Speakers

Frank Yiannas is a renowned food safety leader and executive, food system futurist, author, professor, past president of the International Association of Food Protection, and advocate for consumers.

Most recently, he served under two different administrations as the Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a position he held from 2018 to 2023, after spending 30 years in leadership roles with two industry
giants: Walmart and the Walt Disney Company.

After retiring from the FDA, Yiannas founded Smarter FY Solutions to help organizations address critical food safety and supply chain challenges. He also advises several prestigious companies, offering consultancy services to modernize compliance strategies and ensure clients meet regulatory requirements and industry standards.

Throughout his career, Frank has been recognized for his role in strengthening food safety standards in new and innovative ways, as well as building effective food safety management systems based on modern, science-based, and tech-enabled prevention principles.

Yvan Tomaselli serves as Global Head of Food Safety at Nestlé. He leads global initiatives to advance food safety standards, strengthen food safety management systems, and embed a culture of prevention and continuous improvement across a diverse international portfolio. Drawing on many years of experience in food safety and quality management, Yvan is committed to translating science and risk-based thinking into practical solutions that protect consumers and support innovation.

Dr. Yanyan Huang serves as Vice President of Global Quality and Food Safety at ADM, leading the company’s global Quality and Food Safety organization. With more than 20 years of experience, she has driven the advancement of food safety and quality through data-driven innovation, digital transformation, and a relentless focus on culture. She firmly believes that food safety and quality culture, from the frontline to the boardroom, drives sustainable results, strengthens consumer trust, and enables organizations to consistently deliver safe, high-quality products. Passionate about protecting public health, she views food safety and quality as both a business imperative and a responsibility to society.

Personal Motto: “If I do my job well, I help protect millions of lives every day.”

Erik P. Mettler, M.P.A., M.P.H. is the Assistant Commissioner for Integrated Food Safety Systems in the FDA’s Human Foods Program (HFP), Office of Integrated Food Safety System Partnerships (OIFSSP). In this role, he leads a full range of HFP’s activities to strengthen an integrated food safety system, including the implementation of seamless partnerships and operations among federal, state, local, territorial, and tribal agencies. OIFSSP furthers the goal of advancing FDA’s public health mission through collaboration with strategic partners in industry, consumer groups, academia, foreign regulatory authorities, and other stakeholders by encouraging, cultivating, and fostering relationships and cooperative efforts.

Most recently, Mr. Mettler served as the Assistant Commissioner for Partnerships and Policy in the Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA), where he led several of ORA’s cross-cutting activities, including field operational policy, partnerships, implementation of new laws and regulations, and overall strategic planning and prioritization.

Other positions previously held by Mr. Mettler include Associate Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine in the Office of Foods and Veterinary Medicine (OFVM), Director of the Office of Resource Planning and Strategic Management in OFVM, and Deputy Director for Management and Deputy Executive Officer in the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. His years of experience at the FDA have provided him a broad perspective on public health, policy, and administrative management along with a keen awareness of critical issues at all levels of the agency.

Mr. Mettler earned a master’s degree in Public Health from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University in Georgia and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of New Mexico.

Dr. Justin Ransom was announced by Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins as a presidential appointment on July 3, 2025, to serve as Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). He assumed leadership of the agency on July 14, 2025.

As Administrator, Dr. Ransom oversees FSIS’ mission to ensure the safety, wholesomeness, and proper labeling of America’s commercial supply of meat, poultry, and processed egg products. He leads the agency’s modernization efforts, streamlining inspection systems, strengthening public health protections, and advancing science-based policies.

Dr. Ransom brings more than 20 years of executive leadership in food safety, quality systems, animal welfare, and sustainability. Immediately prior to his appointment, he served as Senior Director of Sustainable Food Strategy at Tyson Foods, where he spearheaded enterprise-wide sustainability programs. His diverse industry experience also includes roles at McDonald’s and OSI Group, where he managed and advanced complex food supply chains across global markets.

