Speakers

Expert insights. Real-world experience.

Hear from food safety leaders who are driving change, sharing lessons learned, and advancing excellence across the global supply chain. SQF Unites speakers deliver actionable takeaways to help you strengthen food safety systems, prepare for what’s next, and lead with confidence.

 

Daniel Akinmolayan

Director of IT Systems and Customer Support, SQFI

Daniel Akinmolayan is the Director of IT Systems and Customer Support at the Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI), where he leads the institute’s global digital strategy and technology operations. Since joining SQFI in 2017, Daniel has driven large-scale modernization initiatives that transformed audit management, certification workflows, data governance, and customer experience across the SQF ecosystem.

With a Master’s degree in Information Technology (Database Systems) from the University of Maryland, Daniel oversees SQFI’s enterprise platforms, analytics infrastructure, and system integrations—helping position the SQF program as a technology leader in food safety certification. His work has directly supported revenue growth, improved audit data integrity, and enabled risk-based, data-driven decision-making for Certification Bodies, retailers, and suppliers worldwide. He is passionate about building high-performing teams and combining strategic vision with hands-on leadership to deliver scalable, real-world solutions.

Rachel Anderson

Vice President Business Development, SQFI

As vice president of business development, Rachel Anderson oversees strategic partnerships, market expansion and program engagement with a focus on amplifying the value of SQFI certification for stakeholders across the global food supply chain.​

Anderson also brings firsthand experience with food safety standards, having previously been on the team responsible for food safety management and improving audit performance at a beverage manufacturer. She has consistently integrated safety, quality and operational excellence into her leadership roles across both retail and manufacturing. ​

With a foundation in both domestic and international markets, including leadership roles at Reeds Inc., Cost Plus World Market and Williams-Sonoma, Anderson brings a strategic and customer-centric approach to her role at SQFI.

Shelby Biggerstaff

SQF Certification Manager and SQF Auditor, AIB International Certification Services (AIBI-CS

Shelby Biggerstaff is the SQF Certification Manager and a Lead SQF Auditor at AIB International Certification Services (AIBI-CS), where she oversees the integrity and consistency of SQF certification activities across a wide range of industries, including agriculture, meat, dairy, baking, seafood, processed foods, distribution centers, and packaging materials. Prior to joining a certification body, Shelby spent time working in the beverage, confectionery, and dairy food sectors, giving her a strong understanding of manufacturing operations and food safety systems from an industry perspective. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Saint Francis and an MBA from Indiana University and is known for her energetic, practical, and solutions-driven approach focused on clarity, consistency, and collaboration in advancing effective and credible food safety certification programs.

Ben Channon

Director, Xcluder

Ben Channon, Director of Xcluder, has 17 years of experience in the pest management industry, specializing in food manufacturing and distribution environments and other third-party-audited facilities.

With a dedication to continued education, Channon has participated in Bobby Corrigan's Rodent Academy as well as the AIB and Purdue Integrated Pest Management courses.

Ben is an Associate Certified Entomologist and certificated pesticide applicator. A former member of the NPMA Commercial Committee and Greater Chicago Pest Management Alliance Board, Ben studied business at Northern Illinois University and Loyola University Quinlan School of Business.

Ben Chapman

Department Head and Professor - North Carolina State University

Dr. Ben Chapman is department head of the department of Agricultural and Human Sciences, professor and director of the Safe Plates food safety extension and research program at North Carolina State University. Ben is the past Co-Chair of STOP Foodborne Illness board of directors, an advocacy group for individuals affected by foodborne pathogens. Ben also co-hosts two podcasts, Food Safety Talk and Risky or Not.

LeAnn Chuboff

Vice President, Technical Affairs, SQFI

LeAnn has more than 30 years of foodservice experience specializing in supply chain food safety and quality assurance. She is currently the Vice President of Technical Affairs for the Safe Quality Food (SQF) Institute, where she is responsible for the technical elements of the SQF program, including development, maintenance, and technical support of the SQF Code and supporting materials.

