledge management performance management capabilities adopted by Best-in-Class companies to achieve tangible business gains. Mehul also contributes to Aberdeen’s Manufacturing Advisor newsletter (reaching more than 60,000 subscribers globally), Aberdeen’s Manufacturing Research blog (http://research.aberdeen.com/index.php/-manufacturing-research ), and to leading industry publications and trade associations. Mehul is a recognized industry expert and frequent speaker in variety of national and international conferences. Through his extensive research in this space, Mehul provides actionable steps to streamline operations, gain visibility and connect manufacturing performance to corporate performance. Prior to joining the Aberdeen Group, Mehul worked with IDC research. He has graduated with an MBA degree from University of Massachusetts, Boston and an engineering degree from University of Mumbai, India.

Kantha Shelke, Ph.D. is a diversified scientist, expediting new product and technology development in food and nutrition. She is the Founder and Principal at Corvus Blue, a consumer packaged goods consultant. Ms. Shelke also chairs the Scientific Advisory Board of a global food brand co., advises as Director of the Illinois Global Partnerships (a private /government partnership), is the Ingredients Editor for Food Processing, Wellness Foods, & Natural Products Industry (largest trade publications in respective sectors), and provides industry analyses on the mid-market sector ($50 - $500 m sales). She provides expert witness services for patent infringement, product recall, and FDA / FTC compliance litigations. Her previous experience includes senior positions at ACNielsen, Ben & Jerry’s, Continental Baking Corporation, & Grand Metropolitan Food Sector (Pillsbury, Hagen Dazs, etc). She is often called to provide engagingly candid insights in the health, wellness and business aspects to food and beverage. Founding Member, GMFA www.greatermidwestfoodways.com; Ingredients Editor, Food Processing/Wellness Foods magazine www.foodprocessing.com; Inspire Editor, Mintel www.mintel.com; Scientific Advisory Board, New Hope Media magazines www.ffnmag.com

Howard Moskowitz is the CEO of i-Novation Inc as well as President of Moskowitz Jacobs Inc., a firm he founded in 1981. Dr. Moskowitz is both a well-known experimental psychologist in the field of psychophysics and an inventor of world-class market research technology. Dr. Moskowitz graduated Harvard University in 1969 with a Ph.D. in experimental psychology. Prior to that he graduated Queens College (New York), Phi Beta Kappa, with degrees in mathematics and psychology. He has written/edited sixteen books, has published well over 300 articles and serves on the editorial board of major journals. His extensive speaking engagements span both scientific and market research conferences, as well as guest lectures at leading business schools and food science schools. His latest book with co-author Alex Gofman, Selling Blue Elephants (Wharton School Publishing) demonstrates and popularizes how IdeaMap (i-Novation`s flagship product) creates new products and messages... from areas as diverse as credit cards, jewelry offers, presidential messaging during election years, stock market communications, and trans-national innovation. Dr. Moskowitz has won numerous awards, among them the Scientific Director`s Gold Medal for outstanding research at the U.S. Army Natick Laboratories, and the 2001 and 2003 awards by ESOMAR (European Society Of Market Research) for his innovation in web-enabled, self-authored conjoint measurement, and for weak signals research in new trends analysis and concept development. The self-authored concept technology has brought concept/package design development and innovation into the realm of the researcher, significantly reducing cost, time and effort for new product and service development. In 2004, Dr. Moskowitz was elected as an IFT Fellow, and also was awarded the "David R. Peryam Award", from ASTM, in recognition of outstanding contributions to the field of basic and applied sensory science. In 2005, Dr. Moskowitz was awarded the Charles Coolidge Parlin Marketing Research Award for his substantial contributions and dedication to the advancement of marketing research practices. Most recently, he is the recipient of the ARF Research Innovation Award and The Market Research Council Hall of Fame Award, both in 2006. From November 2004 to November 2006, Dr. Moskowitz appeared weekly on ABC News Now as the Food Doctor. His segment highlighted the most innovative and interesting aspects of the food industry.

Phil Perkins is Senior Vice President and Director of Research, Development & Innovation for Bush Brothers & Company. He was born and educated in the United Kingdom. Graduating from the University of Exeter with an Honours Degree in Chemistry in 1980, he went directly to a Ph.D. program and was able to complete his Doctorate degree in less than three years. His career spans over twenty-five years of working for world-class consumer goods companies, starting at Whitbread PLC (the United Kingdom’s third largest brewing company), moving onto M&M Mars (United Kingdom), then to Grand Metropolitan/Diageo/Pillsbury (United Kingdom and the United States of America) and now Bush Brothers & Company. In a professional capacity, Phil has worked with more than 150 food, ingredient and packaging companies in 20 countries throughout Europe, Central & South America, Africa, Australia, India, and the Far East. Phil has studied innovation practices for over ten years and recently contributed a chapter entitle “The importance of Product Innovation” for the book “An Integrated Approach to New Food Product Development” (Moskowitz et al. 2009). In addition to his role at Bush Brothers & Company, Phil serves as a GMA Science Institute Board Member and on the Science Institute Executive Committee and has been a GMA Science & Education Foundation Board Member since 2004. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Tennessee Department of Food Science and Technology and has been an active member of the Institute of Food Technologists since 1991.

