Award-winning journalist and producer Peter Bergen is one of the nation’s foremost authorities on foreign policy, national security, and the new generation of terrorism that threatens the West and its economic interests. CNN’s national security analyst, he is one of the few people to interview Osama bin Laden face-to-face and the best-selling and award-winning author of five books. His latest is United States of Jihad: Investigating America’s Homegrown Terrorists, following up his New York Times best-seller Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for Bin Laden – From 9/11 to Abbottabad. It was named one of the “Best Non-Fiction Books of 2012” by the Washington Post and made into an Emmy-winning HBO documentary. He is writing a new book about the Trump administration’s national security team and the policies they are implementing.

When Bergen reports on national security, Congress, the White House, and those who need to be “in-the-know” sit up and listen. He has traveled repeatedly to the Middle East and South Asia and testified before multiple congressional committees about national security and terrorism-related issues. He is heavily connected in the geopolitical world, having interviewed senior While House officials, Congressmen, Navy SEAL operators, senior officers around the world, and more. Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities, Inc. speakers bureau, Bergen offers audiences a straight-from-the-source, insider’s perspective our nation’s growing geopolitical challenges and how they have the potential to affect American business.

Best-Selling Books and Writing. In addition to United States of Jihad and Manhunt, Bergen is also the author of New York Times best-seller The Longest War: The Enduring Conflict between America and Al-Qaeda (2011), which was called “one of the most important accounts on the subject to appear in years” by the New York Times. He also wrote the New York Times best-seller Holy War, Inc. and The Osama bin Laden I Know, both of which were named one of the best non-fiction books of the year by the Washington Post and turned into Emmy-nominated documentaries.

Bergen has written on national security issues for the New York Times, the Washington Post, TIME, and many, many other domestic and international publications. He is a contributing editor at Foreign Policy and writes a weekly column for CNN.com. He has also worked as a correspondent or producer for several documentaries that have aired on National Geographic, Discovery, and CNN.

National Security Expertise. Bergen is Vice President of Global Studies & Fellows at New America in Washington, DC, and is a research fellow at Fordham University’s Center on National Security. He is a professor of practice at Arizona State University’s School of Politics and Global Studies and has held teaching positions at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. He is also on the editorial board of Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, a leading scholarly journal in the field.

Michael Dykes, D.V.M., a long-time government affairs strategist, agricultural policy expert, and veterinarian, became president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association in January 2017. In this role, he represents members that make more than 85 percent of the milk, cultured products, cheese, ice cream and frozen desserts produced and marketed in the United States.

Since joining IDFA, Dykes has been a strong advocate for the importance of global competitiveness to the future of the U.S. dairy industry. He has made preserving trade partnerships with Mexico and improving Canadian market access for U.S. dairy exports in all future trade agreements a priority for IDFA.

Prior to assuming his role at IDFA, Dykes served as vice president of government affairs for Monsanto, where he was responsible for developing and implementing a portfolio of U.S. government relations strategies and programs that included agricultural biotechnology policy. He led Monsanto's office in Washington, D.C., and served as the company's primary point of contact for elected officials, regulatory authorities, U.S. farm organizations, key industry participants, trade associations, international organizations and embassies. He directed the company's efforts in state and local government affairs, in addition to government affairs in Mexico and Canada.

Dykes is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the National Academy of Practitioners. He has served on the Farmhouse Fraternity board for 3+ years. He is also a member of the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee (APAC) and has served on the USDA Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture (AC21).

Dykes grew up on a small dairy and tobacco farm in Kentucky. He earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Auburn University. He also attended the University of Kentucky where he received a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics and a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science.

As a senior policy advisor, security professional, and leadership consultant, Jeff Eggers leverages 20+ years of experience managing strategic efforts and leading high-stakes, high-performing teams during his time with the White House, Department of Defense, and the U.S. Navy.

White House Commissioned Officer. A former Special Assistant to the President for National Security affairs for President Obama, Eggers was responsible for oversight of critical and sensitive aspects of U.S. foreign and national security policy. Six years of White House experience, to include four years as the National Security Council’s Senior Director for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Credited with the mediation and resolution of the 2014 Afghan presidential electoral crisis, Eggers facilitated a political agreement which resulted in a unity government and peaceful inauguration. As a result, he was presented with the Samuel Nelson Drew Award by President Obama for “Distinguished Contribution in Pursuit of Global Peace.”

Organizational Performance Expert. A researcher in behavioral science and consultant on leadership and organizational performance, Jeff now leads McChrystal Group’s Leadership Institute, managing engagements with Fortune 500 clients requiring assistance with organizational performance, leader-development and culture shaping. Prior to joining McChrystal Group, Jeff worked with a diverse mix of clients across varying industries, to include an NBA franchise where he helped with leader succession planning. He has taught courses in change management, leadership, and public policy for organizations such as U.S. intelligence agencies, the Foreign Service Institute, and the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He is also an Adjunct Senior Analyst for the RAND Corporation, where he recently completed a study on “Adaptability in Large Organizations” for the U.S. Air Force.

