Janusz Wojciechowski, EU Agriculture Commissioner Born in Rawa Mazowiecka, Poland, in 1954
Member of the European Commission since 1 December 2019, responsible for Agriculture, lawyer, attorney.
He has advanced legal studies: Master’s degree in law, graduated from the University of Łódź, Department of Law and Administration. He was Member of the European Court of Auditors, representing Poland, from May 2016 to November 2019. He was also a judge, President of the Supreme Audit Office of Poland, Vice-marshal of the Parliament of the Republic of Poland, Member of the European Parliament of 3 terms (2004-2016); Member of the European Parliament’s Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals in the European Parliament since his 1st term in 2004; since 2014 – its President.
Author & co-author of the comments on the Polish Penal Code (5x); author of more than 100 articles and publications on criminal law in various legal magazines in Poland and author of articles on socio-legal issues.
Janusz Wojciechowski
EU Agriculture Commissioner
Sabine Juelicher, Director of Food and feed safety, innovation, Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, European Commission Dr Sabine Jülicher is Director for food and feed safety, innovation in the Directorate General for Health and Food Safety of the European Commission. She is responsible for policies relating to a range of sectors such as food information & composition, food processing technologies, novel foods, biotechnology, pesticides, biocides as well as veterinary medicines & animal nutrition. She was responsible for developing and coordinating the ‘Farm to Fork Strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system’, which was adopted in May 2020 by the Commission.
During the period from 2013 to 2015, she was Head of Unit responsible for policy matters related to authorisation and monitoring of medicines and relations with the European Medicine’s Agency.
Before that, she was responsible for audits and inspections in the area of food of animal origin in EU Member States, accession countries and third countries trading with the EU.
Ms Jülicher joined the European Commission in 1999. She holds a veterinary degree from the Free University Berlin and completed her thesis on microbiology and food safety. Moreover, she holds a postgraduate qualification in food hygiene.
Sabine Juelicher
Director of Food and feed safety, innovation, Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, European Commission
Paolo De Castro, Member of the European Parliament, S&D Coordinator of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development Paolo De Castro is Professor of Agricultural Economics and Policy at the University of Bologna. His academic career has been full of awards, both nationally and internationally. These include two honorary degrees and the Titulo de Gran Cruz de la Orden al Mérito Agrario y Pesquero Alimentario received from the King of Spain Juan Carlos I.
Professor Paolo De Castro is author of over 150 scientific publications: particularly mentioned are his scientific contributions on the issue of food security and the role of international trade in the development of modern society.
Paolo De Castro served for three times as Minister of Agriculture of his country, and was Vice-President of the Committee on Agriculture and Agri-food Production of the Senate of the Italian Republic. Between 2000 and 2002 he was also special adviser to the president of the European Commission, Prof. Romano Prodi.
Paolo De Castro is a member of the European Parliament since July 2009. He chaired the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development from 2009 to 2014, leading the European Parliament’s negotiating team during the whole reform process of the Common Agricultural Policy for the 2014/2020 period. During his second mandate as Member of the European Parliament, Paolo De Castro was first Vice-Chair of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development. Re-elected in July 2019, he is now Coordinator of the Socialist Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and Member of the Committee on International Trade and on Budgets. His commitment to the issues of food security and agricultural development is shown not only through the many contributions made in the legislative work of the European Union, but also by the recent initiative that he inspired and coordinates: the Parliamentary Alliance “Fight against Hunger”, established in collaboration with FAO and with other parliaments in the world, which engages a group of Members of the European Parliament to develop proposals and actions to raise awareness and sharing on the theme of food security.
The combination of scientific, managerial and political experiences, coupled with a deep knowledge of the international relations, has allowed Prof. Paolo De Castro to gain a detailed understanding of the functioning of food systems and on the issues of agricultural development. His competence is internationally recognized and attested by the many contributions made, both as a speaker and as an author, within the highest international institutions dealing with food and agriculture.
Paolo De Castro
Member of the European Parliament, S&D Coordinator of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development
Georgi Dimitrov, Deputy Head of Unit Innovation and EIT, DG EAC, European Commission Georgi Dimitrov, Deputy Head of Unit Innovation and EIT (DG EAC) joined the European Commission, Directorate General Education and Culture, as a Policy Officer in 2008. He was involved in various roles in setting up the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). Georgi has managed the launch of the HEInnovate initiative by the European Commission and the OECD. He then became advisor to senior management before moving on to his current role of Deputy Head of Unit for Innovation and EIT. Since then, he leads the development of the Digital Education Action Plan. Before joining the Commission, Georgi worked for a leading multinational telecommunication company in Germany. Prior to that, he worked in a software start-up for four years, also in Germany. Georgi studied at the University of Bonn (M.A.), the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (PhD) and the Open University UK (MBA in Technology Management).