Kirsten Lynch joined PepsiCo in January, 2009 as VP Marketing for Quaker Foods & Snacks. Prior to joining PepsiCo, Kirsten worked for Kraft Foods for 12 years rising from Associate Brand Manager to VP Marketing. In her career at Kraft she had the opportunity to work on brands such as Mayo, Miracle Whip, BBQ Sauce, Salad Dressing, Stove Top, Minute Rice, Taco Bell, Mac & Cheese and Kraft Cheese. She was Senior Director on the flagship Mac & Cheese portfolio, developing the Vision and Growth Strategies to turnaround the business and launch Easy Mac Cups. As VP Marketing in the Cheese Business Unit she was responsible for the $2.0B Natural Cheese, Snacking Cheese, and Specialty Cheese businesses. Kirsten began her career in Marketing working for Ford Motor Company and then Ralston Foods in brand management on Cookie Crisp and Chex cereals. Recognized for her leadership, Kirsten has been acknowledged as one of Crain’s Chicago Business “40 Under 40” in 2005. She is passionate about hiring and developing future leaders through involvement in recruiting, mentoring, and teaching training classes. She received a BS from Illinois State University and an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis. Kirsten’s husband Scott is an attorney. Kirsten, Scott and their son Jack live in Chicago.

Carletta Ooton has been in her current capacity as Vice President and Chief Quality Officer since joining The Coca-Cola Company in December 2006. Carletta’s overarching accountability includes global analytical services, global audit, policy and standards, leading capability development across the system, and quality oversight for the Bottling Investment Group. Carletta brings a great deal of industry experience in operational and quality leadership positions. Prior to joining The Coca-Cola Company, Carletta was Vice President of Global Quality for Cott Beverages, which is the largest global provider of retailer-branded carbonated soft drinks, non-carbonated beverages, and purified drinking water. While at Cott, Carletta managed staff in the US, Canada, UK and Mexico and was responsible for consumer affairs and global quality operations, including co-packer, audit, and manufacturing quality. Carletta was also the primary interface with the Food and Drug Administration and Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Prior to joining Cott, Carletta served as Vice President of Quality for Bath & Body Works in Columbus, Ohio where she was responsible for safety and quality in the design, development and manufacturing of all products. Additionally, Carletta oversaw the worldwide testing, evaluation and release of over 5,000 finished SKU’s and 25,000 components, fragrances and sub-assemblies on an annual basis, acted as corporate compliance officer for both the Food and Drug Administration and Consumer Product Safety Commission, oversaw the product safety and regulatory departments, and controlled the quality of over 120 sub-contractors in 30 countries. Prior to joining Bath & Body Works, Carletta worked at both Unilever, HPC and Tate & Lyle. Carletta received dual Bachelor of Science Degrees in Biological Sciences & Chemistry, and a Master of Science in Microbiology from Southern Illinois University. Carletta, her husband Larry, and two children Dylan and Claire reside in the Atlanta area.

Theresa Marquez has been involved in food and farming since the mid 1970s, wearing a variety of hats throughout the past 30 years. Her current job is Chief Marketing Executive for the largest organic farmers’ cooperative in the United States, CROPP Cooperative, and its brand, Organic Valley Family of Farms®. CROPP consists of over 900 small and mid-size family farmers. The Cooperative markets over 200 certified organic products including; milk, soy, cheese, butter, cultured products, eggs, produce, and meat. Theresa joined the Cooperative in 1995 and has helped to grow the business from $5 million to $432.5 million in 2007. Theresa serves on the Board of Directors of the Organic Trade Association (OTA) and The Organic Center for Promotion & Education, a non-profit organization dedicated to proving the benefits of organics. In addition, Theresa has been a guest speaker at numerous events and conferences and pioneered the Food Alliance eco label.

Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI) works to increase demand for and drives sales of U.S. dairy products and ingredients on behalf of America’s dairy producers. Founded in 1995 as a not-for-profit organization funded by dairy checkoff dollars, DMI leads and manages the American Dairy Association,® the National Dairy Council® and the U.S. Dairy Export Council®. Dairy, food and beverage manufacturers look to DMI as a partner and resource. DMI assists dairy processors in creating and introducing new and/or improved dairy products, processes and packaging and meeting their innovation challenges. With food and beverage manufacturers, DMI provides know-how and laboratory and professional resources to help develop or improve foods using dairy ingredients. Across the entire food and beverage industry, DMI innovation programs provide nutrition research and market trend information to help with product positioning in the marketplace. These programs serve as a complement to DMI’s consumer education and integrated dairy marketing promotion programs, such as the 3-A-Day™ of Dairy campaign, a nutrition-based marketing and education program.

Joan Holleran serves as the Director of Research at Mintel International. As a publishing industry executive, Joan has 20 years’ experience managing both magazines and the people who create them. Prior to joining Mintel, Joan created New Products Magazine in 2001. She has a wealth of experience in public speaking and conference moderation, and serves as Vice President of the Board of Directors of the International Food Service Council. Mintel began over three decades ago, providing food and drink research in the UK. Now the brand spans all corners of the globe. Mintel's leading analysts are world-renowned experts in diverse areas such as leisure, consumer goods, retail, financial services, sales promotion and social trends. Traffic to the group website is a testament to Mintel's success, with page views exceeding 500,000 every month. The US office, opened in 1998, now rivals the UK office in terms of size and revenue. Mintel's reach also extends into continental Europe, Latin America, Australia, Israel, China and Japan. The continuing support and loyalty of clients is obviously an integral part of Mintel's success. Many clients discovered Mintel as students, and have maintained that relationship throughout their working lives. Mintel has rewarded that loyalty with constant innovation and enhancement to the products and level of service.