Special Operations Background. Jeff retired from the U.S. Navy following a successful 20 year career as a U.S. Navy SEAL with extensive operational and combat leadership experience. Jeff’s operational tours included several SEAL Teams, commander of the Special Operations Task Unit in western Iraq, and Operations Officer and Mission Commander for the U.S. Navy’s undersea special operations command. Jeff also served as a strategic advisor on national security matters, to include the mid-2013 change of mission in Afghanistan, enabling an end to the U.S. combat mission and shifting emphasis to Afghan security forces. He also shepherded the negotiation and signing of the U.S.-Afghanistan Strategy Partnership Agreements and served as a Strategic Advisor to General Stanley McChrystal, Commander of NATO ISAF—a broad coalition of over 100,000 U.S. and parent national personnel assisting the Government of Afghanistan to promote sustainable security.

Nonprofits and Boards. Jeff is a Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation, conducting research on the intersection of behavioral science, organizational design, and complexity toward novel solutions that revitalize American prosperity through mitigation of cognitive error and more rational U.S. policy-making. In this role he has served as an expert witness to the Senate Armed Services Committee. He is also a member of the NationSwell Council, a forum for advancing innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges in America. Finally, Jeff is a board member of the Special Operations Fund, non-profit that cares for and assists the families of special operations veterans killed in action.

Accomplished Publisher. Eggers has published in esteemed academic journals and media outlets such as Fortune, Foreign Policy, Politico, U.S. News and World Report, amongst others. His most recent publication, “Forget Technology. The Real Military Edge Comes from Promoting Smart People” was featured in Defense One.

Speaking Topics:

1. Leadership for the 21st Century
2. Humility, Purpose and the Myth of Heroic Leadership
3. Leading Innovation
4. The Behavioral Science of Organizational Performance

Marci Rossell electrifies audiences nationwide, speaking on the nexus of economics, politics, culture and the media. Her animated style was honed when she served as the popular, lively Chief Economist for CNBC in the months immediately following September 11th. She takes complex economic issues, often dull in the button-down business press, and makes them relevant to people's lives, families and careers.

Prior to her career in broadcast journalism, Marci served as Corporate Economist and Investment Spokesperson for OppenheimerFunds, one of the nation's largest mutual fund companies.

Before moving to Wall Street, she was an expert witness for Deloitte and Touche in court cases involving economic issues. Marci began her career as an economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

Marci earned a PhD in Economics from Southern Methodist University, where she was named one of the Young Alumni of the Year in 2002. She brings a world of experience--from Main Street to Wall Street--when discussing the U.S. economy, international events and movements in capital markets. Her creative, thought-provoking commentary will ring in the audience members' ears well after she leaves the stage.

Founder & Group CEO of Karrikins Group, Peter Sheahan is internationally known for his innovative business thinking and thought leadership. With over 120 staff, in 24 cities, across nine countries, Sheahan knows firsthand the challenges of growing a business in the rapidly-changing marketplace.

Peter, and his firm Karrikins Group, have worked with some of the world’s leading brands, including Apple, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, Hyundai, IBM, Pfizer, Wells Fargo, and Cardinal Health. He is the author of seven books including business best-sellers Flip, Generation Y, Making it Happen, and Matter.

Peter has delivered more than 2,500 presentations to over 500,000 people in 20 different countries. He has been named one of the 25 Most Influential Speakers in the World by the National Speakers Association and is the youngest person ever to be inducted into their industry Hall of Fame.

Soubra serves as a strategist, consultant and director of the association’s initiatives based on the priorities of the president and CEO, Michael Dykes, D.V.M. Soubra manages day-to-day operation of the executive office facilitating collaboration and inclusiveness across the organization to accomplish strategic goals. Soubra serves as the executive office liaison with IDFA members and members of the IDFA governance structure. She also handles IDFA program development and execution, including the annual Dairy Forum, the summer internship program, and managed the successful implementation of IDFA’s new governance structure.

A graduate of George Mason University, Soubra earned her degree in intercultural communication. She also is a graduate of The Protocol School of Washington where she earned certification in corporate etiquette and international protocol. She is fluent in Arabic.

Hamdi Ulukaya is a Turkish immigrant who turned a business dream into a billion-dollar enterprise in a few short years. Along the way, he helped to make Greek yogurt a household word and opted to share his business success with Chobani’s employees, many of them immigrants like himself. Chobani has been a shining example of how thinking differently and showing compassion for others can lead to success and profitability. He’ll share his perspectives on leadership, innovation, corporate culture and what he does every day to keep Chobani and his employees on a path for excellence.

