Agenda - North American Food Safety & Quality

Stream One Chair

Heidi Saunders

Senior Vice President Food Safety and Quality

Schwan's Company

Stream Two Co-Chair

Kimberly Coffin

Global Technical Director – Supply Chain Assurance, Food Sector

LRQA

Stream Three Co-Chair

Chester Boyt

Chief Revenue Officer

Amerisan

4:15pm - 5:15pm

Welcome Day Panel: Planning for Food Safety and Quality of the Future: What are the Five Big Things We Need to Talk About?

Frank Yiannas

Former Deputy Commissioner, Food Policy & Response

FDA

Peter Begg

Chief Food Safety & Quality Officer

Lyons Magnus

Heidi Saunders

Senior Vice President Food Safety and Quality

Schwan's Company

Al Baroudi

VP, QA & Food Safety

The Cheesecake Factory

Sara Mortimore

Former VP Global Food Safety Compliance

Walmart

Session Details

Innovations in Technology: How are blockchain, AI, and data analytics reshaping the landscape of the food supply chain. What impact are these innovations having on transparency and efficiency to ensure enhanced safety and quality?
Regulatory Compliance and Global Standards: In the complex realm of regulatory compliance and evolving global standards, how can the food industry effectively navigate intricacies, foster collaboration for international cohesion, and fortify global food safety and quality?
Supply Chain Optimization: What strategies can be employed to optimize the food supply chain, focusing on visibility, fraud prevention, and the implementation of policies to ensure a secure, transparent, and efficient system that ultimately heightens safety and quality?
Consumer Safety and Education: How can the food industry ensure precision in allergen control and labeling to guarantee consumer safety? What role does fostering awareness play in demanding high-quality, safe food choices?
Sustainability and Resilience: In the face of climate change challenges, how can the food industry integrate eco-friendly practices and promote sustainability? What is the symbiotic relationship between sustainability and food quality, and how can this contribute to a responsible future?

5:20pm - 5:55pm

Mapping the Future: Assessing and Advancing Your Food Safety Programs

Kari Hensien

SVP QMS

FranConnect

Cindy Jiang

Global Food Safety Ambassador

Session Details

Today, the cost of inaction in implementing solutions for food safety management is far-reaching, affecting financial performance, brand reputation, consumer health, regulatory compliance, and long-term strategic positioning. Investing in robust food safety technologies is not just a regulatory requirement but a critical business strategy to ensure sustainability, trust, and competitiveness in the market.

This session by examining the past, present, and future of food safety will…

Highlight pivotal technologies that have revolutionized food safety practices over time, from early detection systems to real-time monitoring and predictive analytics
Outline a Food Safety Program Maturity Model to help organizations gain insights into how available technologies can enhance their food safety programs and advance their organization’s food safety program maturity
Participants will take away actionable strategies to implement over the next 12 to 24 months to elevate their food safety standards, programs, and practices.

6:00pm

7:30am - 8:15am

8:15am - 8:20am

Opening Remarks and Important Announcements

8:20am - 8:30am

Chair’s Welcome Address

Heidi Saunders

Senior Vice President Food Safety and Quality

Schwan's Company

8:30am - 9:05am

Propelling Progress: Leveraging a Distinctive Legacy of Food Safety and Quality Leadership to Shape the Future

Frank Yiannas

Former Deputy Commissioner, Food Policy & Response

FDA

Session Details

Analyzing contemporary trends, obstacles, and prospects in the food safety and quality ecosystem
Empowering food safety and quality leadership: key takeaways and a forward-looking perspective
Examining the evolving landscape for FSQ leaders and charting the course ahead
Envisioning the future of food regulation and cultivating strategies to stay ahead of the curve
Extracting best practices and valuable insights from industry and FDA case studies

9:05am - 9:40am

Perpetual Adaptation: Being Prepared for the Unexpected

Mahir Bhagia

Chief Food Safety & Quality Assurance Officer

PepsiCo

Session Details

Why building food safety intelligence & sharing these insights is key to mitigating risks
What PepsiCo has done to break down barriers to information sharing
How our quality & food safety culture underpins being prepared for the unexpected

9:45am - 10:20am

Quality is Not Just a Cost Center: Proving the Value of Quality and Safety Initiatives with Data

Paul Bradley

Senior Director, Product Marketing

TraceGains, Inc.