Georgi Dimitrov
Deputy Head of Unit Innovation and EIT, DG EAC, European Commission
Volker Heinz, Director & CEO DIL Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik e.V. (German Institute of Food Technologies) Dr. Volker Heinz received his scientific education in food process engineering. During his time as an assistant professor at TU Berlin he co-ordinated numerous EU projects. In 2006 he was appointed Director General at the German Institute of Food Technologies (DIL). He has published more than 200 peer reviewed papers, book chapters and books and is member of national and international boards and counsels.
Volker Heinz
Director & CEO, DIL Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik e.V. (German Institute of Food Technologies)
Sophie Hieke, Head of Consumer Science, EUFIC Dr Sophie Hieke is Head of Consumer Science at the European Food Information Council (EUFIC), a non-profit organisation established in 1995 which stands up for science-based information on food and health. Among other things, she has been the Principal Coordinator of the EU FP7 funded project CLYMBOL – Role of health claims and symbols in consumer behaviour.
Sophie is also a professor for Marketing & Communication at Munich Business School, where she teaches behavioural marketing and consumer behaviour.
She holds a PhD from the Munich School of Management at Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich. Her main area of research is consumer behaviour and psychology, specifically decision-making regarding food, health and lifestyle. She has been a visiting researcher at the University of Surrey as well as a research fellow at the Munich Centre of Health Sciences and the Center for Marketing and Public Policy Research at Villanova Business School, Philadelphia.
Sophie has published in numerous journals including the Journal of Consumer Affairs, Appetite, Food Policy, Food Quality & Preference and the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition and held a position as Associate Editor for Public Health Nutrition from 2015 to 2019. She has won several prizes for her scientific publications, including the “Emerald Citation Award” in 2017 and “Best Paper of the Year” by the American Council of Consumer Interest in 2012. She also serves as a reviewer for several high-ranking scientific journals.
Sophie Hieke
Head of Consumer Science, EUFIC
Michael Kleindl, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Blue Horizon Ventures Michael is a specialist for investments and is running the investment team as founder and managing partner of Blue Horizon Ventures. He is an experienced
business angel and venture capital investor, serial entrepreneur and successful founder of a multitude of digital businesses during the last 20 years, including
some early Food-Tech investments. His track record includes 2 IPOs and numerous exits of portfolio companies to prestigious buyers such as Amazon, Axel Springer, Deutsche Post DHL, Eventbrite and Just Eat.
Michael Kleindl
Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Blue Horizon Ventures
Hubert Cottogni, Director & Head of Mandate Management, European Investment Fund Hubert Cottogni is Director of Mandate Management and has oversight on all origination and mandate management entrusted by the EU, EIB and National Promotional Banks and Institutions – amounting to over EUR 30bn under management.
He has over 30 years of experience in finance and the design of financial engineering instruments to benefit small businesses; including at Creditanstalt AG, EIB and Telekom Austria AG.
His career highlights inlcude pioneering financial engineering programmes such as JEREMIE, EFSI, as well as financial blending solutions such as the SME initiative unlocking additional finance for SMEs across Europe and beyond.
Hubert studied at the University of Innsbruck, INSEAD and Oxford University.
Hubert Cottogni
Director & Head of Mandate Management, European Investment Fund (EIF)
Irène Tolleret, Member, European Parliament Irène Tolleret was elected mayor of Fontanès (Hérault, France) in 2014. She represented her town in the Grand Pic Saint-Loup community council, and she became a member of the Hérault regional council.
In the 2019, Irène Tolleret was elected at the European Parliament, she is part of the Renew Europe political group. Since then, she is a member of the following Committees: Agriculture, Regional development and Women’s Rights and Gender Equality. She is also co-chair of the Wine, Spirits and quality Foodstuffs Intergroup.
Winegrower by profession, deeply committed to the enhancement of the wine wealth of her region, she fought for the extension of the geographical area of Pic Saint-Loup. She has repeatedly supported Europe’s commitment to the development of the Occitania region through concrete projects on energy transition, economic development, innovation and solidarity.
Irène Tolleret
MEP, Substitute Member of the European Parliament Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development
Máximo Torero, Chief Economist, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Dr. Máximo Torero Cullen is the Chief Economist of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). He joined the Organization in January 2019 as Assistant Director-General for the Economic and Social Development Department. Prior to joining FAO, he was the World Bank Group Executive Director for Argentina, Bolivia, Chile Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay since November 2016 and before the Bank Dr. Torero led the Division of the Markets, Trade, and Institutions at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). His major research work lies mostly in analyzing poverty, inequality, importance of geography and assets (private or public) in explaining poverty, and in policies oriented towards poverty alleviation based on the role played by infrastructure, institutions, and on how technological breakthroughs (or discontinuities) can improve the welfare of households and small farmers. His experience encompasses Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia.
Dr. Torero, a national of Peru, holds a Ph.D. and a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of the Pacific, Lima, Peru. He is a professor on leave at the University of the Pacific, Perú, and an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow at University of Bonn, Germany, and has also published in top journals (QJE, Econometric Theory, AER-Applied Microeconomics, RSTAT, Labor Economics and many other top journals).