Prior to joining SQFI, LeAnn served as Director of Science and Regulatory Relations for National Restaurant Association Solutions, where she oversaw the technical accuracy of the ServSafe food safety program and developed food safety and food defense services for all segments of the restaurant industry. LeAnn holds a B.S. in Food Science from Iowa State University and is active with organizations including GFSI, AFDO, and the International Association for Food Protection.

Vanessa Coffman

Director, Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness

Vanessa Coffman received her PhD in Environmental Epidemiology from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2018. She previously served as a policy analyst at Stop Foodborne Illness, where her work focused on implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Her research portfolio includes studies for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization examining post-war farming systems in Sierra Leone; analyses of occupational and residential exposures associated with large-scale pork production in rural North Carolina; and investigations of the relationship between nitrate in drinking water—largely attributable to food animal operations—and fetal health outcomes in Denmark.

Upon returning to Stop Foodborne Illness, she has expanded the Alliance’s membership, staff, and programs, with a focus on advancing a strong food safety culture across the entire food system.

Wendy Edwards

Director, Product & Quality Assurance, Exemplar Global

Wendy Edwards, a former SQF Practitioner of the Year, has a professional background in food sector auditing, certification, and quality assurance. She is Director, Product and Quality Assurance at Exemplar Global and played a key role in the development of the Certified SQF Practitioner credential. Exemplar Global services and supports the conformity assessment industry, including acting as administrator of credentials such as SQF Auditors and Technical Reviewers, SQF Consultants, SQF Trainers, and Certified SQF Practitioners.

Ashley Eisenbeiser

Vice President, Food & Product Safety Programs, FMI

Ashley Eisenbeiser is the Vice President of Food and Product Safety Programs at FMI – The Food Industry Association. With a background in food science and food safety, Ashley supports FMI’s members on scientific and technical issues, food and agriculture regulatory policy, and food safety training programs.  Ashley is a Certified Food Scientist, serves on the Board of Directors for the Partnership for Food Safety Education, and is a member of several professional associations. Ashley received her Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in Food Science and Technology from Virginia Tech.

Gwen Farley

Vice President of Product Integrity & Compliance, Catania Oils

Gwen Farley is Vice President of Product Integrity and Compliance at Catania Oils, where she leads food safety, quality assurance, sanitation, and regulatory compliance programs supporting edible oil manufacturing. With over 30 years of experience across food, beverage, and laboratory environments, Gwen brings deep, hands-on expertise in SQF systems, regulatory compliance, product authenticity, and continuous improvement.

She has held senior quality and R&D leadership roles at Catania Oils and Downeast Cider House and is known for building strong quality cultures through cross-functional collaboration and practical, risk-based decision making. Gwen holds an MBA focused on leadership and organizational development and is passionate about helping organizations successfully move from planning to practice.

Geoff Farrell

Global Senior Technical Manager, NSF

Geoff Farrell is the Global Senior Technical Manager at NSF, where he oversees the SQF Program.  With more than two decades of experience in food safety, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance, Geoff has built a distinguished career advancing food safety standards across Canada and internationally. A graduate of Dalhousie University with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Chemistry, he has led national and international contamination investigations, coached teams to meet regulatory expectations, and contributed to new product development.  His career includes key roles with Clearwater Seafoods, Frito Lay Canada as well as 10 years auditing to SQF.

Martin Fowell

Director of Auditing Operations, Merieux NutriSciences

Martin Fowell is the Director of Auditing Operations for Mérieux NutriSciences Certification LLC in Chicago, Illinois. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Business with a minor in Animal Science from the University of Wisconsin–Platteville. Early in his career, Martin worked as a Quality Assurance Manager in the cheese industry and later in a regulatory food safety inspection role with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture.