Richard Scarsella

Director of Food Safety and Quality

Eagle Family Foods

Mike Kirsch

Vice President of Regulatory Affairs

Fresh Mark, Inc

Mistelle Signor

Director of Food Safety, Quality, & Regulatory

The Mennel Milling Company

Greg Birdsell

Global Quality and Food Safety Director

Whole Earth Brands

Session Details

Quality and Safety teams often struggle to secure budget priority despite their essential roles. Learn how to shift that narrative with actionable strategies and data-driven insights
This session will explore how building a strong, data-driven continuous improvement program can not only reduce risk and improve safety but can also help teams paint a clearer picture of the value they create for their brand
Gain insights on how to put continuous improvement data to work for your organization

9:45am - 10:20am

Harnessing Incidents: Elevating Incident Management for Superior Food Quality & Safety

Kristy Graves

Senior Solutions Engineer

CMX1 (ComplianceMetrix)

Al Baroudi

VP, QA & Food Safety

The Cheesecake Factory

Session Details

Why effective incident management is so critical and how it’s directly tied to your FSQA initiatives
Why incidents are so challenging to manage and get right
How The Cheesecake Factory was able to chart a successful path with their incident management rollout
The types of incidents The Cheesecake Factory is managing internally and with its suppliers, and the outcomes they’re seeing
How digitization & automation helps brands better manage the full incident lifecycle

9:45am - 10:20am

Improving Sustainability and Resilience in Manufacturing

Lee Jellum

Director, Manufacturing Industry

GE Vernova

Session Details

Explore the challenges that come with sustainability objectives and interconnected operations
Balance priorities to improve resilience, manage risk, and maximize value
Leverage digital technology to drive sustainability operational excellence
Achieve long-term success and positive impact by integrating sustainability into core business practices and software systems

10:25am - 12:05pm

Pre-Arranged One-to-One Meetings

10:30 am – 10:50 am: Meeting Slot 1/Networking
10:55 am – 11:15 am: Meeting Slot 2/Networking
11:20 am – 11:40 am: Meeting Slot 3/Networking
11:45 am – 12:05 pm: Meeting Slot 4/Networking

These mutually agreed-upon conversations are arranged and facilitated by Executive Platforms staff to ensure attendees have valuable discussions about their top-of-mind questions, challenges, and opportunities.

12:10pm - 12:45pm

Fireside Chat: Advancing Food Safety: Leveraging Technology and Leadership in the Evolving Landscape

Howard Popoola

VP Corporate Food Technology and Regulatory Compliance

Kroger

Session Details

FSMA 204 Compliance: Overview of new traceability requirements, focusing on high-risk foods and their impact on supply chain transparency and safety
Data Sharing: Importance of data sharing for food safety, with emphasis on best practices for accuracy and integrity, and the benefits of collaborative ecosystems
AI in Food Safety: The potential of AI to predict and prevent food safety issues, with examples of its application in contamination risk identification and inspection improvements
Recall Trends: Examination of recent recall trends, strategies for faster response, and the importance of clear communication during recall events
Food Safety Leadership: The role of leadership in fostering a safety culture, balancing corporate responsibility with regulatory compliance, and setting industry standards

12:10pm - 12:45pm

Fireside Chat: Strengthening Food Safety Through Cross-Sector Collaboration: A Unified Approach

Peter Begg

Chief Food Safety & Quality Officer

Lyons Magnus

Session Details

Enhancing collaboration across the food supply chain: A shared responsibility
Bridging gaps between food enterprises, authorities, and consumers
The role of regulatory authorities in setting clear, objective guidelines for businesses
Leveraging shared best practices and innovations to improve food safety outcomes

12:10pm - 12:45pm

Using Effective Enterprise Risk Management and Robust Crisis Management Programs to Prevent and Mitigate Recalls

Kenneth Odza

Vice President – Regulatory, Crisis and Litigation

WK Kellogg Co

Session Details

Discuss increased risks of recall from both a criminal and civil liability perspective and how to use your legal counsel effectively to mitigate those risks
Explore how food safety should be considered as part of enterprise risk management and looked at cross-functionally in the organization
Discuss how to create effective cross-functional programs and processes to anticipate potential food safety issues and mitigate risk
Examine best practices for developing and implementing crisis management plans tailored to food safety incidents

12:45pm - 1:45pm

Explore this year’s themed lunch discussions led by industry leaders, where executives engage in focused conversations over a meal, discussing topics they’re passionate about alongside their peers.