Dr. Torero has received in 2000 the Georg Foster Research Fellowship of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, won the Award for Outstanding Research on Development given by the Global Development Network, twice, in 2000 and in 2002, and received the Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite Agricole in 2014.
Máximo Torero Cullen
Chief Economist, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Vesa Taatila, President and Rector, Turku University of Applied Science Dr. Vesa Taatila works as the rector and president of Turku University of Applied Sciences, a member of the national research and innovation council in Finland and as an adjunct professor of innovation pedagogy in the University of Turku. Previously he has worked in executive and expert positions in both academia and multinational business sector. His main area of interest is creation of world-class practical excellence and putting new innovations into action, either through continuous development in existing organizations or by establishing start-up companies.
Vesa Taatila
President and Rector, Turku University of Applied Science
Jannes Maes, President, CEJA Jannes is a dairy farmer from Flanders in northern Belgium. Growing up on the family farm instilled in him a passion for agriculture. He later undertook agricultural studies in secondary school and at university level. While a student, he became a member of Groene Kring, the Flemish organisation for young farmers. This led to roles representing young farmers at local, regional, national and international level. Jannes has been a member of the CEJA board since 2015. He is currently completing his second mandate as President. When not engaged in politics and representation, Jannes can be found working on the farm.
Jannes Maes
President, European Council of Young Farmers (CEJA)
Klaus G. Grunert, Professor of Marketing Aarhus University; Founder & Director of the MAPP Research Center Klaus G. Grunert is Professor of Marketing at Aarhus University, and is the founder and director of the MAPP Research Center. He has done extensive research in the area of consumer behaviour, mostly with regard to food, and in making consumer insight useful in areas like new product development, market communication and public policy campaigns aimed at healthy eating or other socially desirable behaviours. In particular, he has done research on quality perception and food choice, healthy eating, effects of nutrition labeling and of health claims, public acceptance of biotechnology, on how insight into consumer behaviour feeds into product development processes in food producing companies, and on competence development in the food industry. As director of MAPP, he has carried out numerous collaboration projects with the food industry, including several pan-European studies, and has participated in or led many EU FP projects. Having an h-index of 81, he is the author of 12 books, more than 200 academic papers in international refereed journals and numerous other publications. Klaus is a past president of the European Marketing Academy and was professor of the European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management.
Klaus G. Grunert
Professor of Marketing Aarhus University; Founder & Director of the MAPP Research Center
Uzoamaka Madu, Strategic Communications, What’s in it for Africa Uzoamaka is a Strategic Communications Consultant and Founder of Comms agency, What’s in it for Africa, where she supports Africa and Africans tell their stories in international decision-making spaces.
Uzoamaka is an experienced moderator, public speaker and writer. Speaking and moderating several high-level events, including for the European Commission, the UN and the WTO and writing for African Business Magazine, Ventures Africa, International Politics & Society and a contributor to the forthcoming Routledge Handbook of EU-Africa Relations.
Her work also includes the initiative, Experts on Africa, building a searchable database of experts to bring African voices closer to global decision-making, whether it is media, think tanks, international organisations or business.
Uzoamaka Madu
Strategic Communications, What’s in it for Africa
Andy Zynga, CEO, EIT Food Before joining EIT Food, Andy built and turned around several businesses in Europe and the USA, and most recently engineered a successful exit for Open Innovation Service Leader NineSigma, which he ran for 10 years and sold in 09/2017. The majority of NineSigma’s clients are from the Agri-Food Industry.
Other stations in his career include 6 years at KPMG Consulting, where he built an international telecommunication strategy practice, and 5 years at Vanco plc, where as CEO North America and Central Europe he was part of the Executive team that took the business public on the London Stock Exchange. Andy joined EIT Food as CEO in November 2018.
Andy holds a Master’s degree that combines Business Administration and Mechanical Engineering from the Technical University of Berlin, and he earned a Doctorate’s Degree with a thesis on (Open) Innovation Management from RWTH Aachen.
Andy Zynga
CEO, EIT Food
Gioia Ghezzi, Chairperson, European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) Gioia Ghezzi is Chairperson of the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) and
currently holds a number of institutional roles, including Chair of ATM, Milan’s public
transport operator, Chair of RGI Group (Corsair Capital), Board Member of Atlantia (Edizione
Holding), Board Member of Humanitas Group (Techint), Board Member of Sirti (Pillarstone
KKR). She is member of the Scientific Committee of Confindustria (IT), Vice-President Smart
City & Sustainability of Assolombarda (IT). Her career includes roles such as Chair of Group
Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane from 2015 to 2018, CEO of International Group Risk Solutions for the Zurich Insurance Group from 2013 to 2016, Chief Operating Officer for Willis Group from 2012 to 2013, over 11 years with McKinsey & Company as Partner in their London office as well as various positions at Academic Press in London and IBM Research in Rome and Milan. She achieved a degree in theoretical physics at the University of Milan and an MBA at
London Business School.
