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Food Safety Live 2019 Conference Speakers

Amanda Evans-Lara

Food Safety Compliance Specialist, HACCP Mentor
HACCP Mentor is a food safety compliance and education consultancy serving food businesses worldwide. The business was founded with one simple objective – to make food compliance easy. We do this by helping to educate food handlers, food businesses and the food industry in food safety and food quality compliance requirements. Principle food safety consultant and Compliance Specialist, Amanda Evans-Lara, has over 25 years experience working with Australian and International food businesses. A strong platform of skill and knowledge has been built after initially working for 7 years as a Food Inspector for the NSW government and for the past 18 years, as a food safety auditor, educator and compliance consultant. With food compliance, food labelling and education a specialty, assistance is provided to food manufacturers to keep up-to-date with legal and business requirements along with mentoring other food safety professionals through the www.haccpmentor.com online platform.

Peg Ray

Manager, Technical Services, AIB International
Peg Ray joined AIB International in 1989 and has played a part in the company’s inspecting, training, writing and assessing programs, procedures, and facility operations. Her current role is Technical Services Manager, Product Development. Prior to joining AIB International, Peg worked in the food industry as manager in the fields of sanitation, quality and operations. Ms. Ray holds a BS in Food Science from Michigan State University.

Dr Kantha Channaiah

Director of Microbiology, AIB International
Dr. Kantha Channaiah PhD is the Director of Microbiology for AIB International. He has held this position since 2013, with primary duties related to designing & executing kill-step validation research projects, teaching and offering training for microbiology seminars, providing environmental monitoring program consulting services, and generally assisting AIB Food Safety Services for all microbiology-related queries. Prior to joining AIB, Kantha served as Postdoctoral Research Associate, instructor, consultant, and manager of Microbiology and Toxicology Research Laboratory at Kansas State University. His previous industry experience includes working as a scientific officer in a beer manufacturing plant, and as a senior research fellow in molecular microbiology and biotechnology fields. Kantha’s work is informed by more than fifteen years of related experience in the fields of microbiology and biotechnology, food and beverage industries, research and development, academics, designing and establishing labs, supervising, teaching, training, HACCP, GMPs, regulatory compliance, post-harvest grain storage, handling pathogenic bacteria, molds, mycotoxins, technology development, environmental monitoring, kill step validation, and consulting. In addition to his work with AIB International, Kantha currently serves as adjunct faculty at Kansas State University.

Earl Arnold

Manager, QA Food Defense and FSMA, AIB International
Earl Arnold is a food defense and FSMA Manager for AIB International. He has held this position since 2016. He joined AIB in 2014 as a food defense Subject Matter Expert. Prior to coming to AIB, Earl had a fifteen-year military career with the US Army as a food inspection manager. In that role, Earl trained and supervised more than 500 individuals in food security operations, food safety, sanitation, quality control, and risk management. Earl serves as the lead instructor for AIB’s food defense seminars, writes and presents on food defense issues, and has completed training for HACCP, FSMA, and food safety and sanitation.

Robert Rogers

Senior Advisor Food Safety & Regulation, Mettler-Toledo Product Inspection Division
During Robert's 23 years of experience of various commercial and technical roles within METTLER TOLEDO he has facilitated customer's development of food safety programs around METTLER TOLEDO technology. In this strategic role, Robert provides clients with expertise in the fields of current regulation and compliance within the food industry as they relate to product inspection solutions. Robert has provided consultative services to clients which have delivered value in their systems suitability and efficiency. His consultation has covered areas such as process capabilities, validation and verification, maximize efficiencies through proper system identification and placement, all within the scope of customer's limitations and resources.

Brett Gray

Digital Transformation Manager, DNV GL – Business Assurance
Brett Gray is a digital problem solver who works on the business side of technology. As the Digital Transformation Manager for DNV GL Business Assurance, He has played a pivotal role in leading discussions and pilot programs using blockchain. Throughout his career as a digital transformation consultant, Brett has worked with fortune 500 companies developing industry-specific strategy and implementing transformative technology into core function areas like supply chain management, sales enablement, customer experience and more.

Patrick Bele

Technical Services Director, Mérieux NutriSciences
Patrick Bèle has more than 20 years’ experience in the field of audit, consulting & education for the food industry. He held various positions at Bureau Veritas including auditing against many standards, managing a team and also corporate roles. Since 2015, he is responsible for auditing & education services in Europe for Mérieux NutriSciences. He spent 3 years in the USA performing audits and developing the business. He is an FSPCA (Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance) Lead Instructor for PCHF (Preventive Controls Human Food).