Martin joined Silliker/Mérieux NutriSciences in 2001 as a Food Safety Auditor and has since advanced through multiple leadership roles, including Regional Auditing Manager and Certification Manager. In his current role, he is closely involved in auditor recruitment, training, calibration, and credential maintenance, actively participates in GFSI working groups, and continues to conduct SQF audits.

Kristie Grzywinski

Technical Director, SQFI

Kristie Grzywinski is an accomplished Technical Director responsible for Learning and Development for the SQF Institute. With extensive experience in designing and managing global training programs, Kristie excels at creating innovative education solutions, developing competency-based curricula, and driving learning initiatives that generate significant organizational impact. Known for their strategic vision, Kristie has successfully SQFI’s expanded learning programs to reach diverse audiences, fostering professional growth and upholding industry standards. Her expertise includes curriculum design, certification development, and the development of implementation tools that support measurable success.

Prit Hora

Senior Auditor/Certification Manager, Bureau Veritas

Dr. Prit Hora holds a Ph.D. in Animal Sciences and a Master’s degree in Food Sciences and works with Bureau Veritas Certification North America. With more than 20 years of experience in food safety and quality assurance, he has held roles in both the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the private sector.

Dr. Hora specializes in developing and implementing Food Safety Management Systems, with expertise in process improvement, operational excellence, training, and regulatory compliance across bakery, dairy, meat, and grain processing sectors. He is a Certified HACCP Auditor, SQF Lead Auditor, and holds BRC Global Standards certifications. His consulting, training, and auditing work for SFCR, SQF, and BRCGS standards has helped organizations strengthen regulatory compliance, continuous improvement, and preventive control programs.


Matt Jones

VP of Operations, Validus, a division of Where Food Comes From

Matt Jones is the Vice President of Operations for Validus, a division of Where Food Comes From.  Validus conducts audits for: animal welfare, environment, feed mills, food safety, biosecurity, and any other on-site audits that are needed for our clients.  Validus is also a certifying body for Safe Quality Foods (SQF) audits and completes audits for milk, meat, eggs, animal feed, pet food and Quality.  Matt is a certified auditor and instructor for Validus programs and is a certified auditor for the SQF program.  He is responsible for working with the Senior Program Manager and Program Managers in the Audit Department to make sure that clients’ needs are met, and that the division is meeting their goals.  He is also responsible for the training and background of the auditors that conduct audits for Validus throughout the United States.  

Karen Leacock

Technical Training Manager, Training Division, NSF

Karen is passionate about providing food safety training services for all those in the food industry. She is a certified Trainer for SQF standard, as well as other GFSI standards and HACCP courses. Since joining NSF she has worked with clients as a consultant in food manufacturing, food packaging converters and Warehouse & Distribution services. Currently Karen holds the position as Technical Training Manager for the Training division at NSF where she ensures our suite of courses are current with Global food safety standards as well as regulatory requirements.  She supports the process of sourcing, onboarding and supporting experienced trainers so that NSF remains a center of Training excellence.

Renee McVey

Food Safety and Quality Assurance Manager, Redbarn Pet Products

Renee is a Food Safety and Quality Assurance professional with over six years of hands-on experience in the pet food and animal feed industries. She has built and led food safety systems from initial certification through ongoing SQF compliance, serving as a Certified SQF Practitioner and audit lead. Renee was a contributor to the SQFI Technical Working Group for Pet Food and Animal Feed, a role she completed in support of Edition 10, and was recognized as SQF Practitioner of the Year in 2025. She holds certifications in HACCP, PCQI for Human Food and Pet Food, and Internal Auditing, and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science with a minor in Food Science from Kansas State University. Renee is passionate about practical, scalable food safety programs that empower teams and drive continuous improvement.

Kris Middleton

Senior Director of Consulting, Intertek Alchemy

Kris is devoted and passionate about delivering value in any work that he conducts within the food industry.  Whether this be through audits, training, or consulting, customers and those in the industry greatly appreciate his style, knowledge, and positive attitude & energy. Kris feels it is important for food safety professionals to look at a food safety and quality management system as a whole and focus on not only product quality and safety, but also brand quality and safety. 