Gioia Ghezzi
Chairperson,
European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT)
Julia Patorska, Partner Associate, Deloitte Julia Patorska is Partner Associate in Deloitte. Julia has a Master’s degree in Economics and is currently working on her PhD thesis. She leads the Economic Analysis Team in Deloitte based in Warsaw. She has 16 years of professional experience currently developing consulting services in the area of economic analysis combined with sustainability issues while looking for a link between those areas. Julia is also the President of the Board of the Association of Polish Economists.
Recent experience include:
Diagnosis of the bioeconomy potential in cooperation with the BioEconomy Platform – design of the business strategy and growth areas for bioeconmy in Poland
Foresight analysis of values and attitudes of future generation with regards to the economic and climate change – report prepared for Polish Insurance Chamber
Tackling smog with innovation – analysis of the causes and scale of smog in Europe, assessment of potential technological solutions for future adaptations, prapared for EIT InnoEnergy
Impact report regarding climate risks: “Climate of risk – How can prevention and insurance reduce the impact of natural disasters on the environment”, prepared for the Polish Insurance Chamber – 2018
Julia Patorska
Partner Associate, Deloitte
Simon Pickard, Network Director, Science Business Simon Pickard leads on network engagement and development for Science|Business in line with the company’s growth strategy. He previously held directorial positions with The Academy of Business in Society (ABIS) network and IDAS Global, a technology solutions provider to the global cash industry. Within these roles, he designed and coordinated a wide range of international projects focused on sustainability-driven innovation, both in research and education. Simon holds a Masters Degree from the University of Oxford and an MBA from HEC Paris School of Management.
Simon Pickard
Network Director, Science Business
Gerda Feunekes, Executive Director, Voedingcentrum Gerda Feunekes (1965) is leading the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, since 2014. This centre with 80 employees is in the Netherlands the authority that translates nutrition science to the consumer, to stimulate healthy and sustainable eating habits. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre is an independent foundation, jointly funded by the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Agriculture. Key milestones: relaunch Wheel of Five (2016); State of Nutrition symposium (2018); YouTube channel (2018); launch Eetwissel/Food Swaps towards Wheel of Five (2019); Together against Food Waste (2019); 650 School Canteens Healthy (2019); Ten year Food Innovation Bachelors Award (2019); Guidelines healthier eating environments (2020).
Gerda studied at Wageningen University, where she received an MSc in Nutrition (1989), and a PhD degree in Food Choice (1996). She published over forty scientific papers, e.g. on assessing fat and alcohol intake; social aspects of eating behaviour; food labelling; and consumer perceptions related to salt reduction. She worked in the food industry, a.o. as Global Nutrition and Health Director focusing on salt reduction globally from 2008-2014.
She is in various advisory committees, e.g., Wageningen UR Social Sciences Group; World Food Centre; Action Plan Fruit and Vegetables; National Breastfeeding Council. She is chairing the European Public Health Nutrition Alliance (EPHNA), where European centres that are responsible for nutrition communication on country level join forces to take nutrition communication to the next level.
Gerda Feunekes
Executive Director, Netherlands Nutrition Centre
Saswati Bora, Head of Food Systems Innovation, World Economic Forum (WEF) Saswati Bora is the Head of Food Systems Innovation at the World Economic Forum (WEF) where she heads WEF’s two global initiatives on innovations and incentivizing food systems transformation as well as the food and agriculture work in India. She has almost two decades of experience in agriculture, food systems and rural development. Before WEF, Saswati worked in the agriculture and rural development department of the World Bank where she helped set up two key global initiatives – the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) and the Global Food Crisis Program (GFRP). Saswati has worked previously as a researcher at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in Washington DC, UNDP offices in Nepal and New York, and as a journalist with a daily newspaper in Mumbai. She is the recipient of the Global Leadership Fellowship of the World Economic Forum, a distinctive leadership development program that combines a position at the Forum with academic training, coaching and on-the-job learning. Saswati has a Masters in International Affairs from Columbia University, a Bachelors degree in Economics from Delhi University and a Post Graduate Diploma in Communications from Sophia Polytechnic in Mumbai.
Saswati Bora
Head of Food Systems Innovation, World Economic Forum (WEF)
Sean Westcott, Senior Vice-President, Research & Development Europe, PepsiCo Sean is the Senior Vice President, R&D Europe at PepsiCo, one of the largest food and drink companies in the world, with brands including household names such as Pepsi, PepsiMAX, Lay’s, Quaker and Tropicana.
During his career in the Food industry, Sean has worked on leading brands in Australia and New Zealand (Uncle Toby’s, Bluebird), before joining Nestle and moving to Switzerland, the USA and Germany with a focus on the culinary portfolio. Sean has experience with a broad range of food categories and experienced many different aspects of research and innovation in business including renovating a core portfolio, innovating new growth platforms and partnering with startups, technology partners and managing mergers and acquisitions.