An expert in the area of food safety and food technology, Dr Jeff Banks, has worked in support of most of the worlds leading food processors, and currently holds the position of Global Director of Quality and Food Safety at Cadbury-Schweppes. Jeff became internationally known during his time as Head of Microbiology at Campden Food Research Association, subsequently taking up the role of Global Director at DuPont Qualicon. Jeff then moved into freelance consulting with Food Safety Assurance, and is the author of over 80 peer reviewed research and review papers on diverse subjects such as taxonomy, predictive microbiology, heat process validation, risk assessment, genetic fingerprinting and rapid pathogen detection and HACCP. In late 2006, he began to provide consulting support for Cadbury after the massive food safety recall for Salmonella in chocolate, and soon after joined the business. Under his leadership, in 2007, Cadbury initiated a full review of policies, standards and procedures following the UK product recall, and have developed a Quality and Food Safety Improvement programme. Jeff’s role within Cadbury’s Global Supply Chain is to ensure the reliable supply of high quality and safe products - whether manufactured by Cadbury or by a third party - to satisfy customers' expectations. This encompasses sourcing of ingredients and packaging materials, manufacturing and co-manufacturing and distribution involving nearly 100 manufacturing facilities in 45 countries. Dr Banks' presentation will focus on his recent experience, to offer an in-depth case study on focusing on the learning’s and recovery from a major food safety recall.

Patrick Archer is President of the American Peanut Council and previously served as its Vice President. He has been with the Council since 1987 in various positions in the area of export promotion. Mr. Archer has supervised marketing and PR programs in Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Europe, the Middle East, China and other Asian markets. Prior to joining the American Peanut Council, he worked on Capitol Hill as a Legislative Assistant for former Alabama Congressman Bill Dickinson and also worked for the Treasury Department in Washington, D.C. He received his BA from Troy University and MBA from The University of Alabama. He also holds a certificate in language from The Sorbonne in Paris, France. Mr. Archer was recently appointed by Secretary of Agriculture Johans to serve on the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee and is also on the Executive Committee of the U.S. Agricultural Export Development Council. The American Peanut Council (APC) is the trade association which represents all segments of the peanut industry. Members include peanut growers, peanut shellers, brokers, peanut product manufacturers, and suppliers of goods and services to the industry. Headquartered in the metropolitan Washington, DC area, the APC monitors developments in the domestic and international markets and responds with a diverse array of domestic and international marketing, trade servicing, research and issues management programs. The APC maintains close working relationships with government agencies, research institutions and related peanut and agricultural trade associations.

Jeff George is the Vice President of Research & Development for Quaker Foods and Snacks. Jeff and his team are responsible for product, process and package innovation for this $3B division of PepsiCo. Jeff began his 22-year PepsiCo career at Frito-Lay where he held a number of positions of increasing responsibility in Packaging Development, Corporate Engineering, Process Engineering and Product Development. Jeff then transferred to Tropicana where he served as Senior Manager in Packaging Innovation and Marketing. Jeff came to the Quaker business in 2004 first as the leader for the Packaging Development group and most recently as Director of R&D for Quaker Snacks. Jeff holds several patents, written numerous trade journal articles and has presented at global conferences in the field of packaging innovation. Jeff received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois in 1986. He later earned an MBA at SMU. Jeff is married with two daughters and resides in Cary, IL.

Sharon Walbert is the Assistant Vice President and Technical Services Leader for Cargill’s Food Ingredients & Systems business. She leads a team that is responsible for managing the technology relationships with Cargill’s food and beverage customers. This includes collaborating with customers to create new and innovative foods and beverages that will succeed in the market. Sharon joined Cargill in 1992 and has held several roles in the areas of technical services and research. Prior to taking on her current role in 2007, Sharon was the Technology Director for Cargill's Corn Milling North America business. She was named Assistant Vice President in June 2006. Sharon received a B.S. degree in Chemistry from The University of Pittsburgh. She and her husband reside in Glen Ellyn, IL. Cargill is an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services. Founded in 1865, the privately held company employs 160,000 people in 67 countries. Cargill helps customers succeed through collaboration and innovation, and is committed to applying its global knowledge and experience to help meet economic, environmental and social challenges wherever it does business. For more information, visit www.cargill.com.

Andria Long is vice president of innovation at Sara Lee Corporation and has been with the company for 3 years. She is responsible for innovation for Sara Lee’s portfolio brands including Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm, Ball Park and Sara Lee. Ms. Long is an accomplished consumer packaged goods marketing professional with demonstrated ability in identifying category and consumer insights and translating them into profitable business propositions. She has extensive innovation expertise, both in food and personal care, with a proven track record of in-market success. Prior to joining Sara Lee, Ms. Long worked on innovation for the St. Ives brand at Alberto Culver, Cheez-It at Kellogg’s and Huggies Baby Wipes at Kimberly Clark. Career highlights include the successful launch of Cheez-It Twisterz, Cheez-It Gripz and St. Ives Mineral Therapy. Ms. Long holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Florida, and earned an earned an M.B.A from the University of Florida. Each and every day, Sara Lee (NYSE: SLE) delights millions of consumers and customers around the world. The company has one of the world’s best-loved and leading portfolios with its innovative and trusted food, beverage, household and body care brands, including Ambi Pur, Ball Park, Douwe Egberts, Hillshire Farm, Jimmy Dean, Kiwi, Sanex, Sara Lee and Senseo. Collectively, these brands generate more than $13 billion in annual net sales covering approximately 200 countries. The Sara Lee community consists of 44,000 employees worldwide. Please visit www.saralee.com for the latest news and in-depth information about Sara Lee and its brands.