Brian Neal

Technical Manager, Eurofins Food Assurance

Brian Neal is the Technical Manager at Eurofins Food Assurance, where he oversees audit programs and accreditation. He has spent more than ten years working as a food safety auditor and technical manager and has served on the SQF Technical Advisory Committee, as well as committees for other certification programs. Prior to joining a certification body, Brian worked for ten years in food manufacturing in the meat and produce sectors. He is a graduate of Oklahoma State University and lives in Fort Worth, Texas with his wife and three children.

Laura Dunn Nelson

CEO, Culture Strategies Group

Laura Dunn Nelson is the CEO and Founder of Culture Strategies Group and brings more than 40 years of experience implementing food safety and quality control programs across processing, packaging, food service, and retail operations. She has worked extensively with global retailers and manufacturers to design, implement, and strengthen food and workplace safety programs that drive compliance and operational excellence.

In addition to leading Culture Strategies Group, Laura serves as a strategic food industry liaison, working closely with customers, regulators, and industry associations to anticipate emerging regulations and industry trends. Her work supports the development of innovative training programs and technology solutions that help global organizations translate regulatory expectations into practical, culture-driven execution.

Laura’s passion for food safety culture is reflected in her deep industry involvement, including serving as a member of the GFSI Storage and Distribution Technical Working Group and the GFSI Food Safety Culture Technical Working Group, past Chair of the Food Safety Culture Professional Development Group (PDG) for the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), member of the BSI Food Safety Culture PAS 320 Steering Group, and current Chairman of the Board of IFPTI.

 

Pooja Patel

Food Safety and Quality Assurance Manager, Brimich Logistics Inc.

Pooja Patel is the Food Safety and Quality Assurance (FSQA) Manager at Brimich Logistics Inc., with over ten years of experience spanning food manufacturing quality assurance and food‑grade warehousing. She has progressed through roles such as SQF Practitioner and Food Safety & Compliance Specialist, building a strong foundation in regulatory compliance, GFSI standards, and audit readiness.

In her current role, she leads a robust food safety and quality assurance team, develops comprehensive food safety and compliance programs, and manages customer and certification audits across eight facilities totaling two million square feet of multi‑temperature, food‑grade warehousing space.

Her work focuses on building strong food safety systems, improving procedures, and driving continuous improvement through cross‑functional collaboration. She is passionate about creating practical, effective programs that support daily operations while protecting product integrity, meeting customer expectations, and maintaining regulatory compliance.

John Paul

Sr. Food Safety Consultant, Intertek Alchemy

JP is a Senior Food Safety Consultant with Intertek Alchemy, supporting food manufacturers across the United States with practical, risk-based food safety solutions. Based in southern Ohio, he brings over 26 years of hands-on experience in food manufacturing, third-party auditing, and consulting.

JP has helped numerous organizations achieve initial SQF certification, strengthen existing food safety programs, and maintain audit readiness in complex regulatory environments. Known for translating requirements into real-world actions, he partners with teams to drive compliance, consistency, and continuous improvement.

JP is an SQF Certified Consultant and Auditor.  He holds a degree in Biology from Shawnee State University, an active Ohio Commercial Pest Applicator License, and is a Certified Food Safety and Quality Auditor (CFSQA) and Quality Improvement Associate through the American Society for Quality (ASQ).

Christina Ramsey

EAGLE Certification Group

Christina Ramsey brings a unique blend of technical food safety expertise and creative food industry experience. She is currently an approved SQF Auditor and Technical Certification Specialist at EAGLE Certification Group, where she conducts technical reviews, lead the SQF program and manages SQF appeals and complaints which offers a balanced perspective on both auditor expectations and client realities. Prior to EAGLE, Christina has experience spanning Supplier Quality Assurance, Auditing, and Manufacturing roles with Safeway, Starbucks, and kdc/one, a personal care and topical OTC manufacturer. Christina holds a BS in Food Science from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. She enjoys baking and owned a bakery specializing in decorated sugar cookies, winning twice on Food Network baking competitions.