Sean Westcott
Senior Vice President, R&D Europe at PepsiCo
Marja-Liisa Meurice, Director, EIT Food North East Marja-Liisa Meurice, EIT Food Director CLC North-EastOver twenty years of experience on innovation management within organizations has provided insights for transformation, opportunities through innovation and R&D.Today as head of EITFood North-East she is driving the change for agri-food sector with the Partners and Programmes of EITFood Consortium.She has previously worked as Vice President of Innovation for Sodexo (a Global Service and Food Company) implementing innovation process in over 70 countries, Operations and Programme Manager of European Industrial Research Management Association (EIRMA) which gathered major European and global industrial companies together to share their R&D and Innovation efforts and lately as founder of innovation platform Hyphenity gathering innovation practitioners around virtual Round Tables for exchange. These experiences provided a broad understanding of challenges and solutions in service and food industries as well as in the European Industrial Innovation and R&D management. Collaboration with major Global and European companies has allowed building a solid network with European Innovation leaders.
Marja-Liisa Meurice
Director, EIT Food North East
Paola Giavedoni, Innovation Director, EIT Food Paola Giavedoni is a multicultural Innovation leader, with extensive international experience in the foodtech and agri-food business area.
She owns a Master degree in Food Science and a PhD in Food biotechnology from the Univesity of Udine (Italy).
She held different R&D managerial roles, in different product categories during 12 years at Unilever Food divisions (frozen vegetable, culinary products, chilled products, dressings, etc.).
During the following 5 years at ‘Chiquita Brands Int., as R&D Director for Europe & ME, she developed and introduced to the market new products like Fresh Cut Fruit and Smoothies, but also applied new technologies along the entire Fresh-fruit supply chain, from the crops in tropical countries to European consumer.
Between 2012 and 2019 she was Head of strategic and technology innovation at Migros Industry in Switzerland, leading pioneering projects, playing a key role in the development of open innovation and promoting a cultural shift towards an entrepreneurship mind-set.
Paola collaborated with the Kickstart accelerator programme in Zürich (with her corporate entrepreneurship team) and with Mass Challenge Switzerland, as mentor and judge.
Paola is now Innovation Director at EIT Food (European Institute of Innovation and technology www.eitfood.eu ), where she leads the central Innovation programme.
She is author or co-author of several scientific papers and 3 patents.
Paola Giavedoni
Innovation Director, EIT Food
Maarten van der Kamp, Director of Education, EIT Food Dr Maarten van der Kamp is EIT Food’s Director of Education. He is passionate about developing entrepreneurs that are equipped to respond to current and emerging environmental and social challenges to create a more sustainable society. Before joining EIT Food, Maarten taught entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship and sustainability at Cranfield School of Management and Hult International Business School. He did his PhD on the standardisation of sustainability at Lancaster School of Management. Before then, he worked as a senior engineer and team leader in Philips Medical Systems, and ran a network of entrepreneurship centres in support of excellent entrepreneurship education.
Maarten van der Kamp
Director of Education, EIT Food
Benoit Buntinx, Director of Business Creation, EIT Food Benoit is Director of Business Creation at EIT Food, where he helps early entrepreneurs and start-ups to launch, accelerate and scale their agrifood business in Europe and beyond. Before devoting his work fulltime to EIT Food, Benoit has co-founded and managed 2 start-ups, a life science incubator and a 43€ million technology seed fund. He also served on the Board of various agrifood-related start-ups, from primary production to food waste treatment. Benoit spent the last 6 years in South America where he was a consultant in technology transfer and venture creation.
Benoit Buntinx
Director of Business Creation, EIT Food
Professor Moira Dean, Institute for Global Food Security, Queen’s University Belfast Moira’s research group focuses on studying the ‘head, heart and hands’ (perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours) of actors along the food supply chain to explore food security challenges in three main areas: (1) global food integrity, (2) nutrition and health, and (3) how we’ll feed the world’s growing population in a sustainable, cost-effective and environmentally friendly way. Applying a holistic, integrated and experiential approach, Moira’s research group aims to understand actors from ‘farm to fork’ (e.g. farmers, manufacturers, policy-makers, and consumers), using both qualitative and quantitative research methods, to provide implications for policy, practice, and subsequent research. Research in the group has explored, for example: food traceability; food quality (including safety); food fraud, competitiveness, resilience and trust in food supply chains; food labelling; food marketing; food portion sizes; food shopping; and cooking/food skills.
Moira Dean
Professor, Consumer Psychology & Food Security, Queen’s University Belfast
Begoña Pérez Villarreal, Director, EIT Food South Begoña Pérez-Villarreal is the Director of the EIT Food Innovation hub for Southern Europe (www.eitfood.eu), aimed to boost innovation involving stakeholders from Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Israel. Their main activity is related to building a dynamic ecosystem developing collaborative projects and activities in business creation, education, innovation and communication programs to develop products and services contributing to a healthy lifestyle and a sustainable circular bio-economy.