In 1985, Grant Lundberg graduated from California Polytechnic State University with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Management, with a concentration in Farm Management. Before entering Cal Poly in 1981, Grant was raised in Richvale, California at the family farm. His father’s family moved to the Richvale area in 1937 from Nebraska. He spent two years in Ames, Iowa and graduated in 1987 with a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics. In the spring of 1987, Grant chose to work for his family’s business. Grant arrived back in the Richvale area in the summer of 1987 and started working for Lundberg Family Farms. Susie and he moved to nearby Chico. In 1990, Susie and Grant started a family with the addition of Emma. Ansel arrived in 1993. Grant enjoys traveling, bicycling and swimming. In 1997, Grant was made the CEO of Lundberg Family Farms. Since then, Lundberg Family Farms has expanded its board of directors to include the third generation of the Lundberg family. The board is comprised of eight family members, including Grant. Since 1937, the Lundberg Family has been growing rice and producing rice products at their farms in the Sacramento Valley. Lundberg Family Farms uses eco-positive farming practices to produce wholesome, healthful rice products while protecting and improving the environment for future generations. For more information, visit www.lundberg.com.

Brian became president of The Food Institute in 2002 and has worked for this 81-year-old organization since 1980. Brian oversees the day to day operations of the Elmwood Park, NJ-based association which disseminates industry information through its weekly report, daily e-mail updates, seminars and webinars, reaching over 60,000 industry professionals. Brian graduated from Ramapo College in Mahwah, NJ in 1980 with a B.A. in Political Science and serves on the New Jersey Food Alliance of Rutgers' Food Policy Institute. A nonprofit organization founded in 1928, The American Institute of Food Distribution (The Food Institute) has a single purpose: providing information. The Food Institute was founded by Seattle food broker Gordon C. Corbaley who decided to put out a semi-regular posting for his principals -- mainly canners -- and his customers, so they could keep better informed about what was going on in the marketplace. He called his postings The News From Oregon and Washington. The reports were welcomed by the trade as poor communication systems back in the Coolidge era resulted in a great deal of business being done by poorly informed (at times actually misinformed) buyers and sellers. A number of Corbaley's principals were so impressed with his postings, they decided the industry would be better off with one less broker and, instead, have some sort of central information organization working strictly on accumulating and disseminating facts on the business. These food processors approached the major can companies for initial funding. The new association based its operations in New York City until 1968 when it moved to Fair Lawn, NJ and in 2000 it moved down the street to its present location in Elmwood Park, NJ. Over the years, our reporting has evolved, changing to reflect the developments in the industry, but the basic premise of getting the correct information, and getting it fast enough so that people can act on it, has never changed. Today we offer: The weekly Food Institute Report The industry's most comprehensive website Seminars and webinars on the hottest topics and the latest trends A wide variety of highly respected reports and studies The most respected Daily Update emails in the industry to over 110,000 key decision makers A staff of industry analysts to answer member inquiries and fulfill information requests

Kent Spalding is the Vice President of Marketing for Weetabix North America, a leading manufacturer of Natural and Organic brands including Barbara’s Bakery, Puffins, Weetabix, Alpen, and Nature’s Choice. Mr. Spalding has been instrumental in leading the company with many new innovative products and consumer initiatives designed to appeal directly to the Health & Wellness consumer. Mr. Spalding’s background includes a senior management role with the industry leading market research company SPINS. He also co-founded the Touch Agency, a leading sales and marketing consulting firm to the Natural/Organic industry working with clients Amy’s Kitchen, Avalon Organics, Spectrum Oils. Mr. Spalding has also held various leadership positions with premiere consumer packed goods companies, including Bayer Health care, Quaker Oats & Hunt Wesson. Mr. Spalding has a particular passion for the Natural Foods industry and its commitment to better-for-you products born from a long tradition of sustainable agriculture and through creative partnerships with environmental and educational groups. From its base in the heart of the English countryside, The Weetabix Food Company has been creating delicious breakfast cereals since 1932. Our headquarters are part of a 75 acre site in Kettering, Northamptonshire where we produce popular cereals including Weetabix, Oatibix, Alpen, Ready brek, Weetabix Mini’s and Weetos. The business has expanded significantly since we first started out and we now employ over 2,000 people around the world. Our best known cereal, Weetabix, is officially the UK’s favourite breakfast, accounting for 8% of the country’s total cereal sales with annual sales worth over £95million (US$150 million). Here in the U.S., Weetabix remains committed to quality, service and consistency of product upon which the customer depends.