Lisa Robinson

Ecolab

Lisa R. Robinson is vice president of Global Food Safety and Public Health within the Research, Development & Engineering function of Ecolab Inc., the global leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services that protect people and vital resources. 

In this role, Lisa leads a global network of divisionally aligned food safety and public health team members and is responsible for the functional leadership of the company’s food safety and public health strategies.

Lisa is a recognized industry expert in food safety and public health protocols and strategies.

She joined Ecolab in 2019, following nine years at SunOpta, Inc., where she most recently served as vice president of Food Safety and Quality Assurance. Lisa previously held positions in food safety and quality assurance at Target Corporation, Pepsi Bottling Group, General Mills, Inc. and Schreiber Foods, Inc.  

Lisa has a master’s degree in Food Safety and a bachelor’s degree in Food Science from Michigan State University.

José Sabal

President/Owner, Sabal Food Safety Consulting

Seasoned food safety and quality consultant with over 30 years of global experience specializing in operational efficiency, impactful training, and compliance with rigorous food safety and quality standards. Adept at applying HACCP principles, risk-based assessments (ISO 31000), and regulatory requirements across diverse food processing industries.
Known for delivering practical solutions to complex challenges in food safety, including hazard identification, risk analysis, and control development. Skilled in leveraging analytical tools to predict and mitigate potential processing deviations.

Don Schaffner

Extension Specialist in Food Science & Distinguished Professor - Rutgers University

Dr. Don Schaffner is Extension Specialist in Food Science and Distinguished Professor at Rutgers University. He is the current Chair of the Rutgers Department of Food Science. Don was the president of International Association for Food Protection in 2013-2014. He co-hosts the Food Safety Talk and Risky or Not podcasts.

 

Rachel Sheerin

SQF Unites Emcee

Rachel Sheerin is an award-winning keynote speaker, emcee, and burnout expert dedicated to helping people love their work and lives. With experience in both sales and operations, she has built multi-million-dollar sales teams and trained operations teams to collaborate effectively. After experiencing burnout herself, Rachel made it her mission to understand why high performers face chronic stress and how to prevent it.

A Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst, Rachel combines behavioral insights with burnout research to deliver science-backed, motivational keynotes that empower individuals and organizations to thrive. Her clients include Fortune 500 companies like The Ritz Carlton, WAL-MART, and Freddie Mac, as well as global associations and franchises.

Rachel is the Director of Global Awards for the Association for Women in Events and an angel investor supporting women-owned businesses. Known for her engaging style, she inspires audiences worldwide to achieve success and live lives they love.

https://www.rachelsheerin.com/

Stefanie Sonneveld

Consultant and Business Development Representative, SQFI

Stefanie Sonneveld is an experienced food safety professional with more than 25 years in the food industry, spanning the full supply chain from farm to fork, including manufacturing and food safety certification management. She supports organizations of all sizes in opening market opportunities by applying her in-depth knowledge of retailer requirements and GFSI-benchmarked standards.

Stefanie’s technical expertise and leadership experience in food safety certification help drive success across primary production, processing, distribution, retail, and foodservice operations.

 

Clint Stevenson

Professor of Food Science, NC State University (NCSU)

Clint Stevenson is a Professor of Food Science at NC State University.  He studied food science at the University of Idaho, Purdue University, and North Carolina State University and has worked at Nestle, Kraft, General Mills, Heinz, and Schreiber Foods. Now Clint is engaged with food safety workforce development through delivering a variety of curricula, including GMP's, HACCP, Seafood HACCP, Preventive Controls for Human Food, Environmental Monitoring, and more. He directs a team that innovates and evaluates online learning solutions for maximum impact. Additionally, Clint is engaged with 2nd and 3rd party food safety auditing, as well as assisting companies with audit preparedness.