Begoña Pérez Villarreal
Director, EIT Food CLC South
Nigyar Makhmudova, Chief Growth Officer, Danone Nigyar holds a business degree from Nottingham Business School, UK, and a Science degree in Molecular Biology from Moscow State University, Russia.
She started her business career in 1991 in pharmaceutical marketing, working for Boots and Smith Kline Beecham in the UK and Russia.
In 1998, Nigyar joined Mars Russia, where she held several senior marketing and sales positions across the entire Mars product portfolio.
In 2006, she became Regional President of Mars Petcare Russia.
Nigyar was a member of Mars Petcare Executive Committee since its establishment in 2009.
In 2012, she was appointed Global Chief Marketing Officer of Mars Petcare, based in the Brussels HQ.
In 2014, Nigyar took responsibility of Regional President for Mars Petcare Europe, Russia and South Africa, based in London.
In 2016, Nigyar became Global President of Mars Pet Nutrition, based in London.
In 2019, Nigyar joined Danone as Executive Vice President, Growth and Innovation.
Nigyar Makhmudova is a Non-Executive Board Director of Jungbunzlauer, a leading global manufacturer of natural biodegradable food ingredients.
As of November 2020, Nigyar is appointed Chief Growth Officer.
Nigyar Makhmudova
Chief Growth Officer, Danone
Magdalena Kozłowska, CEO, NapiFeryn Biotech Magdalena Kozłowska, PDEng, CEO NapiFeryn BioTech (graduation diploma from the Lodz University of Technology, Professional Doctorate in Engineering at the Delft University of Technology, Holland).
An experienced member of research and development teams, specialising in development and optimization of biotechnological processes. Over 10 years of experience in managing international project teams, e.g. Johnson & Johnson, Crucell, DSM, and Delft University of Technology.
In 2014 Magdalena co-founded NapiFeryn BioTech, a company that developed and patented a technology to obtain food grade proteins from rapeseed.
Magdalena’s managements skills are well seen in her role as Programme Manager in EU-funded projects carried out by NapiFeryn like Fast Track Programme (value ca. 4 M EUR), H2020 SME Instrument Phase 2 project (value ca. 2.8 M EUR) and EIT Food innovation projects.
Magdalena Kozłowska
CEO, NapiFeryn Biotech
Marta Kutyna-Bakalarska, Global Head of Innovations, Maspex Group A graduate of the Cracow University of Economics and National-Louis University, MBA. From 2001 at the Maspex Group, she gained experience in the area of finance, EU funds, project management and strategic management. Currently she holds the position of Director of the Innovation Management Department and Member of the Supervisory Board of CLC North-East Sp. z o.o. – a colocation center within EIT Food, whose task is to stimulate innovation, talent development and consumer involvement in Northern and Eastern Europe. She actively participates in the area of building the innovation ecosystem, also based on cooperation with start-ups and the science sector. She gained experience in teams implementing innovations, conducting R&D and in the field of obtaining funds for this activity.
As an Investment Director, she managed portfolios of 3 private equity funds, using knowledge and experience on the capital market. She cooperated as an expert with PARP and NCBR in the field of evaluation of innovative and R&D projects.
Marta Kutyna-Bakalarska
Global Head of Innovations, Maspex Group
Gonzalo Campos, Fish and Convenience Meals Marketing Manager EMEA, Sealed Air Gonzalo has a M.Sc.International Fisheries Management(IFM) from the Norwegian College of Fisheries science, UiT, Master in Business Innovation(MBI) from Deusto Business School, Spain, Master of Digital Marketing from Nuclio Digital School, Spain and diploma of creativity and advertising from Brother publicist school, Spain. He has worked in Sealed Air since 2007. His main function in the position is to develop the Fish and convenience/ready meals packaging market in EMEA. Along with the sales team, he carries out strategic projects with key accounts to develop more sustainable and functional packaging solutions that enhance product image and create new sales by attracting new customers on new moments of consumption. His area of expertise is New Concept and Product Development, Packaging Development, Digital marketing and branding, for instance transforming fish commodities in value-added seafood nutritional concepts and enable sales in new markets, new channels.
Gonzalo Campos
Fish and Convenience Meals Marketing Manager EMEA, Sealed Air
Catarina Chemetova, CEO, FiberGlob I am Catarina, PhD & entrepreneur with an Environmental Engineering background. I belong
to a disruptive generation that lives in a constantly changing environment – I am willing to
bring innovative inputs and ideas to transform agrifood in a better and resilient sector.