Ron Judge is Vice President, Food Safety & Quality Assurance for Maple Leaf Consumer Foods. Maple Leaf Consumer Foods (a division of Maple Leaf Foods) now encompasses 24 manufacturing ready to eat, four poultry and three pork slaughter facilities across Canada. Ron joined Maple Leaf in 1996 as the Director - Quality Assurance and was based in Burlington, Ontario. He is a graduate of The University of Western Ontario (B Sc. Organic Chemistry - 1983). During his career with Maple Leaf Consumer Foods, he has worked on several key initiatives, including the following: · Participation as a Canadian Meat Council Technical Committee member working on sub-group projects such as recalls (crisis management), and Foreign Animal Disease (Foot and Mouth) and is currently leading the environmental testing protocol for the Joint Industry Working group for best practices for listeria controls. · Creation of the Maple Leaf Foods (MLCF/ML Pork) Food Safety Enhancement Program approach recognized in 13 plants and one distribution center. · Creation of the 40 step audit approach being used by all Maple Leaf Foods Protein Independent Operating Companies (Maple Leaf Consumer Foods, Maple Leaf Fresh (Pork and Poultry) · As an Industry member of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency/Industry Performance Criteria Committee (working on Mandatory FSEP for the federal meat & poultry sector in Canada). · Ron was a requested Industry Speaker at the Ontario Food Protection Association on bio-terrorism as well as on Training Best Practices, and several other national conferences including six sigma, improving your recall capabilities, principles of a solid Quality Assurance program and initiatives to improve your food safety programs. . Previously he spent 13 years with the Campbell Soup Company Ltd. as Quality Assurance Manager where he helped shape the vision, direction, transition and success of manufacturing facilities through cultural change. Quality programs which have been implemented include the following: auditing/appraisal programs, HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points), ISO 9001 certification, and cost of failure programs.

Lori Colman is a founding partner and CEO of Colman Brohan Davis, a strategic branding and creative marketing firm in Chicago, Illinois. Ms. Colman has been instrumental in developing brand strategies and marketing initiatives for companies in the food manufacturing and food service sectors. She’s a frequent speaker at industry events and authors articles on brand positioning, product launches, channel management and planning and has a particular passion for adding value to commodity-style products and markets. Lori is a firm believer in understanding consumer behavior and putting customers at the core of all marketing and communications decisions. Prior to forming her own branding and marketing firm in 1988, Ms. Colman was an executive with advertising agencies Cramer-Krasselt and Draft, now Draft FCB. Previously, she held a marketing management position at Colgate-Palmolive. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan’s School of Business. Colman Brohan Davis works with a diverse roster of domestic and global clients and is included on BtoB magazine’s U.S. list of “Top Agencies.”

Sunwin International Neutraceuticals, Inc. engages in the areas of zero-calorie all natural sweeteners (stevia), essential traditional Chinese medicine, and veterinary medicines and feeds prepared from 100 percent organic herbal ingredients. As an industry leader in agricultural processing, Sunwin International has built an integrated global firm with the sourcing and production capabilities to meet the needs of consumers throughout the world. Sunwin International also makes such value-added products as specialty veterinary food ingredients and specialty feed ingredients. For more info about Sunwin International, please visit http://www.sunwininternational.com

Brian Morgan is a senior research analyst for global market research firm Euromonitor International, and has been with the company for six years. Brian researches the United States market for drinks, food, confectionary, health and wellness products, and vitamins and supplements. He graduated from the University of Chicago with a BA in Anthropology and has worked on Euromonitor projects for the National Restaurant Association Show, the National Confectioners Association Annual Conference, the IFT Annual Meeting and Food Expo for Archer Daniels Midland Co. Brian's industry speaking roles have included: “Global Trends in Confectionery ” Speaker, National Confectioners Association State of the Industry Conference 2008 “Trends in Global Beverages and Food ” Speaker, World Cocoa Foundation Conference 2007. He is also a regular contributor to 'Brandweek' magazine.

With over 20 years of experience in the food industry, in the areas involving food safety, quality assurance, and sanitation Holly Mockus has been privileged to work with the exceptional team of professionals at the Sara Lee Corporation during the past 3 years in the role of Senior Manager, Food Safety. Her primary responsibilities encompass food safety and plant regulatory affairs related to the meat and poultry side of the corporation. Her time at Sara Lee has topped a career which includes increasing levels of responsibility with a diverse variety of food products and corporations– from pork slaughter to snack and bakery items to frozen dinners for companies such as Kraft, ConAgra, Kellogg, Vlasic Foods International, and Dominick’s Finer Foods. The proudest moments in her career have been helping people to grow and achieve - because after all – teamwork makes it all happen! Holly graduated from Southern Illinois University with a Bachelors degree in microbiology. She has been joyfully married to her husband John for 28 years. They have two beautiful daughters, Devin and Chloe– both in college, a houseful of rescued pets, and currently reside in the western suburbs of Chicago.

Prof. Diana Derval, MBA, is the President and Research Director of DervalResearch, global market research firm specializing in new product development and commercialization, partner of the COPUS Year of Science 2009 (see www.derval-research.com). Visionary researcher, Diana Derval turns the latest neuroscientific breakthroughs into powerful marketing frameworks like Wait Marketing (see www.wait-marketing.com) and the Hormonal Fingerprint (see www.hormonal-fingerprint.com). Author regularly featured in the media—Marketing Week, La Tribune, BFM Radio—Diana Derval accelerated the development of Fortune 500 firms, including Sara Lee, Philips, Michelin, HP, TomTom and Danone. Diana Derval holds an Executive MBA and a Masters Degree in Marketing from ESSEC Paris-Singapore Business School. Member of the Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, she is Professor of Marketing and Innovation at the University of Wales MBA/Robert Kennedy College, teaches Cognitive and Sensorial Marketing and gives inspirational lectures and workshops from San Francisco to Tangier.

Jhana Senxian leads the sustainability and Corporate Responsibility (CR) research practice at Aberdeen Group which has benchmarked the sustainability & CR performance of over 6300 organizations, world-wide. Jhana’s work focuses on the strategy, implementation, management, and communication of sustainability initiatives with a major focus on measuring and quantifying business outcomes and benefits and uncovering areas of opportunity, improvement, and innovation. Jhana is a Harvard-trained social anthropologist who examines the cultural and process transformations that have dramatically impacted the business ecosystem. She brings over ten years of international experience in professional research, analysis, writing, and training to Aberdeen including work and collaboration with business, governmental, academic, and cultural entities in the US, Europe, and Africa. Jhana has an M.A. from Harvard University and a B.A. from Brandeis University and is a co-author of the forthcoming, Green IT for Dummies (Wiley Press, 2009).