Jessica Tanner

FMI

Jessica Tanner serves as FMI’s Director of Legal Operations. In addition to operations and compliance matters, she supports the government relations team on state and environmental issues and works closely with SQF leadership to manage risk and pursue new strategic opportunities. Jessica joined FMI in July 2025 with more than 15 years’ experience in Federal government advising on complex operational and regulatory matters. She holds a J.D. from Washington & Lee University School of Law and an A.B. from Harvard in Sociology.  

Alan Tart

Principal Consultant, Tart Strategic Consulting Group

Alan Tart is a principal consultant at Tart Strategic Consulting Group, where he advises industry executives, regulatory leaders, and national organizations on modernizing governance models, strengthening workforce capability, and leading complex, high-pressure change. Prior to consulting, Alan spent nearly 30 years with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, including more than a decade in senior leadership roles within the Human Foods Program and partnership-focused offices. His work reflected a systems-level approach to building workforce capability, implementing the FDA Food Code, strengthening risk-based inspection models, responding to food safety incidents, and working across regulatory, industry, and academic environments. Alan is known for turning adaptive challenges into durable system improvements.

Hilary S. Thesmar, PhD, RD, CFS

Chief Science Officer and Senior Vice President, Food Safety Programs, FMI

With over 20 years of experience in food science, food safety, and food and agriculture policy, Dr. Hilary Thesmar provides leadership for FMI’s retail, wholesale, and product supplier members on scientific and technical issues. Her work includes food safety training programs, regulatory strategy, recall planning and management, crisis management, research initiatives, and health and well-being programs.

Dr. Thesmar earned a Ph.D. in Food Technology and a bachelor’s degree in Food Science from Clemson University, as well as a Master of Science in Human Nutrition from Winthrop University. She is a Registered Dietitian, a Fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists, and an active member of the International Food Protection Association and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Jennie Thomas

FSQ Sr. Manager, Compliance Programs, HP Hood LLC

Sixteen years of industry experience in meat processing, produce processing, and dairy manufacturing. She is currently the Food Safety and Quality Senior Manager of Compliance Programs with HP Hood. There are 12 manufacturing facilities making dairy milk, oat milk, aseptic beverages, cottage cheese, dairy dips, ice cream and sour cream. She has held all positions in the quality and food safety department in her 13 years with HP Hood. Her current role is in corporate to ensure supplier compliance through the supply chain and understanding raw material risks in the Hood manufacturing facilities.

Elizabeth Tierno

Technical Specialist - Compliance, SQFI

Elizabeth currently is the Compliance Specialist at Safe Quality Food Institute where she supports the technical team and helps ensure compliance of the integrity program. Her 10 year working experience in the food industry as an SQF Practitioner has been valuable to her current role.

Elizabeth experience in food manufacturing was in the follow food sector categories dairy, beverage, bakery, and honey processing. Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Science from Penn State University. 

Tammie Van Buren

Manager, SQFI Compliance, SQFI

Tammie Van Buren has more than 25 years of experience in Quality Control and over 10 years in the food industry as an SQF Practitioner. She has been responsible for implementing, monitoring, and maintaining SQF systems at multiple certified sites, including TreeHouse Foods and D&W Fine Pack.

She currently serves as SQF Compliance Manager, overseeing the management and evolution of SQFI’s Compliance and Integrity Program using data-driven insights and statistical analysis. Tammie holds a Master’s degree in Science and Engineering Technology and a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics.

Gigi Vita

Chief Food Safety Assessment Officer & SVP, SQFI

Gigi Vita serves as Chief Food Safety Assessment Officer at SQFI and Senior Vice President at FMI, where she leads the strategic direction and global impact of the SQF Program. She is responsible for advancing food safety and quality standards that protect consumers while strengthening trust across the global food supply chain.