Keeping in mind the circular economy approach, during my PhD research, I embraced
experiences that transformed my perception of how many valuable by-products from
biomass application and forest practices are under-valued, with huge potential for novel
horticultural substrates and agrochemicals. I’ve always had the ambition to look beyond
applied research to market application with sustainability as the main pillar. Recently, I founded an early stage start-up with a focus on the market segment of professional growers using alternative wood and fiber-based substrates – FiberGlob. From this experience onwards, the take home message which I will apply in the future is the essential collaboration between research, industry and costumer needs; there is no innovation and sustainable growth
without synchronising and learning with all parties.
Why is the future of food important to me?
The global food system needs our best inputs and ideas to be transformed. As Humans are part of ecosystems, we must play the role in (re)design the economy to enhance the sustainability of our planet. I believe that the future must focus on developing new solutions to transform from the traditional “produce-use-dispose” into circular bioeconomy.
Catarina Chemetova
CEO, FiberGlob
John Gilliland, Director of Global Agriculture & Sustainability, Devenish Nutrition John Gilliland, is Director of Global Agriculture and Sustainability at Devenish, an innovative livestock nutrition company which creates complete solutions, improving animal, human and environmental health, simultaneously.
For the last six years, John has been Project Leader of the Devenish Lands at Dowth in Ireland, a ruminant and landscape research farm, where the company is well on its way to delivering carbon neutral beef and lamb production by 2025; and as a result the farm been selected as one of eleven international lighthouse farms for Wageningen University & Research (WUR) in the Netherlands.
John Gilliland is highly respected and recognised as an excellent leader and communicator across the breadth of the Agri Food and Sustainable Land Management Sectors. He has been an award winning farmer in Ireland, President of the Ulster Farmers Union; a Non Executive Director of the Scottish Rural College (SRUC), and an Energy Regulator in N. Ireland; while at the same time, he has been a policy adviser for Devolved, National and European Governments on Biotechnology, Climate Change and Sustainability.
In particular, John chaired for seven years, the UK’s Rural Climate Change Forum, reporting directly to the Secretary of State of DEFRA, he helped set up the Carbon Management Centre in SRUC, Edinburgh.
For the last six years John has been chairing the N. Ireland Expert Working Group on Sustainable Land Management, and on reducing Ammonia Emissions; and he is a member of the EU Commission’s Mission Board Assembly on Soil Health & Food in Brussels and presented the Devenish Lands at Dowth as one of three exemplar international Lighthouse farms at the recent EIP-Agri workshop on the Soil Health & Food Mission Board roadmap.
John Gilliland
Director of Global Agriculture & Sustainability, Devenish Nutrition
Serenella Sala, Deputy Head of Unit, Land Resources, Joint Research Centre Serenella Sala is a scientific project manager at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission since 2010. She is the Deputy Head of Unit of the Land resource Unit of the Directorate D- Sustainable Resources, and the team leader of the life cycle assessment (LCA) group of the JRC. She is an environmental scientist, holding a Phd in Ecology. Her research activities have been always focused on sustainability assessment of supply chains, adopting Life cycle assessment as reference methodology. With strong interdisciplinary approach, she developed methodologies and models for sustainable development, integrated environmental assessment, life cycle assessment, risk assessment for supporting eco-innovation of process and products as well as resource efficiency. Specific focus of the research has been always on food systems and circular bioeconomy.
List of publications and overview of her research activities are available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Serenella_Sala
Serenella Sala
Deputy Head of Unit, Land Resources, Joint Research Centre
Tatiana Tallarico, Policy officer in the Bioeconomy and Food Systems unit, Healthy Planet Directorate, DG Research and Innovation - European Commission Within the FOOD 2030 team, Tatiana contributes to EU research and innovation programmes for sustainable healthy and inclusive food systems, both in terms of content and process coordination. In particular, she is responsible for the activities related to urban areas, food waste prevention and reduction and social innovation.
Before joining the Directorate General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD) in 2018, she worked at the DG for Agriculture and Rural Development, where she was involved in the implementation of EU research programs, including communication and dissemination activities.
Prior to that, she was a Bluebook trainee at the DG for Health and Food Safety, supporting the Food waste team.
Between the graduation in 2012 and the Brussels career, Tatiana worked in Milan for a research centre, Expo Milan 2015 and a consultancy company. She holds two master’s degrees respectively from the Bocconi University of Milan and the Paris Institute of Political Studies.
Tatiana Tallarico
Policy officer in the Bioeconomy and Food Systems unit, Healthy Planet Directorate, DG Research and Innovation – European Commission
Andrew Carlin, Director of Strategic Programmes, EIT Food Andrew has been with EIT Food full-time from its inception in 2018, having been part of the development and start-up phases while Director of Enterprise at University of Reading, one of EIT Food’s founding partners. Andrew then led the incorporation and establishment of EIT Food’s North-West Europe operation covering the UK, Ireland and Iceland.
From summer 2019, Andrew has been acting as lead in the review and update of EIT Food’s strategic vision and approach as Director of Strategic Programmes.
Andrew has worked in public-private research collaboration, technology licensing, innovation, university spin-outs and knowledge exchange for 20 years. He is an experienced non-exec investor representative in seed funds and start-up companies.
