Anne graduated from the University of Wisconsin Madison with a BS in Bacteriology in 1997. Anne has grown to be an expert in Quality and Food Safety and is also a Certified Quality Engineer. She spent her entire 22+ career with Kraft now Kraft Heinz and has held many roles in Quality including: factory quality, auditing, corporate sanitation, manufacturing quality and food safety. Anne has a passion for sanitation, and is always up for troubleshooting a micro issue, even when if it involves working 3rd shift. Kraft Heinz has given Anne the opportunity to grow into a leading industry professional. After 2 decades Anne is still excited to go to work and face the next challenge. When a tough decision has to be made Anne asks: Would I give the product to my children or aging parents? How would my decision be received in the media? Would my decision be judged ethical in a court of law? When Anne is not working she enjoys time with her husband Robert, daughters, Ava and Belle and her rescue dog Clyde. Anne has also dabbled in marital arts and women’s tug-of-war.

Brian Perry is an award-winning food safety and quality assurance expert with 20+ years of experience directing and refining food safety and quality, driving innovative R&D processes, leading risk prevention, and refining operational standards for Fortune 500 companies. His management experience spans across multiple business units, facility locations, and organizational initiatives with specialized knowledge of HACCP and other food safety guidelines, a range of key food technologies, and various food types. Through a successful tenure with Treehouse Foods Company, Brian has progressed through roles as Senior Director of Quality Systems and Vice President of Food Safety & Quality, and currently holds the title of Senior Vice President of Quality Assurance & Food Safety. With intent focus on directing the build out and establishment of the organization’s food safety and quality system, Brian was instrumental to generating growth through M&A while ensuring food safety and quality through the integration process. His strategic guidance has resulted in reduced recalls and overall supply chain risk; increased efficiency and compliance of nutrition labeling; elimination of waste and increased effectiveness of sanitation processes; and maintenance of vital regulatory requirements, certifications, and company and industry standards. Prior, Brian was Director of Quality for ConAgra Foods’ frozen foods business. He was a key member of the team that developed a microwave oven center of excellence that ultimately drove the industry-wide shift of NRTE food processing to meet the safety and quality standards of RTE products. Brian also led the launch and commercialization of major product lines, doubling the size of ConAgra’s Arkansas plant. He also co-developed Key Concepts of Food Safety and Quality System aligned with GFSI and SQF code requirements and led Focused Improvement projects and Kaizen events that drove a continuous improvement mindset across the organization. His previous roles with ConAgra included Manager of Operations Quality and various management positions. Brian’s earlier career experience includes roles as Quality Assurance Manager for R.L. Ziegler Co, Inc. and Quality Assurance Technician for Zartic Foods. Brian earned a Bachelor’s degree in Animal and Dairy Sciences and Meat Science from Auburn University. He is an SQF Practitioner through the Safe Quality Food Institute and holds HACCP Certifications in Seafood, Juice, and Food through the FDA. A respected advisor and industry thought leader, Brian is a board member for University of Nebraska’s Food Allergy Research and Resource Program (FARRP), a Technical Affairs Committee member for the National Pasta Association, and a member of the Tracegains® Executive Advisory Board. He has delivered numerous speaking engagements at the International Association of Food Protection (IAFP) Annual Meeting and Food Safety Summit and is an expert contributor to a variety of industry publications.

Catherine Bouchard works as the Director of Food Safety and Quality Assurance at Home Chef. In her role, she offers company-wide leadership and direction for Food Safety, Quality, Regulatory, and Sanitation functions. Catherine is responsible for the coordination of food safety and quality systems strategy, the oversight of regulatory compliance and the management of supplier quality performance. Home Chef is one of the largest meal kit delivery companies in the U.S; offering fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and easy to follow recipes delivered weekly. Prior to Home Chef, Catherine served as Sr. Manager of Quality and Food Safety for Mars Wrigley Confectionery where she managed programs for numerous M&M’sⓇ and TwixⓇ production lines. Catherine has extensive knowledge in the field of food safety and quality with diversified plant and corporate experience in food safety, production, sanitation, laboratory and quality management. Originally from Quebec, Canada, Catherine moved to United States in 2011 to build Cargill Grain Food Safety and Quality Programs in preparation for the Food Safety Modernization Act. Catherine graduated from Universite Laval with a Bachelor of Applied Science (B.Sc.A) in Food Science and Technology.