With roots in production agriculture, Dr. Ransom has worked as a scientist, livestock breeder, and global supply chain leader, deepening his first-hand knowledge of end-to-end food system management. His career reflects a strong commitment to enterprise collaboration and the seamless integration of food safety practices from farm to fork. He is driven by a genuine passion for protecting the safety and security of American agriculture – from the farmers who produce our food to the consumers who depend on it. He draws on his leadership development experiences to cultivate future leaders and foster strong, high-performing teams grounded in trust, accountability, and shared purpose.

He began his public service career at USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, contributing to the development of technical standards for the National School Lunch Program, instrument grading systems, and international trade facilitation.

Dr. Ransom holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Communications from Texas Tech University and earned both his Master of Science and Ph.D. in Animal Science from Michigan State University and Colorado State University, respectively.

Mahir is a Master in Chemical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and currently is a Vice President at PepsiCo leading Global FSQA (Food Safety and Quality Assurance) Organization based in New York.

Mahir has four years of work experience in Unilever, India and then 29+ years of experience with PepsiCo. He has worked in Supply chain operations, EHS (Environment , Health and Safety) , R&D, Digitization and most of all in Food Safety and Quality Assurance across three continents – India, Dubai and USA. He is currently responsible for formulating and implementing strategic plans for all Food Safety and Quality initiatives across the entire product portfolio ( Snacks, beverages, Dairy, Bread and meat snacks in over 1300 company-owned and third-party manufacturing sites around the globe.

With deep-rooted knowledge across product categories and differing regulatory and cultural environments, he plays a pivotal role in establishing rigorous standards and systems. He has shared countless lessons learned during his career. His innovative approaches ensure that PepsiCo consistently delivers products that not only meet stringent safety guidelines but also resonate with consumer expectations and satisfaction. Under Mahir’s guidance, the company’s commitment to food safety, quality assurance, compliance, and consumer trust remains unparalleled.

Jorge is responsible for food safety and quality in all Wendy’s restaurants and its suppliers in 31 countries. His responsibilities include ensuring brand compliance with nutritional and allergen information, menu labeling and any other state and federal regulations. Previously, Jorge was Chief Food Safety Officer at Wholesome International; Senior VP for Food Safety and Quality Assurance at US FOODS; VP of Food Safety at the National Restaurant Association; Food Program Manager at Illinois Department of Public Health and Sanitarian at Winnebago County Health Department in Illinois.

Jorge has Degrees in Biology from Rockford University, USA; Microbiology from El Centro de Estudios Medico-Biologicos in Mexico City, Mexico; and Languages and Literature from la Universite de la Sorbonne, Paris, France. Jorge belongs to several national and international organizations and boards including STOP Foodborne Illness, IFPTI, the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and other.

Currently working for Dollar Tree Inc. as Vice President – Food Safety, Quality & Sanitation, Dan has spent the past 35+ years in the global food industry.

Starting his career as a regulator in the UK, he moved into roles as an auditor with a major certification body and trading law manager for two British-based retailers. Dan subsequently pursued a variety of consulting roles giving him the opportunity to work with regulators, retailers, manufacturers and restaurant groups in Europe, North America, the Middle East and SE Asia.

This experience led him to follow an opportunity in global business development where he moved to the US to lead teams for NSF; and from there to accept a role with Walmart as International Subject Matter Expert for Food Safety. He finished his seven years with Walmart as Group Director with the US Food Safety Teams.

Dan has spoken at conferences and seminars around the world, usually targeting the juncture between human behavior and compliance.

In addition to academic qualifications, Dan has focused his career on holistic personal development and actively seeks to be an advocate, an ally and a mentor.

Rosalind is a recognized quality, food safety and regulatory leader with in-depth experience transforming programs in companies that are less mature in their food safety/quality culture journey and deploying enterprise-wide food safety and quality initiatives in very large organizations. She has extensive experience in ensuring a safe, quality, and regulatory compliant raw material and finished product supply. During her career with Cargill, Land O’Lakes, 8th Ave Food & Provisions, Mead Johnson Nutrition/Reckitt, and now Ingredion, she has gained significant change management skills and experience in quality, food safety and regulatory activities at the corporate, enterprise and business unit level, including customer focus, building trust, influencing internally and externally to company, driving results, and enabling a global perspective that ensures the business operating principles of the organization are met. Rosalind is recognized for her ability to translate technical rigor into practical, scalable solutions — and for her commitment to advancing food safety and quality culture across the industry. Her interests outside of her workplace are supporting her son’s competitive sailing endeavors, gardening, and boating on the lake.