Why Do We Need To Prioritize Personal and Professional Development in Today’s World?

Sue Witeof

Director, Quality & Regulatory

AAK

FSMA 204: What Does Compliance Mean for our Foodservice Businesses Moving Forward?

Betsy Handelman

Sr. Director, Food Safety & Compliance, Buyers Edge Platform Fresh Division

BEP

Fostering a Culture of Food Safety Through Effective Training Methods

Amit Jagirdar

Director, Quality & Food Safety

Bunge

Navigating FSMA 204: Identifying Common Challenges and Effects on Various Stakeholders Within the Supply Chain

Sue Holbert

Director, FSQRA Customer/Consumer Support

Conagra Brands

Stay Ahead of the Food Safety Game with Proactive Risk Management

John Liu

VP, Food Safety

Grimmway Farms

FSMA 204: What Do We Know, and What Do We Need to Know?

Patrick Guzzle

VP Food Science

National Restaurant Association

How are Distributors and Retailers Preparing for FDA’s Food Traceability Final Rule?

Julio Sandoval

Director of Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance

URM Stores, Inc.

Navigating the New Normal: Addressing Challenges in Food Safety Today

Amanpreet Brar

VP, Food Safety and Quality Assurance

Valley Fine Foods

Organic Food Fraud and the Newly implemented National Organic Program (NOP) “Strengthening Organic Enforcement” (SOE) Rule

Greg Birdsell

Global Quality and Food Safety Director

Whole Earth Brands

1:45pm - 2:20pm

Panel: Harmonizing Quality and Safety Excellence Across the Food Ecosystem: Perspectives from Retail, Foodservice, Restaurants & Manufacturers

Marlenea Jackson

VP of Quality, North America

Mondelēz International

Heidi Saunders

Senior Vice President Food Safety and Quality

Schwan's Company

Mitch Gilgour

Sr. Director Quality Assurance

Sysco

Jorge Hernandez

VP Quality Assurance

The Wendy’s Company

John Burns

VP Food Safety, Quality Assurance, and Compliance

Whole Foods Market

Session Details

Overview of the current industry of food quality, regulatory and safety ecosystem and the interplay and evolution of regulatory frameworks, and consumers wants and needs
The alignment of quality standards and the strategies employed to ensure consistent quality standards across various in house and purchase brands
Exploring how to work closely with external suppliers to align their practices with our company’s stringent quality requirements
Examining the role of technology, collaboration and education in the quality assurance and food safety systems of the future

2:25pm - 3:00pm

Experiences and Expectations of Leaders in Applying Digital Transformation to Food Safety

Geert Van Kempen

Head of Food & Beverage Strategy

Veeva Systems

Amit Jagirdar

Director, Quality & Food Safety

Bunge

Peta Cutts

VP, QFS

Mars Petcare

David Clifford

Director Food Safety

Nestlé

Session Details

Learn from experienced industry leaders as they discuss how digital transformation has improved food safety and quality management
Gain valuable insight into overall organizational and end user experiences with the implementation of new digital solutions
Explore what the future holds and the full potential of digital transformation, including artificial intelligence, for the food and beverage industry

2:25pm - 3:00pm

Fresh Perspectives on Transparency and Traceability with Del Monte

Takashi Nakamura

VP Global Food Safety

Fresh Del Monte

Lydian Adams

Vice President of Marketing

Trustwell

Session Details

Explore the implications of FSMA 204 on global produce traceability, with a special focus on how industry leaders like Del Monte are navigating the regulation
Understand key requirements of FSMA 204 and its impact on global produce supply chains
Collaborating with growers and trading partners around the globe to achieve a unified approach
Discover how supply chain digitization enhances transparency and builds consumer trust

2:25pm - 3:00pm

You Have Heard of FSMA 204, and You Have Watched Many Presentations About FSMA 204, and You Continue to Wonder What “Do I Really Need to Do?”