Chris Domenico is the Territory Manager for North America with Safefood 360°. Before joining Safefood 360° Chris worked in quality and food safety management roles for some of America's leading food companies - including Heinz and Seneca Foods. Today Chris is helping Safefood 360° customers better understand their business needs and implement Safefood 360° in the best possible way.

Christopher Young came to the FBI in Chicago as an Intelligence Analyst in January 2018 after retiring from the 5th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team, IL Army National Guard. He has worked with weapons of mass destruction and hazardous materials since 1999, during which time he provided subject matter expertise related to chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear materials before, during, and after potential WMD terrorist events and worked with a vast array of federal, state, and local agencies.

The proud father of 3 successful children. A White Sox and 49ers fan who loves outdoor activities such as hunting, fishing and helping on the family farm. Education: 1995 St. Ambrose University B.S. Chemistry 1990 Clinton Community College A.A.S. Hazardous Materials Technology Military: 1986-1992 1-133rd Combat Support, Specialist, T.O.W. Gunner Work Experience: 1. 2010 to Present, Global VP of Food Safety and Quality for Griffith Foods 2. 2008-2010, Director of Quality for Little Lady Foods 3. 2001-2008, Director of Food Safety and Quality for ConAgra Foods 4. 2000-2001, Senior Technologist for Oscar Mayer Foods 5. 1996-2000, Senior Laboratory Technician for Ralston Purina 6. 1990-1996, Senior Laboratory Technician for Arcadian Corporation Groups: Knights of Columbus-3rd Degree Lector for Holy Family in Shorewood, IL Malcomb Baldrige Examiner American Spice Trade Association

o Dawn Pickett is the senior director of food safety at Smithfield Foods, Inc., where she manages the food safety requirements for more than 35 Smithfield processing facilities. In her current role, Pickett is responsible for food safety at all facilities, including Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) affairs, USDA regulatory compliance, product pathogen issues, and product foreign material concerns. She has played an integral role as an employee of Smithfield for 18 years. Originally hired as a microbiologist and quality assurance technician, Pickett was instrumental in developing and maintaining the first less-than-daily sanitation program at a USDA ready to eat manufacturing facility. Pickett is a graduate of the Smithfield Foods Black Belt Program, a meat science program held in conjunction with Iowa State University that teaches the science behind food manufacturing, and maintains HACCP, SQF, and PCQI certifications. She earned her master’s degree from DePaul University and holds undergraduate degrees in Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Dilshika has worked in various food safety leadership roles in manufacturing, retail, and e-commerce. Early in his career, Dilshika gained valuable experience by working at Tyson Foods as the Food Safety and Quality Assurance Manager at a dual inspection (FDA and USDA/FSIS) complex and later working for Lopez Foods as the Food Safety and Quality Systems Manager. In 2013, Dilshika joined Amazon to build the Food Safety program for Amazon Fresh. He supported Amazon Fresh’s national expansion to major metro areas including NYC, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, and Washington DC as well as international expansion to Europe and Japan. He was tasked with hiring and developing a team of dynamic Food Safety professionals to support various Amazon businesses. In his most recent role with Amazon, Dilshika managed all Food Safety teams responsible for Amazon’s North American Operations including Amazon Fresh, Prime Now, Prime Pantry, Amazon Go, and North American Customer Fulfillment. After five and a half years with Amazon, Dilshika joined Instacart in January 2019 to lead the Food Safety and Regulatory compliance program. Instacart has partnered with more than 300 national, regional and local retailers, including Albertsons, ALDI, Costco, Kroger, Loblaw, Publix, Sam's Club, Sprouts, Walmart Canada, and Wegmans, among others, to deliver from more than 20,000 stores across more than 5,500 cities in North America. In his current role, Dilshika along with the Instacart team of data scientists, engineers, and program managers are working to provide pragmatic and scalable food safety solutions to a rapidly expanding online grocery delivery platform. Originally from Sri Lanka, Dilshika received his BS in Poultry Science and MS in Cellular & Molecular Biology from the University of Arkansas. He lives in Seattle with his wife, Inoka, and their two daughters, Samara and Kayla.

Fabien Robert, PhD, is currently director of Nestlé Zone America laboratories. Before moving to the United States, Robert held various roles in R&D, quality, safety and regulatory within Nestlé international headquarters in Switzerland for 16 years. He has authored and co-authored 56 publications in scientific journals and patents and is an experienced speaker and presenter in the areas of organic, analytical and flavour chemistry, as well as quality and safety. Robert holds a PhD, in organic chemistry.