Victoria is currently Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning and Technology at WILD Flavors, Inc. She is also responsible for WILD’s business in Central and South America. Victoria joined WILD Flavors in 2000 and held the roles of Vice President of WILD’s Beverage Business Unit and then Senior Vice President of all Business Units, Marketing and Technology Development. WILD Flavors is a privately held company specializing in Flavors, Natural Colors, Health Ingredients and other specialty ingredient technologies for the food and beverage industry. WILD Flavors is located in Erlanger, KY. For more information on WILD Flavors, their technologies and services, please visit www.wildflavors.com. Before joining WILD Flavors, Victoria was Director of Global Product Development at Pepsi Cola, and Product Development Manager at Joseph E. Seagram and Son. In her role at these companies, she led the technical development of numerous new products, line extensions and reformulations. Victoria holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin.

With more than 25 years experience in developing and marketing innovative PLM, ERP and Decision Support solutions, Rory Granros leads the global marketing initiatives for Infor’s industry-specific process manufacturing capabilities including PLM, ERP, SCP, SCE, EAM and CPM. In this role, he is responsible for product strategy and go-to-market programs for Infor’s Manufacturing Essentials for Process. Granros joined Infor in 2005 during the Formation Systems acquisition, where he was the Vice President of Product Management and Product Marketing. At Formation, he led the design and launch of Optiva PLM, the most comprehensive and scalable process PLM solution. He has held several additional development and marketing positions with companies such as KaPRE Software, Datalogix (now Oracle), ASK and NCR. At Datalogix, Granros led the design and launch of GEMMS ERP, which was acquired by Oracle and became the foundation for Oracle OPM. Granros holds a BS in Computer Science with a minor in Marketing from the University of Wisconsin - Lacrosse.

Dr. Cram is the Vice President of Strategic Marketing for the Scientific Instruments Division of Thermo Fisher Scientific and Director of the Food Safety Program. He is responsible for growth and development of new business initiatives on a global basis, and is based in San Jose, California. After receiving his B.S. degree in Chemistry from Emporia State University, M.S. degree in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin, and a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Illinois, he joined the Department of Chemistry at the University of Florida in Gainesville. He went on to become the Chief of the Organic-Analysis Section of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, Maryland; Manager of Research and Engineering for Varian’s Instrument Division in Walnut Creek, California; and Worldwide Business Development Manager for the Environmental market, and Federal Programs at Hewlett-Packard in Palo Alto, California. He subsequently managed the Worldwide Business Development Program for Hewlett-Packard and Agilent Technologies’ Life Science and Chemical Analysis Group (LSCA) in Palo Alto, California. In 1994, he was asked to manage HP’s Worldwide Sports Medicine Marketing Program, focusing on doping control methods, technologies, and laboratory operations, for all international sporting events and federations. He also served as the Director of Homeland Security Programs at Agilent Technologies. In this capacity, the program became the fastest growth business within Agilent Technologies. During his tenure at HP and Agilent Technologies, he served as a member of the Boards of Directors for the University Relations Philanthropy Program. He went on to become the President of the Cram Consulting Group International, a global business development and technology company, based in Danville, California. His research, marketing and management experience has included gas and liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and laboratory data systems. While at NIST, he headed drug metabolism studies with the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIH), drug detection and characterization studies for the CIA, the environmental baseline study in Alaska with NOAA, and other numerous R&D programs in analytical chemistry. He currently serves on several government advisory panels and committees. He and his wife, Carolyn Anne Cram, enjoy international travel, decorating their home, and keeping up with their family of four children. They make their home in Danville, California.

Dr. Marianne O’ Shea is the Director of North America for Lipid Nutrition B.V. Her responsibilities include the sales and profitability growth for the North American region which includes the Untied States and Canada. Prior to her current position, she was the Director of Nutrition for Lipid Nutrition B.V. Her responsibilities in this capacity included the management and coordination of clinical development for Lipid Nutrition products globally, and to support the sales and marketing teams within the US. Marianne has been with Lipid Nutrition B.V. since August of 2000. She has a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and a PhD which focused on the mechanisms of action of bioactive lipids. Marianne has conducted research in the area of conjugated linoleic acid since 1996 and has given many presentations on this work internationally, she also holds publications and patents in this area. The main focus of her work investigates the effects of CLA on body composition and immune function in humans. Marianne O’ Shea has been responsible for setting up research networks for CLA in Europe and the US and has a vision to facilitate global communication between these networks and those existing in Canada and Japan.