Christina Bongo-Box

VP of Retail, Foodservice, and Food Manufacturing

Share-ify

Angela Nardone

Chief Operating Officer

Share-ify

Session Details

Come spend some time with Share-ify to hear some practical tips for your rollout of FSMA 204 to ensure compliance. We will break down the barriers to clarify your specific role to help take the next right steps to protect your company and customers. We will cover:

What data do you need to collect?
How to manage your data?
What does your software provider need to offer you to ensure success?
What to do if you are contacted by FDA

3:05pm - 4:15pm

Pre-Arranged One-to-One Meetings

3:05 pm – 3:25 pm: Meeting Slot 5/Networking
3:30 pm – 3:50 pm: Meeting Slot 6/Networking
3:55 pm – 4:15 pm: Meeting Slot 7/Networking

4:20pm - 4:55pm

Shaping the Future: Strategic Insights for Ensuring Food Safety and Quality Excellence in the Years Ahead

Jorge Hernandez

VP Quality Assurance

The Wendy’s Company

Session Details

Embracing advanced technologies and analytics and predictive modelling for proactive risk analysis, enabling strategic planning to mitigate potential challenges in the evolving industry
Diversifying suppliers and adopt collaborative supply chain management for increased resilience by building relationships with local suppliers, explore alternatives, and create contingency plans to address potential disruptions
Incorporating feedback, new technologies, and innovative testing methods for continuous improvement to elevate food safety and quality standards for the future
Staying proactive in regulatory compliance, anticipating and preparing for the future by creating future-proof strategies, including flexible technologies and a culture of continuous learning to stay adaptive

4:55pm - 5:30pm

Transparency and Collaboration as a Competitive Edge: Earning Consumer Trust Through Visible and Controlled Supply Chains

Sara Mortimore

Former VP Global Food Safety Compliance

Walmart

Session Details

Explore how transparent supply chains become a strategic advantage, in fostering consumer trust and loyalty in the competitive market
Delving into approaches aimed at achieving comprehensive visibility throughout the food chain — from sourcing to distribution
Examine the role of transparency in mitigating risks, from contamination concerns to fraud prevention, and its impact on overall food safety
Discuss how adopting a mindset of collaborative continuous improvement into supply chain practices not only meets regulatory requirements but also enhances operational efficiency and ultimately trust and confidence

5:30pm - 5:35pm

Chair’s Closing Remarks

Heidi Saunders

Senior Vice President Food Safety and Quality

Schwan's Company

5:35pm

6:30pm

7:30am - 8:20am

7:45am - 8:20am

Revolutionizing Food Safety: Real-Time Traceability for True End-to-End Supply Chain Visibility

Bart De Muynck

Strategic Advisor

Mojix

Chris Tague

Global Business Solutions Architect

Mojix

Chris Orr

Global Director, Solutions Engineering

Mojix

Session Details

Insightful panel discussion with leading experts that explores how companies are transforming food safety and supply chain traceability through real-time, item-level visibility solutions
Learn how to simplify and accelerate data collection at the source and establish a unique digital identity for billions of items
Understand the importance of tracking event-triggered actions and vital characteristics like arrival time and expiration date, following item lifecycles from source to shelf, ensuring product authentication, automated inventory management, and increased operational efficiency
Hear how real-time item-level intelligence empowers businesses with unprecedented transparency, authenticity, brand trust, compliance, and data harmonization at the item-level
Discover how leading technologies can work together to provide unparalleled transparency, enabling smarter decisions while significantly improving operational efficiency and building more resilient supply chains

8:25am - 8:35am

Chair’s Opening Remarks

Heidi Saunders

Senior Vice President Food Safety and Quality

Schwan's Company

8:35am - 9:10am

The Triple Bottom Line: Balancing Economic, Social, and Environmental Goals in Food Production

Liz Duffy

Vice President, Global Food Safety & Compliance

Walmart

Session Details

Align food safety measures with sustainable practices through efficient resource use, precision agriculture and technology adoption to optimize economic viability in food production, focusing on reducing costs and enhancing productivity
Explore the intersection of food safety and ethical practices to ensure social equity and the access to nutritious food and fair labour practices with the tiple bottom line framework
Adopt a comprehensive supply chain management approach to address risks across economic, social, and environmental dimensions
Emphasize the importance of policy support, encouraging regulations and incentives that promote sustainable practices in food production while achieving economic efficiency, social responsibility, and environmental sustainability

9:10am - 9:45am

Building an Engaged and Robust Q&FS Talent Pipeline in a Rapidly Changing Environment – Strategy is a Must!