Currently, with just under 500 team members Gerber Poultry, Inc. is an USDA inspected food manufacturing company producing annually approximately 140 million pounds of fresh dressed chicken meat products for foodservice and retail markets. Beginning as a delivery driver, Glenn has been with the company for over 30 years and currently is part of the four-member executive management team. Through his influences in various positions, Glenn has helped define, develop and protect Gerber Poultry's branded chicken products: Gerber's Amish Farm Chicken®. He is responsible for the building of and continuing oversight of Gerber’s food safety systems, including the company HACCP plan. The compliance position places Glenn in a regular support role for all areas of the company: farms, production, and sales.

Jake Watts has led the Food Safety Department at PSSI since March of 2018. He has direct oversight of corporate programs and regulatory affairs as it pertains to food safety. Jake held various food safety & quality assurance roles at Tyson Foods and Pilgrim’s prior to joining PSSI. Jake is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville

Jennifer Yezak joined ASR Group in July of 2018 as the Vice President of Global Quality. Prior to this role, she held various roles in Mars, Incorporated including Global Q&FS and Regulatory Director for Mars Drinks and the Global Food Safety Manager for Wrigley. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Food Science from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree in Food Safety from Michigan State University. ASR Group is the world’s largest refiner and marketer of cane sugar, with an annual production capacity of more than 6 million tons of sugar. The company produces a full line of grocery, industrial, food service and specialty sweetener products. Across North America, ASR Group owns and operates six sugar refineries, located in New York, California, Maryland, Louisiana, Canada and Mexico. The company also farms sugarcane and owns sugar mills in Mexico and Belize. In Europe, the company owns and operates sugar refineries in the United Kingdom and Portugal as well as jointly owns a refinery in Italy. The company’s portfolio includes the leading brands Domino®, C&H®, Florida Crystals®, Redpath®, Tate & Lyle®, Lyle’s®, Sidul® and Notadolce®. ASR Group is owned by Florida Crystals Corporation and Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida. For more information, visit www.ASR-Group.com.

Jerold has 25 years of progressive responsibility encompassing all areas of Operations and Quality/Food Safety management. Highlights of his career include global implementation of progressive quality management principles of Six Sigma and Process Capability efforts within fast paced manufacturing environments across international settings. Prior to his current position of Director of Quality and Food Safety at Weston Foods (George Weston), Jerold worked for MillerCoors as the Director of Manufacturing Quality with direct oversight of all 8 North American breweries to advance all food safety, quality and sanitary hygiene programs. He also worked as the VP of Food Safety for Otis Spunkmeyer and at Kerry Ingredients as Sr. Director of Quality and Continuous Improvement, domestic and internationally. Jerold has a Bachelor in Food Milling Science from Kansas State University, a MBA from St. Ambrose University and is a Master Six Sigma Black Belt.

Joe Gerstl is the Director of Product Management for Manufacturing Software at GE Digital. He has worked in the software industry and in manufacturing for over 30 years spending time in various roles including engineering, sales, and product management. His experience spans working for startups through leading companies such as Microsoft and now GE. He has worked with customers in both discrete and process manufacturing segments, across all levels of the supply chain.

Lolita R. Brumfield is an Investigator with the United States Department of Agriculture, Food Safety Inspection Service, Office of Investigation, Enforcement, Audits, Compliance and Investigations Division (USDA/FSIS/OIEA/CID). She investigates violations of the food safety, food defense, and other consumer protection statutory requirements; controls unsafe or violative products through detentions, civil seizures, and voluntary recalls. Her position also plays a substantive role in outbreak investigation as well as a key role in FSIS' homeland security mission. She is a graduate of Alcorn State University, with a Degree in Agriculture Economics. She has been with USDA FSIS for 15 years.

Michael has 7 years of various food & beverage category experience in quality assurance and food safety. Key highlights of his career include multi-site implementation and adherence to SQF requirements and regulations as well as driving and educating lean six sigma principles in fast paced, cross-departmental environments. Prior to his current position of Food Safety & Quality Assurance Manager at Italian Rose Garlic Products, Michael worked for KraftHeinz as a Quality & Sanitation Manager in the cheese and diary business unit aiding with the merger of companies as well as direct oversight for quality and sanitation practices at his facility in Walton, NY. Michael has also worked for CSM Bakery Solutions in Buffalo, NY where he took on various Quality & Sanitation roles as well as consulting work. Michael has earned his Bachelors Degree in Biology from Alfred University in Alfred, NY as well as his Six Sigma Black Belt from Villanova University.