Eluned Jones is a Professor of Food and Agribusiness Management and Marketing in the Department of Agricultural Economics, is the Director of the Master of Agribusiness (MAB) program, an intercollegiate degree program with the Mays Business School, and is Chair of the Intercollegiate Faculty of Agribusiness. Jones holds Honors BS (Univ. of Bath, UK) and MS (N.C. State Univ.) degrees in horticultural crop production and a PhD in Agricultural Economics (Texas A&M Univ.). Jones has management experience in the textile, integrated circuits, and brokerage/investment banking industries. She was a faculty member and extension specialist at Virginia Tech for 14 years before joining the Texas A&M faculty in August 2002. Jones is a co-recipient of awards for excellence from the Southern Agricultural Economics Association and the American Society of Agronomy, and is a Fellow of the Kellogg-funded Leadership Development Program at the National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy in Washington, DC. She has chaired numerous regional and national academic committees relating to food and agribusiness marketing and policy, including Chairing the Food and Agricultural Marketing Policy Section of the American Agricultural Economics Association. She has also served on the Grain Inspection and Packers and Stockyards Administration Industry Advisory Committee, the Soybean Subcommittee of the Grain Quality Workshops, and Chaired the Wheat Industry Resource Committee of the National Association of Wheat Growers. Jones research analyzes the influence of economic and legislative global changes on the public (government) versus private (industry) role in facilitating US food and agribusiness markets. Key issues addressed include how upstream supply chain participants (producers) can capture value-added revenues and how managers in the food supply chain can develop systems to maintain quality and biosecurity. Recent presentations on traceability and assurance in the US food system have been to audiences including the Food Update Foundation, National Public Policy Education Conference, Congressional Research Service (DC), Food Distribution Research Society, Plant International Conference (Angers, France), FMC FoodTech/Food Manufacturing Webcast, and the American Association of Cereal Chemists. Jones provided support to transition economy institutional infrastructure building in Eastern Europe in the 1990's. She taught a series of seminars to bankers and grain industry participants in Bulgaria in the 1990's on the role of public institutions and regulations, such as the Warehouse Receipt Act or equivalent legislation, in facilitating markets. She has taught and given presentations in Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, France, and India in the past few years on the intersection between public and private oversight of the food and agribusiness supply chain.

With over 18 years of experience, Glenn McCarty has been helping to shape software technology within the Quality industry with his company, EtQ, Inc. Before founding EtQ, Glenn gained 11 years of experience in the Product Safety and Quality Assurance Departments of Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL). He was a Lead Assessor, Qualifier of Lead Assessors, Training Developer and Quality Assurance Program Developer for Underwriters Laboratories ISO 9000 and Total Certification (TCP) Programs. In 1993, Glenn helped to found one of the first Enterprise Quality and Environmental Management Software systems that integrate flexible workflows to automate quality processes. Called EtQ (an acronym for Excellence through Quality), the company strives to eliminate paper-based quality systems, thereby streaming businesses and reducing costs and inefficiencies. EtQ is the leading Enterprise Quality and Compliance Management Software for identifying, mitigating and preventing high-risk events through integration, automation and collaboration. EtQ uses best in class, integrated modules and enterprise application integration to manage and measure quality and compliance processes and execute organizational change. Key modules within the product include: Document Control, CAPA (Corrective and Preventive Action), Audits, Complaint Handling, Risk Management, Change Management, Employee Training, Nonconforming Materials, Enterprise Reporting and more than 20 additional compliance-oriented modules. With its world class flexible workflow, collaborative platform EtQ has developed a unique niche to support enterprises involved in various compliance management initiatives such as; cGxP (FDA), ISO 13485, ISO 9000:2000, ISO/TS 16949, ISO 14001, AS 9001, TL 9000, OHSAS 18001, RoHS and similar standards for compliance and regulatory management. EtQ has been providing compliance solutions to a variety of markets for over fifteen years.

Susan is Sr. Associate Principal Scientist for Kraft R&D with responsibilities for leading Open Innovation efforts for packaging research. Kraft Foods Inc. is one of the worlds's largest food and beverage companies with revenues of over $37 billion. Susan's career with Kraft spans 20 years, holding a variety of technical positions within Kraft's Research and Packaging organizations. Prior to Kraft, Susan spent 10 years with United States Gypsum Company in their R&D organization. Susan received her B.S. from Northwestern University.

Sharrann Simmons has more than 20 years of experience in the food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries and is currently the Senior Marketing Manager for Cognis Nutrition & Health. She is responsible for marketing strategy development and implementation for the entire Cognis portfolio of nutritional and food ingredients in North America. Prior to joining Cognis, Ms. Simmons was Vice President and General Manager of the US subsidiary of CNI, Colloides Naturels International, the world’s leading manufacturer and marketer of acacia gum. She holds a BS and MS degree in Food Science from Purdue University, and has also attended the Executive MBA program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Graduate Management. Her career has included positions in research and development, marketing, technical sales and product management for leading global food and ingredient companies. Ms. Simmons was Director of Food Marketing for the European region of FMC, based in Brussels, Belgium. She has been active in many professional organizations including IFT (Institute of Food Technologists), AACT (American Association of Candy Technologists), WFFC (Women in Flavor and Fragrance Commerce), AAPS (American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists), FMI (Food Marketing Institute) and CDMA (Commercial Development and Management Association). In 2003, Ms. Simmons was honored by Purdue University as a Distinguished Alumni for the School of Agriculture. Purdue also selected her to receive the Outstanding Food Science Award in 2004. She is also involved in supporting the “Executive in the Classroom” program at Purdue.

Simon Jacobson is responsible for AMR Research’s coverage of manufacturing operations and ERP providers serving the mid-market. He examines how global manufacturers apply IT to their processes as part of their ongoing evolution toward becoming demand-driven manufacturers. In addition to ERP, Simon also covers manufacturing compliance and quality management (including environmental health and safety), manufacturing services organizations, and the evolving ecosystem of MES providers across the range of industries that AMR Research studies. Prior to his role as senior research analyst, Simon worked as the program manager for AMR Research’s manufacturing operations group. In this position, he managed the team’s strategic client relationships, business development efforts, and coordinated research efforts to ensure that market trends and demands were adequately reflected. He also worked to create cross-functional synergies with AMR Research’s sales, marketing, and research departments. Simon earned his BA from the University of Vermont.

