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Moderator Peter Begg, Chief Food Safety & Quality Officer at Lyons Magnus, leads a conversation with senior FSQ leaders from Monogram Foods, Maker’s Pride, and Hy-Vee on the evolving future of food safety leadership. Together, they explore the qualities that will define the next generation of FSQ executives and how leaders can expand their influence to drive stronger, enterprise-wide food safety outcomes.
Continue readingRachel Teoh, VP & Head of Global Food Safety and Regulatory at Beyond Meat, shares how risk-based controls can proactively strengthen food safety across fast-moving operations. She explores how deliberate design, data-driven oversight, and targeted interventions help teams anticipate issues earlier, reduce variability, and build a more resilient, prevention-focused food safety system.
Continue readingKevin Davies, Chief Revenue Officer at Provision, shares how real-time risk scoring is transforming food safety by turning everyday FSQA records into actionable insights. He demonstrates how intuitive digital tools, structured data, and automation help organizations move from reactive audits to proactive, business-specific decision-making—highlighted by real-world results, including dramatic reductions in customer complaints.
Continue readingCatherine Cosby, Director of Food Safety and Regulatory Compliance at Kroger, explores how emerging technologies are reshaping traceability and what FSMA 204 means for the future of food safety and quality assurance. She unpacks the regulation’s key provisions, its impact on global supply chains and partnerships, and how enhanced transparency can strengthen consumer trust in an increasingly safety-focused marketplace.
Continue readingJulie McGill, Vice President of Supply Chain Strategy & Insights at Trustwell; Takashi Nakamura, VP of Corporate R&D and Food Safety at Del Monte Fresh Produce; and Hiba Kakish, Director of Global Food Safety & Quality Assurance at Little Caesars, share a clear, practical overview of FSMA 204 requirements. They outline the essential building blocks for a strong traceability foundation—from key data practices and accuracy management to regulatory alignment and end-to-end supply chain visibility.
Continue readingPaul Bradley, Senior Director of Product Marketing at TraceGains, shares how food and beverage brands can drive real ROI from AI by cutting through the hype and focusing on practical, applied value. He outlines where the industry truly stands in AI adoption, how to set measurable goals, manage risks like data security and hallucinations, and evaluate the right partnerships to future-proof your AI investment.
Continue readingKevin Davies, Chief Revenue Officer at Provision, shares how real-time risk scoring transforms food safety from a reactive audit exercise into a proactive, data-driven strategy. Through practical tools, automation, and real-world case studies—including an 82% complaint reduction—he shows how teams can turn everyday FSQA records into insights that drive alignment, continuous improvement, and smarter decision-making.
Continue readingJulie McGill, Vice President of Supply Chain Strategy & Insights at Trustwell; Takashi Nakamura, VP of Corporate R&D and Food Safety at Del Monte Fresh Produce; and Hiba Kakish, Director of Global Food Safety & Quality Assurance at Little Caesars, share how to build a strong foundation for FSMA 204 compliance. They outline the essential building blocks for traceability, from implementing key data practices and ensuring accuracy to aligning with regulations and strengthening end-to-end supply chain visibility.
Continue readingPaul Bradley, Senior Director of Product Marketing at TraceGains, shares how food and beverage brands can drive real ROI from their AI investments by separating hype from substance. He explores where the industry stands in AI adoption, how to set measurable goals, manage risks like data security and hallucinations, and evaluate partnerships to future-proof your AI strategy.
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Liz Duffy is a seasoned compliance and food safety leader with more than 20 years of experience leading teams to develop and implement comprehensive compliance programs that prioritize food safety and ethical business practices.
Liz began her career at Walmart in 2006 and now serves as Vice President, Global Food Safety & Compliance for the Fortune 1 retailer. In this role, Liz leads the team that supports Walmart’s approach that enables an end-to-end food safety and compliance program and culture. Liz recently transitioned from her previous role as Vice President, Global Omnichannel and eCommerce Compliance at Walmart, where she was responsible for compliance strategy, controls, and continuous improvement processes for the company’s eCommerce, Walmart Business, and Online Pickup and Delivery business offerings.
Liz’s passion lies with food safety, having started her career at Walmart as a Food Safety Manager for Walmart U.S. Stores and Sam’s Clubs. Throughout her nearly two-decade tenure at Walmart, Liz served in a wide variety of compliance roles supporting food safety program development, recall execution, store operations, eCommerce, and omnichannel compliance program acceleration.
Prior to joining Walmart, Liz worked at Cargill Value Added Meats where she supported role in Quality Assurance at a poultry processing facility in Arkansas.
A graduate from the University of Arkansas, Liz holds a Bachelor of Science and an MBA with a focus on Leadership and Ethics. Liz and her family reside in Northwest Arkansas. On the weekends you can find her spending time with her family and her horse.
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Mahir is a Master in Chemical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and currently is a Vice President at PepsiCo leading Global FSQA (Food Safety and Quality Assurance) Organization based in New York.
