Anett Winkler joined Kraft Jacobs Suchard in December 1998 to head up the research microbiology laboratory in Munich. She developed the internal micro­biological methods manual before moving towards manufacturing and research and development microbiological support in all Kraft Foods categories (cheese, coffee, chocolate, beverages). Following a regional role for microbiology in east­ern Europe and the Middle East and African region, she was globally design­ing food safety programs, rolling out training modules related to food safety and further supporting supplier development. Anett was also the global expert for thermal processing within Mondelez International. In October 2017, Anett moved to a new position as EMEA regional food microbiologist lead at Cargill. Before moving to the industry, Anett had worked in basic research on different projects in Germany and the US looking at molecular and biochemical changes during drug withdrawal and studying relapse mechanisms. She has studied microbiology in Germany but completed her master’s degree at Lomonosov Moscow State University, studying mutations in bacteriophages. After that, she returned to Germany, where she obtained her PhD in stress responses in bacil­lus subtilis.

After spending 13 years in various roles in the food industry (quality, food safety, H&S, risk management), Marcello Pezzi decided to join DS Smith, the industry leader in recycled paper packaging. As an internationally ex­perienced senior manager in the food and packaging industry, Marcel­lo uses his experience to drive safety and improvements in food safety. He currently covers the food contact area internally, with the customer and with the European trade associations for the paper and packaging divisions.

Stefan Akesson is the food safety specialist for Tetra Pak Processing System, and was appointed in 2017. Before that, he was the manager of food & equipment safety at Tetra Pak Processing Systems since 2003, working with food safety cross-organisationally, including non-aseptic and processing units. He also participates in various external organisations like ISO and EHEDG, promoting hygienic design. Having worked for Tetra Pak for 21 years, he was previously responsible for a plant quotation tool (1998-2002), responsible for technical documentation (1994-1997), and had various positions in technical service. Before joining Tetra Pak, he spent 10 years at Alfa Laval in Sweden as well as in Europe and the US. Stefan has a degree in mechanical engineering.

Andrew Manly joined the packaging sector in 1977 and became the founding CEO of the UK Processing & Packaging Machinery Trade Association – a position he held from 1987 to 2005. He then spent a brief period as the head of the UK’s Machine Tool Association before returning to the packaging sector in 2008 as a journalist and consultant. He has presented papers on packaging technologies in more than 70 countries and writes extensively on packaging matters for several journals around the world. He is a board member of the International Packaging Press Organisation (IPPO) and, in 2011, helped found the Active & Intelligent Packaging Industry Association (AIPIA). He is currently the communications director at AIPIA and, in addition to editing its newsletter, helps organise the annual AIPIA World Congress.

Andres Grabitz started his career path in 2004 as a head of HPLC-MS laboratory at U. Noack Laboratories in Sarstedt, specialised in ultra-trace analysis of perfluorotensides in the environment. In 2005, he started his job at Eurofins as a head of laboratory of consumer goods, with a focus on food contact materials and migration testing. In 2015 he became a senior consultant and key account manager of food contact materials, and since 2018 as global packaing compliance manager his business unit packaging materials memberships include:

• DIN standardisation: NA 062-08-93 AA Food contact materials and migration
• IVLV working group migration testing
• GdCH commission food contact materials

Matthias Graeber is currently heading the build-up of data science capability of Bühler and developing innovative digital services for food and feed process­ing. Before that, he was responsible for driving Bühler’s mycotoxin reduction solutions as well as innovation in advanced sorting and measuring techniques. Matthias is a physicist by education and holds a master’s from SUNY Buffalo in the US and a PhD from the University of Basel in Switzerland

Monika Romenska has held senior positions in public administration, local au­thorities and industry organisations in Bulgaria. Since 2014, she has been the regulatory and public affairs manager at the Extended Producer Responsibility Alliance (EXPRA), which acts as the authoritative voice and common policy platform representing the interests of its 26-member packaging recovery and recycling organisations founded and run by or on behalf of obliged industry. She has extensive experience in local and regional self-government, sustainable development, incl. waste management (with a focus on packaging), regional development, communications and project management.

Thimo V. Schmitt-Lord’s special interest areas are frontier science and impact innovations. He is passionate about the creation of societal impact by applying purpose-driven tech innovations to the world’s biggest challenges and turning them into opportunities for the rising billions.

Olaf Degen has a diploma in microbiology from the Free University of Berlin and an MBA from the Kellogg-WHY Program. He started his career in R&D – development of diagnostic kits plus EU research program coordinator for food authenticity. Later he was head of product management at a German ELISA-test manufacturer. His time in the pharmaceutical industry included some years as head of business development at a clinical CRO and project manager in-licensing of generics. For the last four years, Olaf has been the head of op­erative marketing at BIOTECON Diagnostics, a German PCR-test manufacturer.

Dr. Monika Tönniessen is a chemist by profession with a PhD in organic chem­istry. In 1993, she started working for Henkel AG & Co., KGaA, in the industrial adhesives division, working on the product development of labeling adhesives. Since 2008, she has been part of the product safety department of the adhesive technologies division and deals with customer inquiries. She is an expert on all topics related to food contact. At Henkel, she is the responsible manager for all food contact questions. Monika is a member of the paper and packaging group of the European Adhesive Association (FEICA) and of the technical committee paper/packaging (TKPV) of the German adhesives association IVK.

Salvatore Ranchetti was born in 1962 and he graduated in indus­trial chemistry at the University of Naples (Italy) in 1986. Since then, Salvatore has gained four different professional experiences in quality assur­ance and R&D, working for Unilever, Quaker Oats/Pepsi and Esselunga (big­gest private Italian retailer). Nine years ago, Salvatore moved from the retail business back to the food industry, eventually assuming the position of group quality director at the Ferrero headquarters in Luxembourg. The scope of the position includes food safety as well as food quality for the entire value chain, covering the global business of the Ferrero Group.

George Howlett is an expert on food safety management in Ireland and a co-found­er and CEO of Safefood 360°. He has over 20 years of experience working in the food industry in a variety of roles, including food technologist, manager and con­sultant. In 1999, he established Food Focus, a professional consulting company, specialising in the development of the Irish food sector. To date, he has worked with a significant number of Irish food businesses across all sectors. He has also worked continuously with state agencies, such as Enterprise Ireland, FAS and BIM. George also lectures for master classes on food safety management in the Technical University Dublin, where he works alongside and inspires the next generation of food safety professionals.

Dr. Markus Link joined Bruker BioSpin GmbH in Rheinstetten, Germany, in 2009 as business development manager of applied-NMR solutions in the food and beverage market worldwide and afterwards he became key account manager. He was born in Mannheim, Germany in 1962. He achieved his degree in horti­culture at the University of Applied Sciences in Wiesbaden (1987-90), Germany, and his master’s degree in biology at University Mainz (1990-94), Germany, fol­lowed by his doctorate at Max-Planck-Institute in Ladenburg, Germany, in 1997 (molecular biology and protein biochemistry). Parallel to employment in 2003 he earned a degree in business economics in Kaiserslautern, Germany. Prior to Bruker, Markus worked at Tecan Germany, Hamilton Life Science Robotics (both as territory manager) and Thermo Fisher Scientific (senior sales industrial solu­tions) before he joined Bruker.

Dr. Wolfgang Röcher, Dipl. Biol., has a PhD in biochemistry and he started at Stockhausen GmbH in 1999 as the head of scientific information. After the company’s merger with SC Johnson, he took over responsibilities for scientific communications within SC Johnson professional skincare.