As a senior process engineer, Dr. Amy X. Hu is a true leader of Red Arrow Products’ innovation team in research and development. Her major responsibilities include: identifying areas of critical product/process improvement and increased manufacture needs, and developing all the necessary plans and implementation processes to address those needs. She works closely with third parties to develop proprietary technologies that benefit the company and diversify the product portfolio. Prior to joining Red Arrow Products, Dr. Hu was a research scientist at National Food Process Association, focusing on innovative processing technologies to eliminate food pathogens, such as high hydrostatic pressure and irradiation. Dr. Hu earned her Ph.D. degree in food engineering at Virginia Polytechnic and State University. She also holds two master degrees, one in food science and the other in agricultural engineering.

Dr. Kevin Stark’s specific research expertise is in aerospace sensors research, which included chemical, inertial and other mechanical sensor R&D, as well as semiconductor manufacturing development. This work occurred at Advanced Micromachines, Inc., a startup company that was acquired by the Goodrich Corporation in 1999. Dr. Stark’s product development activities include co-inventing and managing silicon strain sensor technology, which was honored as “Best in Show” at the Sensors Expo in 2000. Additionally, he designed, tested and published results of the world’s first direct torque measurement of a micromachined (MEMS) micromotor. Dr. Stark was the key technical and program lead for a three year DARPA-funded project ($3.5M) leading to six issued patents. He earned a B.S. degree from Cornell University and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Case Western Reserve University, all in electrical engineering. He holds four U.S. patents. Dr. Stark has worked across multiple disciplines with US, European and Japanese clients, with significant experience in automotive systems and food processing, formulation and packaging technologies. He also consults with clients to help them standardize their Open Innovation processes for technology scouting and identification.

As Director of Industry Relations, Richard Ross is TraceGains’ liaison to all industry associations, standards committees, and regulatory and federal agencies—he rarely sleeps. In his previous 30 years in the industry, he has held VP and GM positions at ADM and ConAgra. Richard is a third-generation food producer and ingredient supplier, Six Sigma Black Belt, GS1-certified consultant, holder of 13 patents on traceability, and even had a small hand in the authoring of the Food Bioterrorism Act of 2002.

Born in 1944 the son of an organic berry farmer, Mr. Stephens was only 23 when he opened the first vegetarian restaurant on Canada’s west coast. He quickly followed this in 1971 with the region’s first natural supermarket, LifeStream®, founded with two partners. The LifeStream® store soon began repackaging bulk goods and creating products under its own brand name, spawning what would become a leading brand of packaged natural food products, sold throughout Canada and exported to the United States. In 1981, the LifeStream® store and brand was sold. Mr. Stephen’s experience in retailing, manufacturing, and distribution lead to the founding of Nature’s Path® in 1985. Over time, Nature’s Path has become the best-selling brand of certified organic cereal in North America, a leader in its category. The brand is now international, and is sold in New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom. As an artist, author, environmentalist, and founder of America’s largest certified organic cereal company, Arran is a voice of experience in the alternative food industry. His values — sustainability, community, and spirituality — have fuelled a pioneering career in business. Mr. Stephens has modeled both his personal and professional life after the words of farmer Rupert Stephens, his father — “Leave the earth better than you found it.” Arran's book Journey to the Luminous, first published in 1999, is available in it's online version at www.mothandtheflame.com He and his life-companion Ratana have four children, three grandchildren and, appropriately, a large organic garden.

WILD Flavors, Inc., based in Erlanger, Kentucky, is one of the world’s leading privately-owned manufacturers of natural ingredients for the food and beverage industry. WILD Flavors provides specific flavors, colors, and ingredients as well as innovative and great tasting concepts through application expertise and technological advancements. For more information about WILD Flavors, please visit: www.wildflavors.com.

Dr. Acheson was appointed in May 2007, by the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, to the Assistant Commissioner for Food Protection - to provide advice and counsel to the Commissioner on strategic and substantive food safety and food defense matters. In January 2008, Dr. von Eschenbach expanded Dr. Acheson's portfolio by naming him Associate Commissioner of Foods, which gives him an agency-wide leadership role for all food and feed issues, including health promotion and nutrition. Dr. Acheson has published extensively and is internationally recognized both for his public health expertise in food safety and his research in infectious diseases. Additionally, Dr. Acheson is a fellow of both the Royal College of Physicians (London) and the Infectious Disease Society of America.

Ellen is the SVP & Chief Growth Officer for Hain Celestial, a group with more than 1,500 food products in approximately 50 countries specializing in organic and fairtrade products. Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAIN) in 1996. Hain Celestial is the largest global marketer of natural and organic products, and Ellen was promoted to Senior Vice President/Chief Growth Officer in 2003, having served in executive positions for the company leading marketing, sales, and strategic planning. Having completed both her B.B.A. and M.B.A. studies at Hofstra University, Ellen has been a contributor to many industry publications, and has lectured at the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) marketing conference, Natural Foods Expo, and NY/Women in Communications, among others. She has also appeared on the Television Food Network discussing trends in food, and has been instrumental in the launch of many consumer products. Companies she had previously worked with during her career in advertising include Nabisco Foods, MasterCard International, and Rexall/Sundown, among others, both in consumer and business-to-business marketing.