Mahir has four years of work experience in Unilever, India and then 28+ years of experience with PepsiCo. He has worked in Supply chain operations, EHS (Environment , Health and Safety) , R&D, Digitization and most of all in Food Safety and Quality Assurance across three continents – India, Dubai and USA. He is currently responsible for formulating and implementing strategic plans for all Food Safety and Quality initiatives across the entire product portfolio ( Snacks, beverages, Dairy, Bread and meat snacks in over 1300 company-owned and third-party manufacturing sites around the globe.
With deep-rooted knowledge across product categories and differing regulatory and cultural environments, he plays a pivotal role in establishing rigorous standards and systems. He has shared countless lessons learned during his career. His innovative approaches ensure that PepsiCo consistently delivers products that not only meet stringent safety guidelines but also resonate with consumer expectations and satisfaction. Under Mahir’s guidance, the company’s commitment to food safety, quality assurance, compliance, and consumer trust remains unparalleled.
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Jorge Hernandez is the Vice President of Quality Assurance for the Wendy’s Company. As such, he is responsible for the design, implementation and leadership of the Food Safety, Quality Assurance and Regulatory Compliance Programs that impact suppliers, distribution centers and 7,250 restaurants in 33 Countries.
Previously, Jorge was the Chief Food Safety Officer at Wholesome International; he also served as the Sr. VP of Food Safety and Quality Assurance at US Foods Foodservice Distributor; and the VP of Food Safety and Risk Management at the National Restaurant Association.
Jorge has Degrees in Biology from Rockford University, Microbiology from the Centro de Estudios Medico-Biologicos in Mexico City, Mexico, Languages and Literature from la Universite de la Sorbonne, Paris, France and Executive Leadership from the Said School of Business at Oxford University in Oxford, England.
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In his role as the Vice President of Corporate Food Technology and Regulatory Compliance for The Kroger Company, Cincinnati, OH. Howard has the overall strategic responsibility and direction for food safety, quality assurance and product development for the entire Kroger company, this includes approximately 2500 retail stores, 42 Warehouses, and Kroger’s 32 own manufacturing facilities – Dairy, Bakery, Pet Food and Grocery plants. Prior to joining Kroger, he led product integrity and regulatory compliance functions as Vice President at Topco Associates – a private label procurement company in Elk Grove Village, IL.
Howard is the co-chair of the steering committee of global food safety initiative (GFSI), he has over 25 years of experience in the food industry with 18 of those in executive leadership roles, he started his career with the United Nations and he has had the opportunity to work at several food companies and in progressive food safety and quality functions including US Foods, Nestle, Kraft and Darigold, Howard is a food microbiologist by training and has advanced degrees in Integrated supply chain management from Michigan State University.
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Mark Moorman is the Senior Science Advisor to Human Foods Program leadership at the Food and Drug Administration. In this role Mark drives prevention efforts with stakeholders to assure the safety of our food supply. Mark previously was the Office Director for the Office of Food Safety and prior to joining the FDA, Mark was the Senior Director of Global Scientific & Regulatory Affairs for the Kellogg Company. Prior to joining the Kellogg Company in 1998, Mark spent 10 years with Silliker Laboratories as the Technical Director of Microbiology. Mark has his undergraduate and Ph.D. degrees from Michigan State University in Microbiology and Food Science.
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Explore strategies for attracting, developing, and retaining the next generation of female professionals in food safety and quality, essential for current and future success
Examine the unique obstacles women face in the food safety and quality sector and identify opportunities for professional growth and leadership advancement
Develop impactful strategies to foster organizational growth while nurturing a diverse and inclusive workforce
Share examples of successful mentorship initiatives, including onboarding, cross-training, job shadowing, and continuing education, that support and advance women’s careers in food safety and quality
A recognized expert in food safety and quality, Catherine vigorously pursues quality systems excellence across the supply chain. Catherine is an experienced leader in Food Safety, Quality Systems, Quality Programs, and Laboratory Management. She builds followership and high performing cross-functional teams, finds effective solutions to continuously keep food safety and quality food manufacturing and delivery top of mind for all stakeholders, and inspires teams to strive for top tier execution.
Currently, Catherine is Vice President of Quality, Safety, Health and Environment at Sabra, America’s most iconic and beloved hummus. At Sabra, Catherine enabled an end-to-end transformation in food production and delivery, intensifying and expanding a culture of people and food safety across the organization and developing a best-in-class food safety and quality program.
Prior to joining Sabra, Catherine worked at Dairy Farmers of America and Kerry in food safety, quality systems and quality control innovation. Catherine holds a Bachelor of Sciences degrees in biotechnology and food science and a Master of Science degree in food microbiology from Oklahoma State University.
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Overview of the current industry of food quality, regulatory and safety ecosystem and the interplay and evolution of regulatory frameworks, and consumers wants and needs
The alignment of quality standards and the strategies employed to ensure consistent quality standards across various in house and purchase brands
Exploring how to work closely with external suppliers to align their practices with our company’s stringent quality requirements
Examining the role of technology, collaboration and education in the quality assurance and food safety systems of the future