Along with pro-bono board roles in the arts and student enterprise, Andrew has also held board appointments in technology business and professional associations at national and European level. He has also spent time on secondment to the UK Government’s Department of Business as a Senior Policy Advisor on knowledge exchange and innovation, feeding into development of UK national Industrial Strategy.
Andrew holds a degree in Law from Sheffield University, a Masters’ degree in Business Management from Henley Business School and is a Member of the Institute of Directors among other professional affiliations.
Andrew Carlin
Director of Strategic Programmes, EIT Food
Veerle Poppe, Sustainability Strategist and EIT Lead, Colruyt Group Veerle Poppe is an expert in sustainability and marketing. She is working in the innovation department of Colruyt Group, the leading retailer in Belgium. She has 25 years of experience in launching brands, products and offering solutions to meet consumer needs. She has been working in the food sector, information sector and in retail.
The past 6 years she has been involved in the product and organisational environmental footprint , trying to translate this complex subject matter into concepts that will help implementation in the business and will encourage the consumer to turn to more environmentally responsible products.
Veerle Poppe
Sustainability Strategist and EIT Lead, Colruyt Group
Florence Ranson, Founder, REDComms Based in Brussels, Florence Ranson founded REDComms in 2018 to become an independent strategic communications adviser, trainer and event moderator. Her clients range from European institutions to private companies, including media and trade associations.
Over the last couple of years, she has moderated many events for the European Committee of Regions in particular, including the Europcom conference opening and closing sessions, the 25th Anniversary event and the Summit of European Regions, with the President of the Romanian Republic, the Prime Minister, Michel Barnier and several Commissioners. Last October (2020), she moderated the 3-day Outermost Regions Forum for the European Commission (online). She also regularly trains individuals and groups on public speaking and moderation techniques.
Florence has been active in European communications circles for some 30 years. She started her career as Project Manager for the European Commission, (1990 to 1997), setting up and running Team Europe for the Directorate General Communications. As Secretary General of the European Advertising Tripartite (1997 to 2001), Florence was in charge of the communications strategy and spokesperson of the organisation, on behalf of the European advertising sector.
She then was Head of Communications at the European Banking Federation for 12 years, 5 of which were crisis years. She managed the communications portfolio and was spokesperson of the organisation, as well as devising the strategic developments of communications for the sector.
Florence became Director of Communications for FoodDrinkEurope in 2014, until 2018. There she defined and managed the communications strategy, as well as coordinated the various campaigns launched by the organisation.
Florence has been Chair of the Jury of the European Excellence Awards in communications for over 10 years and is a founding member of the European Association of Communication Directors (EACD), where she was Managing VP for 10 years. She was awarded a 2018 ProPR Award for her contribution to the European communication profession. She regularly speaks at and moderates events throughout Europe and online and is a mentor to young professionals.
Florence Ranson
Founder, REDComms
Geert Maesmans, Global R&D Leader Cargill Starches, Sweeteners and Texturizers, Cargill Geert Maesmans is currently R&D leader for Cargill’s global Starches, Sweeteners & Texturizers business and Cargill’s Corporate R&D Leader for its EMEA Shared Capabilities.
He is President of the European Specialty Food Ingredients association, board member of Catalisti and advisory Board member of PWI Brussels.
Prior to joining Cargill, Geert worked at Tate&Lyle, at an SME and in Academia.
He holds a PhD in Applied Biological Sciences, an engineering degree in Chemical and Biological Industries and benefited from continuous education in business administration and innovation.
Geert Maesmans
Global R&D Leader Cargill Starches, Sweeteners and Texturizers, Cargill
Piotr Romańczuk, Director of Logistics, Maspex Group 49 years old; since 1998 has worked for Lubella – the leading pasta producer in Poland; started as an Export Manager, now Board Member and Logistics Director; the main areas of the work: supervise and direct purchasing, vendor selection, price and contract terms negotiation (row materials for production, packaging materials; purchasing and contracting grains, mostly soft and durum wheat); cooperation with farmers in Poland; supply chain optimization, supervision over the distribution center investment; participated in the development and implementation of IT systems: SAP and Qguar; participation in innovation projects; cooperates with scientists and business from Poland and abroad on the promotion of durum wheat cultivation and exchange of information in this area.
Piotr Romańczuk
Director of Logistics, Maspex Group
Rosa Prati, Research and development Manager, Caviro Rosa Prati took his bachelor degree in Chemistry Science at the University of Bologna (Alma mater) in 2002 and began working for Caviro group as quality control manager. She then held the role of head of all the laboratories of the Caviro group until 2011. Following with the management of quality and food safety sector in the by-product processing sector, today Caviro Extra, has led the company to be the first certified in the sector for the FSSC 22000 and Excipact standard. Since 2018 head of Research and Development of the Caviro sca, agricultural and wine world.
Rosa Prati
Research and Development Manager, Caviro
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