Jaime Boyes

Interim Sr. Vice President Research & Development NA

Mars

Tatiana Rybka

Interim Vice President, Quality & Food Safety NA

Mars

Session Details

Engaging and energizing Associate/Employee talent is essential for a healthy Quality and Food Safety organization. Learn where to start!
Retain and grow talent within you organization through personal development opportunities, a clear pipeline, and building relationships via coaching and mentorship
Understanding your organization’s talent journey and building the right teams, at the right time

9:50am - 10:25am

The Art and Science of Leading Organizations in a Rapidly Evolving Global Food Safety and Quality Environment

Catherine Davidson

Vice President Food Safety, Quality, Health, Safety and Environment

Sabra Dipping Company

Session Details

Explore the multifaceted challenges of global food safety leadership, transcending technical credentials and embracing a holistic approach
Discussing the importance of coaching and developing the next generation of food safety leaders, emphasizing the need to shape business leaders with a strong focus on food safety
Examine the nuanced artistry required in corporate leadership, recognizing that influencing change demands more than scientific proficiency
Uncover strategies for building credibility through authentic relationships, and navigate the intricacies of governance and authority to foster a robust global food safety strategy

9:50am - 10:25am

Active Managerial Control in Food Service

Al Baroudi

VP, QA & Food Safety

The Cheesecake Factory

Session Details

An overview of AMC as a proactive food safety approach focused on identifying and controlling hazards at critical points throughout food service operations
Highlighting the key principles, including risk assessment, consistent monitoring, corrective actions, and employee training to prevent foodborne illness
Leveraging digital tools to enhance real-time monitoring, improve data accuracy, and support decision-making to maintain food safety standards
The role of leadership in fostering a culture of food safety, ensuring accountability, and encouraging cross-functional collaboration across teams
Demonstrating how active managerial control not only enhances food safety but also contributes to smoother operations and customer trust

9:50am - 10:25am

Global Pathogen Control for Ready-to-Eat Foods: Future Proofing Recalls and Outbreaks

Audrey Kreske

Sr. Director Global Food Safety

Restaurants Brand International

Session Details

The significance of pathogen control in ensuring food safety and identifying the challenges posed by Listeria and Salmonella
Challenges and opportunities in a globalized supply chain with a focus on ready-to-eat foods
The importance of a shared responsibility for food safety and quality to promote continuous improvement and adaptation to emerging challenges
RBI as a case study: the latest project and implementation

10:25am - 11:15am

Pre-Arranged One-to-One Meetings

10:30 am – 10:50am: Meeting Slot 8/Networking
10:55am – 11:15am: Meeting Slot 9/Networking

10:30am - 11:15am

Executive focus groups are informal moderated discussions among peers, held during networking breaks outside the summit agenda. No sign-up is required; delegates and speakers can join any group of interest.

Unravelling the Impact of FSMA 204 on Food Safety and Quality Assurance

Sonny Brar

Vice President, Quality Assurance and Occupational Health & Safety

Fiera Foods

Roberta Wagner

SVP, Regulatory and Scientific Affairs

International Dairy Foods Association

Natasha Bangel-Askren

Senior Manager National FSQA

Taylor Farms

Pierre Decrion

Vice President Quality & Food Safety

Lactalis America Group

10:45am - 11:15am

11:20am - 11:55am

From Coding to Configuring Solutions: Elevating Transparency, Traceability, and Governance with Zero Code Technology

Shan Muthuvelu

CEO

UCBOS Inc.

Session Details

Food Safety and Quality Modernization involves various parties with critical roles to fulfill corporate responsibilities, customer experience, and government mandates. Yet each party is furnished with traditional technologies including silo IT applications, unstructured data, and rigid integrations. These challenges are best tackled with Zero Code Composable & Interoperable Technology to enrich

Elevate Customer Confidence and heightened expectations on farm-to-table lineage tracking with minimal technology investment
Elevate Food Safety and Quality by tracking critical events from harvest to depletion without asking every vendor and system to fully change their systems and data.
Elevate Governance through global data unification, manage critical action items, and advanced reports to associate ownership and continuous improvements in a singular platform

12:00pm - 12:35pm

FDA Regulatory Update: New Era of Smarter Food Safety – A Progress Report

Mark Moorman

Senior Science Advisor, Food and Drug Administration

FDA

Session Details

Discuss progress of Human Foods Program reorganization
FDA’s post-response process: Moving from outbreaks to root cause to prevention
Driving insights through data: Data trusts and machine learning

12:35pm - 1:35pm

Explore this year’s themed lunch discussions led by industry leaders, where executives engage in focused conversations over a meal, discussing topics they’re passionate about alongside their peers.