Dr. Douglas L. Marshall

Chief Scientific Officer, Eurofins Food Safety Systems
Dr. Douglas L. Marshall is the cofounder and Chief Scientific Officer at Eurofins Microbiology Laboratories, Inc. with responsibility for business development, R&D, and operational excellence. Prior to forming EML his former positions include Associate Dean and Professor of Public Health, College of Natural and Health Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, Adjunct Professor with the Colorado School of Public Health, Professor of Food Science, Nutrition, and Health Promotion at Mississippi State University, Assistant Professor of Food Science at Louisiana State University, Contributing Editor for the peer-reviewed scientific journal Food Microbiology, and four consecutive terms on the editorial board of the Journal of Food Protection. He is a frequently invited speaker and a prolific book chapter writer.

Dr. Marshall is an industry thought leader, a champion of all Eurofins business lines, a developer of marketing initiatives and marketing/sales collateral, a mentor to sales and BU leaders, and an operations mentor to ensure delivery of industry-leading testing and consulting services.

Dr. Brita Ball

CEO, Advancing Food Safety Culture, Brita Ball & Associates
Brita Ball, PhD, helps improve food safety compliance and culture through coaching, training and consulting. She is a food safety specialist and accomplished facilitator and trainer. Her experience includes production, processing, inspection and auditing. Dr. Ball holds graduate degrees in food science and in adult learning and leadership. She has her own company that focuses on food safety culture, leadership development, employee engagement and behaviour change. Dr. Ball is past-Chair of the Food Safety Education PDG at the International Association for Food Protection and has been a faculty advisor for food safety graduate students at Michigan State University.

Maria Sandoval

Microbiologist, Trace Analytics LLC
Maria Sandoval has over 15 years of experience in Microbiology and Molecular Biology. Her field work includes analyzing extremophiles isolated from the depths of Lake Baikal in Russia to the 50km exclusion zone of Chernobyl. Additionally, she’s worked alongside the CDC with DSHS analyzing and diagnosing patient microflora. Her tenure with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Department of State Health Services and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has made her a leading expert in microbial testing. As Trace Analytics’ Microbiologist and Lab Director, she is responsible for microbial testing and procedural development.

Vladimir Surcinski

Food Safety Expert, Auditor and Trainer, IFSQN
Food Safety expert with more than 10 years in food safety topics and implementation, training and auditing business. Food safety standards are my focus, still strongly included in standards for quality, environmental protection and health and safety. Currently on position of project manager for certification body of Quality Austria were i am also accredited auditor and trainer with more than 500 audits performed in different industries and more than 1000 persons trained. I have a vision of finding a new ways to analyse risks in food safety and defining of methods that will be used in industries cross the world. My strategy is to develop and research new topics in food safety,presenting them through the webinars,training's, forums,blogging and publications.

Chris Domenico

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

Dr. David Rosenblatt

Director of Training, Sher Consulting & Training
B.Sc. Biology: Israel Institute of Technology - 1989. D.V.M.: Hebrew University - 1993. 1993-2002 - Unilever Israel - company veterinarian and Safety, Health, Environment & QA Manager. 2002-2005 - Standards Institution of Israel - head of the Food Sector and senior educator. Lead auditor for numerous international standards. 2005-Present -Sher Consulting and Training – Co-owner and Director of Training. 1994-present – Senior lecturer at the Koret School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Rosenblatt has extensive lecturing experience in numerous conferences and workshops on food and petfood safety and quality management. He is regularly invited to lecture in different countries. Member of the International Association for Food Protection.

Tony Connor

Chief Technical Advisor, IFSQN
A graduate of Durham University, Tony began his career in 1988 with the UK’s leading dairy foods company, he has extensive experience of working with major food retailers and some of the world’s leading food companies. Tony became a qualified Quality Management System Lead Auditor in 1994 and has been writing extensive Food Safety Management Systems for 20 years. Tony has a wealth of management experience and practical use of Food Safety & Quality Management Systems in the food industry. His management roles have included, Laboratory Manager, Quality Assurance Manager, Production Manager, Processing Manager, Technical Manager, Technical Development Manager and Group Technical Manager. He has a broad knowledge of departments that operate within a food company which is highly valuable when documenting policies and procedures relating to those activities. Not only this but practical knowledge of how to implement systems means that a better understanding of company requirements is passed on to each and every employee. Tony provides expert food safety support to the IFSQN website and has written an extensive range of Food Safety Manuals that meet the requirements of GFSI benchmarked standards including BRC, SQF, IFS, FSSC 22000 and ISO 22000.