Peter Begg serves as the Chief Quality and Food Safety Officer at Lyons Magnus, overseeing all facets of quality and food safety, including risk management, regulatory compliance, and product conformity. With extensive experience in the food industry, Peter previously held leadership roles at Hearthside Food Solutions, Glanbia Nutritionals, Mondelēz International, and Kraft Foods. His career spans 29 years, encompassing positions in engineering, research and development, and quality assurance. Peter’s expertise extends to global initiatives, having represented Mondelēz International on the Global Food Safety Initiative board. He holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University, underpinning his commitment to excellence in food safety and quality.

Sara Mortimore is the former Vice President and Global Subject Matter Expert for Food Safety at Walmart Inc. In this role, Sara was responsible for the global development and oversight of all Food Safety programs and initiatives for the company’s more than 10,500 stores, manufacturing facilities, distribution, and fulfilment centers. A proud accomplishment was leading the team to be awarded the IAFP Black Pearl Award in 2024.

Prior to joining Walmart in May 2019, Sara held the position of Vice President of Product Safety, Quality and Regulatory Affairs with enterprise-wide responsibility at Land O’Lakes, Inc. In this capacity, she covered both human and animal foods and supported non-profit international development work.

Sara began her career with Glaxo SmithKline as a Research Technologist in Research & Development. In 1989, she joined Grand Metropolitan Foods, which later became Pillsbury and was subsequently incorporated by General Mills Inc. Here she led food safety, quality, and regulatory teams throughout international markets, including support of brands such as Haagen Dazs, Wanchai Ferry, Old El Paso, and Green Giant.

She is the co-author of several successful books, chapters and papers on HACCP and food safety management. Sara has served on the board of trustees for the Royal Society of Public Health, for the BRC International Advisory Board, and is a past member of the Global Food Safety Initiative Steering Committee.

Calli Johnston serves as Group Vice President of Food Safety & Quality at HP Hood LLC, where she leads the enterprise-wide FSQ strategy spanning Operational Food Safety & Quality, Technical Services, and Business Processes. A Kansas native and proud Kansas State University graduate, Calli brings two decades of hands on experience across ESL beverages, low acid aseptic RTDs, conventional and cultured dairy, and ice cream—grounding her leadership in both scientific rigor and real world operational insight.

Calli is energized by the intersection of science, people, and organizational performance. She is passionate about developing high performing teams and empowering technical experts to grow into influential business leaders who deliver measurable value. Throughout her career, she has championed innovation and continuous improvement by reducing food safety and operational risks through enterprise level Management of Change programs, modernizing traditional testing paradigms with statistical quality control, and advancing holistic, people centric Culture of Quality initiatives.

Laurie A. Gerbers is the VP of Food Safety and Quality, Health and Human Safety, Environment, and Sustainability at Maker’s Pride. Laurie is passionate about organizational transformation, utilizing risk and risk reduction to drive food safety and operational excellence. With over 20 years of experience, she leads food safety and people safety at Maker’s Pride, emphasizing the core values of integrity, trust, and transparency.

Sue has been at Conagra for 15 years. She is responsible for customer-facing support in food safety quality and regulatory affairs. Her team supports key Conagra Brand strategic customers like McDonalds, Costco, US Foods, Walmart, and Amazon along with strategic private label customers. Her team supports the customer complaint management process, along with the management of all customer technical documentation requirements, questionnaires, and various inquiries to support the business. She also leads key food safety initiatives for new business initiatives like e-commerce and Direct-to-Consumer shipping. Most recently, Sue served on the board of the Mid-Continental Association of Food and Drug Officials (an AFDO regional affiliate) and created the Heartland Food Safety Roundtable which is an industry/regulatory agency forum for food safety and regulatory affairs discussions.