How To Detect and Prevent Foreign Material in Food

Nathan Capps

Science & Technology Director

Bush Brothers & Co

Safety & Compliance: Regulations, Industry Standards, New Allergen Laws, Food Defense

Sonny Brar

Vice President, Quality Assurance and Occupational Health & Safety

Fiera Foods

Building and Maintaining Food Safety Culture

Stephanie McKeown

VP FSQA

Freshrealm

Mastering Success with Third-Party Sanitation: Strategies and Insights

Laurie Gerbers

Vice President of Food Safety, Quality, and HSE

Hearthside Food Solutions

Regulatory Inspection Modernization: What Does a Prevention-Oriented Inspection Model Look Like to You?

Roberta Wagner

SVP, Regulatory and Scientific Affairs

International Dairy Foods Association

Ensuring Consistent Food Safety and Quality Standards Across Diverse Brands

Isabelle Leblond

VP of Global Food Safety and Quality Assurance

Nature's Touch

Scaling Safely: Strategies to Maintaining Quality through Expansion Projects

Sarah Kendall

Director, Food Safety and Quality

Ornua Ingredients North America

The Impact of the Updated Draft Guidance on Preventive Controls Inspections

Natasha Bangel-Askren

Senior Manager National FSQA

Taylor Farms

1:35pm - 2:10pm

Cultivating a Culture of Safety and Excellence: Transformative Measures

Spir Marinakis

VP Food Safety, Quality Assurance, Technical Services and Sanitation

Maple Leaf Foods

Session Details

Overview of Maple Leaf Food’s commitment to a conscience food safety and quality culture
Connecting the use of metrics to the organizational commitment to making decisions based on factual information rather than just business risk
Leadership in developing and motivating talent, driving continuous improvement through benchmarking and external best practices
Insights for the audience on fostering a culture of safety, growth, and excellence in their respective organizations

1:35pm - 2:10pm

Shaping the Future: Advancing Food Safety Through Pragmatic Risk-Based Thinking

David Clifford

Director Food Safety

Nestlé

Session Details

Analyze traditional, current, and emerging food safety risks, considering historical challenges and emerging threats
Discuss innovative strategies for managing food safety risks, including proactive measures, predictive analytics, and supply chain collaboration
Emphasize the need to foster a culture of risk awareness and accountability within organizations to integrate risk-based thinking effectively
Highlight the significance of collaboration among stakeholders, regulatory agencies, and academia to enhance food safety standards and practices continuously

1:35pm - 2:10pm

Leveraging Smart Packaging Technologies to Address Changing Regulatory Challenges

Rishi Banerjee

Sr. Director & SmartLabel Lead

Consumer Brands Association

Session Details

CPG brands are dealing with an increasingly challenging regulatory landscape that comes from a patchwork of state compliance requirements that may be incongruent with federal policies
Meeting state and local regulatory challenges can require cost prohibitive labeling changes which can also be confusing for consumers
Regulatory pressures from evolving food safety and sustainability needs results in opportunities for the CPG industry to innovate by increasing agility and transparency
This session will highlight success stories illustrating how prioritizing smart packaging principles contributes to overall efficiency and streamlined regulatory compliance adaptiveness

2:15pm - 3:00pm

Panel: Empowering Women in FSQA Leadership

Sarah Blackmon

Senior Director, Supplier Quality & Safety

Chick-fil-A Corporate

Roberta Wagner

SVP, Regulatory and Scientific Affairs

International Dairy Foods Association

Peta Cutts

VP, QFS

Mars Petcare

Audrey Kreske

Sr. Director Global Food Safety

Restaurants Brand International

Catherine Davidson

Vice President Food Safety, Quality, Health, Safety and Environment

Sabra Dipping Company

Heidi Saunders

Senior Vice President Food Safety and Quality

Schwan's Company

Session Details

Explore strategies for attracting, developing, and retaining the next generation of female professionals in food safety and quality, essential for current and future success
Examine the unique obstacles women face in the food safety and quality sector and identify opportunities for professional growth and leadership advancement
Develop impactful strategies to foster organizational growth while nurturing a diverse and inclusive workforce
Share examples of successful mentorship initiatives, including onboarding, cross-training, job shadowing, and continuing education, that support and advance women’s careers in food safety and quality