Mike Skidmore has over 12 years of experience in steam system engineering with a particular focus on applications for food and beverage manufacturers. Practical experience has seen Mike working with multi-national dairy, brewing and packaged food groups to identify product safety and quality risks associated with their site services, delivering projects to mitigate against these risks in future production. Based out of Cheltenham UK, Mike is responsible for the development of Spirax Sarco’s F&B specific solutions and holds a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from Aston University.

Ms. Maxwell, Senior Principal Regulatory Scientist in Corporate Scientific and Regulatory Affairs at Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. brings expertise in global finished foods labeling and claims as well as additives and flavors. Prior to Ocean Spray, she led the Scientific and Regulatory Affairs management function at Nestle USA responsible for all the retail/food service brands for North America. Her employment history includes Director-level global regulatory compliance group management at Cargill, Inc. Wild Flavors, Inc. as well as McCormick & Company and Givaudan where she describes her role as managing, motivating, coordinating and influencing multi-disciplinary functions to accomplish strategic business goals, anticipating regulatory obstacles/emerging issues throughout product lifecycle and developing solutions with other technical/commercial teams across global geographies (essentially herding cats!). Ms. Maxwell is a proud graduate of University of Illinois – Champaign/Urbana with BS degree in Food Science and additional post graduate study in Carbohydrate Chemistry. Always lively and engaging, Ms. Maxwell turns conventional wisdom on its ear using comprehensive data that offers a compelling look at new regulatory trends. Her insights are drawn in part from Washington DC colleagues, as well as her global network “cabinet” of industry professionals and the occasional bureaucrat. Ms. Maxwell’s address comes during a remarkable time in the global food industry’s history. New science underscores the important role food compliance initiatives will have on consumer buying habits as well as down‐stream legislation. Meanwhile, negative media reports about serious food safety shortfalls have flooded consumers with information while companies and government bodies wrestle with solutions.

Neil Davies has over 24 years of experience working with steam systems in various capacities for Spirax Sarco, a global leader in steam system technology. Neil has worked in several engineering and business development roles and is currently Market Development Manager, Food and Beverage, for the US business operating company. During his time at Spirax Sarco he has worked with many different customers, in many industries, especially the food and beverage sector, helping processors identify steam system problems while improving their product quality, productivity, efficiency, reliability, and safety.

Randy Kohal joined the KLEANZ Food Safety Team in January 2019 as VP of Food Safety and Reliability. He had previously spent 39 years in food and beverage manufacturing. His former position was a corporate food safety and sanitation role with Rich Products. Randy is certified in Internal Auditing and Hygienic Design. He is a PCQI and a Certified Food Industry Professional.

Reid Ivy is the director of Food Safety at Ferrara USA. Reid has experience as a food safety manager in various categories including, dairy, low moisture foods, frozen foods, confections, and baking. Before coming to Ferrara, Reid drove food safety programs for manufacturing, R&D, and commercialization at McCain Foods and Kraft Heinz. Reid has a Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology from Cornell University, and degrees in microbiology and molecular biology from the University of Arkansas. Reid has authored multiple publications on microbial foodborne pathogens and spoilage.

Susan Bond is Kerry’s chief regulatory executive of foods, flavors, pharmaceuticals, meats, animal nutrition, & applied health & nutrition. As such, she leads world-class compliance standards, thought leadership for global regulatory initiatives, and strategic enablement of the commercialization of clean label innovation at Kerry in North America. Ms. Bond has a unique background throughout her 30-year career in regulatory encompassing the public, private, & non-profit sector. She has over 10- years industry experience with Abbott, ConAgra, and now Kerry. She was Senior Vice President for Food Safety at the non-profit International Food Information Council; and, held a federal Senior Executive Service advisor position for the FDA Commissioner where she served for over 17 years in various science policy & management roles. Ms. Bond has a M.S. in Biotechnology Management from the University of Maryland and undergraduate in Political Science, with minors in Economics & Biology from West Virginia Wesleyan College.