Prior to her fourteen years with Conagra, Sue was with the Schwan Food Company, the beef industry, and in healthcare food service management. Her roles in food manufacturing have focused on H&W innovation, scientific and regulatory affairs, food safety and quality, and customer management.
Sue has a bachelor’s degree in Dietetics and Nutrition from Missouri State University, an RDN credential from Kansas State University, and a Master of Science in Strategic Communications Management from Purdue University.

David Melton is the Corporate Quality Assurance Manager at Daisy Brand, where he oversees Food Safety, Quality, and Regulatory programs across the organization. With over 20 years of experience in the Food Safety and Quality field, David has worked with companies ranging from small manufacturers to global enterprises. His expertise includes HACCP, FSMA compliance, sanitary design, environmental monitoring, and both USDA and FDA regulatory programs.

David’s academic background includes a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology with a minor in Chemistry from The University of Texas at Arlington and a Master of Science in Food Science from Texas Woman’s University, where he conducted research focused on fats and oils, particularly cottonseed oil.

Prior to his current role, David held leadership positions at Pegasus Foods, Conagra Brands, AFA Foods, and Fresh Express. He also holds certifications as a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) and BRC Third Party Auditor. Known for his deep technical knowledge and ability to build standardized programs, David is a respected leader in the industry with a passion for driving food safety and quality excellence.

Amanda Lockhart serves as the Assistant Director of Food Safety Management at Hormel Foods Corporation, headquartered in Austin, MN. In this role, she leads initiatives that uphold the highest standards of food safety, regulatory compliance, and sanitary equipment and facility design.

Amanda holds a B.S. in Animal Sciences & Industry from Kansas State University and has over 20 years of experience in the food industry. Her career has been dedicated to advancing food safety, product quality, and sanitation across diverse manufacturing facilities.

Sara Jane has led R&D, quality, and regulatory teams throughout the NPD lifecycle from innovation to commercialization. She has over 10 years of experience in the natural foods industry and an educational background in Nutrition Science and International Food Law and Regulations. Her professional designations include Lead Instructor for the FSPCA Preventive Controls Qualified Individuals (PCQI), BRCGS Professional, and Certified Food Safety and Quality Auditor (CFSQA) through the American Society for Quality (ASQ). She works as a Networked Ingredients Functional Consultant for TraceGains guiding our Strategic Accounts through continuous improvement projects and streamlining their quality and R&D initiatives.

James Longo brings 18 years of experience in food safety, regulatory compliance, and culinary operations. He currently serves as the Director of Compliance at Overseas Food Trading Ltd., where he leads initiatives related to FDA and USDA regulatory compliance, as well as the company’s Overseas Sustainability Program. As a food importer working with numerous foreign suppliers, many of whom are exporting to the U.S. for the first time.

His career bridges both practical experience and academia. James began his professional journey as a chef, graduating from Le Cordon Bleu and the Italian Culinary Institute. Before transitioning into compliance, he served as an Executive Chef at OTG Management, overseeing multiple restaurants at JFK and LGA airports. In that role, he conducted food safety audits and implemented more rigorous safety protocols.

James’s passion for food safety led him into academia, where he taught culinary arts and food safety at CUNY New York City College of Technology and CUNY Kingsborough Community College. Prior to joining Overseas Food Trading, he worked as a Food Safety and Quality Assurance Specialist at Jetro Restaurant Depot, conducting audits and product testing to ensure nationwide specification adherence.

James offers a unique blend of hands-on culinary expertise and regulatory knowledge. He is a respected voice in discussions surrounding food safety, compliance, and kitchen operations.

Betsy Handelman is the Sr. Director of Food Safety & Compliance within the Buyers Edge Platform Fresh Division, supporting both the Produce Alliance and Fresh Concepts brands. Food safety and quality assurance isn’t just our management initiative, it’s our way of life. With our alliance of quality growers and dedicated distributors, our food service partners trust us to provide them with top quality produce. Betsy holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University, School of Hotel Administration, with a concentration in Food & Beverage. For over 20 years, Betsy has acquired extensive experience in the food service industry, the last 10 of which have been focused on food safety, regulatory and traceability initiatives. Outside of the professional world, Betsy enjoys spending time with her husband, three children and their two dogs.