Under her leadership, SQFI has reinforced its position as a science-based, globally recognized certification program. Her work has focused on modernizing the SQF Codes, strengthening certification rigor, and aligning programs with emerging industry risks, regulatory expectations, and stakeholder needs. These efforts have expanded the program’s relevance and value for retailers, manufacturers, and foodservice operators operating in more than 50 countries.

Gigi brings extensive global experience from senior leadership roles at leading consumer packaged goods companies, including Fonterra, PepsiCo, Kraft, Campbell Soup, Nestlé, and Procter & Gamble. Throughout these roles, she consistently delivered enterprise-level transformation by integrating market insight, operational discipline, and cross-sector collaboration.

Her leadership is defined by a disciplined, innovative-focused approach and a deep commitment to continuous improvement in food safety systems worldwide.

 

Penny Vyskocil

Head of Compliance, Global Foods International, Inc.

Penny spent the first 25 years of her career focused in quality and food safety leadership with the Pillsbury/General Mills organization.  The breadth and depth of the opportunities at multiple production facilities and corporate provided a tremendous foundation for what would become the second phase of her career.  After receiving her Masters of Jurisprudence in International Food Law at Michigan State, she pivoted to the regulatory space.  Penny enjoys developing people, systems and business processes that will lead organizations into the future.  Penny lives and works in Chicagoland, and is currently leading all compliance related activities for Global Foods International, Inc. 

Rod Wheeler

Founder and CEO, Global Food Defense Institute

Homeland Security, Global Food Defense and Law Enforcement expert Rod Wheeler is the founder and CEO of the Global Food Defense Institute which provides educational, training and certification programs in Food Defense and Crisis Management for the food, agricultural and chemical industries to ensure confidence and protection and to guard against intentional contamination or sabotage. He is a former “all-star” Homicide Detective with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington DC and former investigator for the State of Ohio Attorney General.  Rod has also previously served as a Senior Crime/Law Enforcement and Domestic Terrorism Expert for the Fox News Channel since 2002. Rod has assisted dozens of US-based companies in developing Global Security Plans, Vulnerability Assessments and Procedures and corresponding training programs.

Martin Wiedmann

Professor, Cornell University

Martin Wiedmann, Dr. med. vet, Ph.D. is the Gellert Family Professor of Food Safety at Cornell University. Martin received a veterinary degree and a doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, and a Ph.D. in Food Science from Cornell. His research interests focus on farm-to-table microbial food quality and food safety and the application of molecular tools and quantitative and modelling approaches to study the transmission of foodborne pathogens and spoilage organisms. His team has published > 500 peer reviewed publications, which have been cited >40,000 times. He and his team are regularly asked to help industry across the world with a range of microbial food safety and quality challenges. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), the American Academy of Microbiology (AAM), and the International Academy of Food Science and Technology.

David Williams

SGS

David Williams is a senior food safety and quality professional with more than 30 years’ experience across food manufacturing, primary production, retail supply chains, and certification. He is the Technical Development Manager at SGS, providing strategic oversight of food technical functions and leading the development and continual improvement of compliant food safety and quality systems.

Throughout his career, David has worked across a wide range of product sectors, including fresh produce, ready-to-eat foods, processed products, and primary production. His experience spans the United Kingdom, Australia, and global supply chains, supporting organizations to strengthen food safety systems, meet regulatory requirements, and achieve operational excellence.

David has held senior leadership roles in technical development, quality assurance, and risk management within both multinational and national organizations. He works closely with manufacturers, certification bodies, and industry stakeholders worldwide to implement practical, risk-based food safety programs aligned with internationally recognized standards.

Known for his pragmatic insight and collaborative approach, David brings extensive real-world experience to SQF Unites, offering valuable perspectives on system design, audit readiness, and continuous improvement across diverse operating environments.