3:00pm - 3:05pm

Chair’s Closing Remarks

Heidi Saunders

Senior Vice President Food Safety and Quality

Schwan's Company

2024 Agenda

Stream One Chair

Heidi Saunders

Stream Two Co-Chair

Kimberly Coffin

Stream Three Co-Chair

Chester Boyt

Welcome Day Panel: Planning for Food Safety and Quality of the Future: What are the Five Big Things We Need to Talk About?

Frank Yiannas

Peter Begg

Heidi Saunders

Al Baroudi

Sara Mortimore

Mapping the Future: Assessing and Advancing Your Food Safety Programs

Kari Hensien

Cindy Jiang

Opening Remarks and Important Announcements

Chair’s Welcome Address

Heidi Saunders

Propelling Progress: Leveraging a Distinctive Legacy of Food Safety and Quality Leadership to Shape the Future

Frank Yiannas

Perpetual Adaptation: ​Being Prepared for the Unexpected

Mahir Bhagia

Quality is Not Just a Cost Center: Proving the Value of Quality and Safety Initiatives with Data

Paul Bradley

Richard Scarsella

Mike Kirsch

Mistelle Signor

Greg Birdsell

Harnessing Incidents: Elevating Incident Management for Superior Food Quality & Safety

Kristy Graves

Al Baroudi

Improving Sustainability and Resilience in Manufacturing

Lee Jellum

Fireside Chat: Advancing Food Safety: Leveraging Technology and Leadership in the Evolving Landscape

Howard Popoola

Fireside Chat: Strengthening Food Safety Through Cross-Sector Collaboration: A Unified Approach

Peter Begg

Using Effective Enterprise Risk Management and Robust Crisis Management Programs to Prevent and Mitigate Recalls

Kenneth Odza

Explore this year’s themed lunch discussions led by industry leaders, where executives engage in focused conversations over a meal, discussing topics they’re passionate about alongside their peers.

Why Do We Need To Prioritize Personal and Professional Development in Today’s World?

Sue Witeof

FSMA 204: What Does Compliance Mean for our Foodservice Businesses Moving Forward?

Betsy Handelman

Fostering a Culture of Food Safety Through Effective Training Methods

Amit Jagirdar

Navigating FSMA 204: Identifying Common Challenges and Effects on Various Stakeholders Within the Supply Chain

Sue Holbert

Stay Ahead of the Food Safety Game with Proactive Risk Management

John Liu

FSMA 204: What Do We Know, and What Do We Need to Know?

Patrick Guzzle

How are Distributors and Retailers Preparing for FDA’s Food Traceability Final Rule?

Julio Sandoval

Navigating the New Normal: Addressing Challenges in Food Safety Today

Amanpreet Brar

Organic Food Fraud and the Newly implemented National Organic Program (NOP) “Strengthening Organic Enforcement” (SOE) Rule

Greg Birdsell

Panel: Harmonizing Quality and Safety Excellence Across the Food Ecosystem: Perspectives from Retail, Foodservice, Restaurants & Manufacturers

Marlenea Jackson

Heidi Saunders

Mitch Gilgour

Jorge Hernandez

John Burns

Experiences and Expectations of Leaders in Applying Digital Transformation to Food Safety

Geert Van Kempen

Amit Jagirdar

Peta Cutts

David Clifford

Fresh Perspectives on Transparency and Traceability with Del Monte

Takashi Nakamura

Lydian Adams

You Have Heard of FSMA 204, and You Have Watched Many Presentations About FSMA 204, and You Continue to Wonder What “Do I Really Need to Do?”

Christina Bongo-Box

Angela Nardone

Shaping the Future: Strategic Insights for Ensuring Food Safety and Quality Excellence in the Years Ahead

Jorge Hernandez

Transparency and Collaboration as a Competitive Edge: Earning Consumer Trust Through Visible and Controlled Supply Chains

Sara Mortimore

Perpetual Adaptation: Being Prepared for the Unexpected