Chester Boyt is Chief Revenue Officer at Amerisan, a national distributor of food safety solutions — from color-coded hygiene tools and PPE to its industry-leading 5S workplace organization innovations, including custom shadow boards designed for food processing environments.

Chester began his career in the family business, building firsthand knowledge of the challenges food processors face every day. This experience shaped his hands-on, consultative approach to food safety. Over 20 years, he has worked alongside food safety and sanitation leaders at processing facilities across the country to strengthen hygiene programs, improve audit scores, and reduce contamination risk, while also partnering with C-suite and corporate executives to standardize programs across multi-site operations.

Under his leadership, Amerisan has grown into a trusted partner known for pairing deep regulatory knowledge with practical, plant-floor expertise built on the belief that suppliers should help solve food safety problems, not just fill orders.

Wes Frierson is Vice President of Enterprise Solutions at FoodChain ID, where he helps food and beverage companies use technology, data, and practical operating models to improve innovation, quality, and speed to market. With more than 20 years of experience in product lifecycle management, enterprise software, and business transformation, Wes brings a deep understanding of the challenges that limit value from digital investments. He works with customers to connect strategy to execution, building pragmatic roadmaps that support adoption, measurable outcomes, and sustained improvement across the product lifecycle.

Hiba Kakish is the Global Director of Quality Assurance & Food Safety at Little Caesars. She oversees the strategic direction and execution of food safety, quality, and regulatory compliance programs across suppliers, distributors, and restaurants in 30 countries. With over 25 years at Little Caesars, Hiba has held key roles in Research & Development and Innovation. She previously served as Director of New Product Commercialization, where she spearheaded the development and launch of numerous successful new products and Limited Time Offers. Hiba holds a B.S. in Public Health with a specialization in Food Science & Nutrition from Jordan University of Science and Technology, and an M.S. in Nutrition Biochemistry from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Takashi leads global food safety at Fresh Del Monte, ensuring rigorous, science-based risk management across fresh-cut and processed produce operations worldwide. With a career spanning some of the world’s most respected food and beverage brands, his expertise is especially deep in the fresh produce sector. He holds four degrees in engineering and business, including a PhD in engineering from Purdue University. Takashi believes in the power of on-site, face-to-face engagement with global teams to uphold the highest standards of food safety. He is proud to represent Fresh Del Monte and its dedicated team members around the world.

Keith utilizes his sales leadership experience and industry expertise to assist leading brands in achieving operational excellence in quality, compliance, and risk management. His 25+ year career in the industry makes him a passionate and knowledgeable partner for CMX1 customers as they grow and scale their food safety, quality, and compliance programs.

Frank Curto brings over 25 years of experience in food safety, sanitation, and regulatory compliance. A former USDA FSIS Inspector-in-Charge, he has led sanitation and food safety programs across large-scale food manufacturing and distribution facilities.

Passionate about helping organisations understand, manage and mitigate risks within increasingly complex global supply chains, Kimberly works with food manufacturers, retailers, QSRs and associated supply chain partners to strengthen brand protection, enhance transparency and respond to growing consumer expectations for authenticity. Over more than 40 years, she has held a wide range of hands on technical and strategic customer relationship roles across the USA, Latin America, Asia and Australia/New Zealand, which has shaped her reputation as a thought leader in global food risk management.

Kimberly’s experience includes senior leadership roles in manufacturing, certification and technical governance, giving her a combination of operational pragmatism and strategic oversight. She has advised food businesses on the design and implementation of global food management systems aligned with international standards, ensuring risks to food safety, quality, legality and authenticity are effectively controlled. She has also driven excellence in auditing and assessment practices to deliver assurance, strengthen system performance and support continuous improvement.

As a recognised speaker and industry contributor, Kimberly regularly shares insight and best practice through conferences, webinars, technical training and published white papers. Her recognised training in food safety and auditing reinforces her credibility as a subject matter expert.

In her current role, she leads LRQA’s global supply chain programmes, driving technical excellence and innovation across food safety, risk management and sustainability. Committed to delivering high standards of quality, integrity and customer centricity, Kimberly designs scalable strategies that protect consumers and brands, improve transparency and build long term confidence in operations.