David Portalatin is The NPD Group’s national analyst on all aspects of food and beverage consumption in- and away-from-home. In his role as vice president, food industry advisor, Portalatin provides information, insights, and analysis on how U.S. consumers eat and drink, their attitudes and motivations, diet and nutrition, snacking, personal characteristics, and their usage of restaurants and other foodservice outlets. He works closely with food manufacturers and retailers; foodservice distributors, manufacturers, and operators; and media outlets in providing strategic business insights into current and future eating patterns in America.

Portalatin’s diverse background and experience gives him an in-depth understanding of consumer behavior and purchase patterns. Prior to his current role, he was NPD’s industry analyst in the automotive aftermarket, motor fuels, and convenience retailing industries. Portalatin held various positions in petroleum marketing, convenience retailing, and foodservice wholesale distribution before joining NPD in 1999.

He is a frequent featured speaker at food industry events and corporate conferences/meetings with distributors, manufacturers, and retailers. Portalatin also serves as a media source for a wide variety articles on food and beverage consumption trends and how these trends impact the food industry. His comments have appeared in USA Today, CNBC, Associated Press, Los Angeles Times and other nationally-recognized media outlets.

Sandy Chen is a Senior Industry Analyst, RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness of Rabobank, based in Shanghai, China, covering Chinese dairy industry. Sandy joined the bank in February 2013. Sandy provides research, market intelligence and strategic business advice to Rabobank’s local and global corporate clients through working closely with the bank’s product teams. Sandy has 20 years of experience in investment research and industry research, having previously worked with Citigroup Global Markets Asia, ING Barings Shanghai and Jardine Fleming Securities Shanghai. Sandy has a Master’s Degree in English and a Bachelor’s Degree in Management from Shanghai International Studies University. Sandy is also a CFA Charterholder.

Stanley Ryan is President and CEO of Darigold, a global dairy ingredient and consumer products cooperative based in Seattle, Wash. Prior to joining Darigold in February 2016, Ryan served as the interim Chief Executive Officer of Eagle Bulk Shipping (Nasdaq: EGLE) based in New York City.

Ryan brings 25 years of international leadership experience from Cargill, Inc., where he served in a number of executive and general management roles. From 2011 to 2014, he was a Corporate Platform Leader responsible for co-leading all of Cargill’s global agricultural supply chain businesses (soft commodities), based in Shanghai, China. In 2010, he was President/Managing Director for Cargill Food Ingredients Australia/New Zealand in Sydney, Australia. From 2006 to 2010, Ryan was the President/Managing Director of Cargill Refined Oils Europe based in Schiedam, The Netherlands. From 1999 until 2006, he was stationed in Minneapolis, Minn., as President of Cargill’s North American Dressings, Sauces and Oils business. In 1998, Ryan was General Manager of Cargill’s Brazil Refined Oils in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Between1992 and 1997, he served as General Manager for Cargill’s Venezuela Refined Oils business in Caracas, Venezuela, and for Oilseeds Processing in Sidney, Ohio.

Ryan joined Cargill in 1989 at its global headquarters in Minneapolis, Minn., and worked in the Strategy and Business Development function until 1992.

He earned two master’s degrees from the University of Chicago in 1989 – an MA in international relations and MBA.

He received his bachelor's degree in economics and computer applications from the University of Notre Dame in 1984. Ryan resides in Seattle with his wife and daughter.

Tom retired from the U.S. Dairy Export Council in 2017 after 21 years as its first president, where he guided dairy’s export growth from 3% of total U.S. milk solids production to 15%. Representing U.S. farmers and processors, his executive responsibilities included strategic planning, marketing, trade and regulatory policies, and issues/crisis management. He was staff lead for Globalization at the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, whose strategic plan by Bain & Co. galvanized industry efforts to become a more consistent export supplier.

Suber served on numerous boards including the Dairy Research Institute, U.S. Agricultural and Export Development Council, two U.S. government policy advisory committees (APAC and ATAC), and the Food & Agricultural Export Alliance.

Currently, he is the principal of Suber Global LLC, a strategic trade consulting firm, and on the board of Great Lakes Cheese Company.

Tom has a Master’s of Foreign Service from Georgetown University's and a Bachelor’s in history and Asian studies from Colorado State University. He lives in Washington, DC with his wife, Cary, and has two grown sons.

Dr. Mekala Krishnan is senior fellow at the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), McKinsey’s business and economics research arm, based in Boston, MA.

Her research focuses on various topics related to inclusive growth and economic development, including globalization, productivity growth in advanced economies, climate risk, and women’s role in labor markets. Her most recent research has focused on the future of globalization including the evolution of global value chains, prospects for emerging markets, and the impact of services trade, intangible assets, and digital globalization on value chains. Mekala is a frequent speaker on these topics at global conferences as well as with executives at Fortune 500 companies. She has authored numerous articles and her work has been cited in leading business publications, including The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and Harvard Business Review.

Mekala is a member of a task force at the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy at Brookings focused on improving productivity measurement, on a taskforce supporting Queen Maxima of the Netherlands in her capacity as the UN Secretary General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development, serves on an advisory board for the Sibley School of Mechanical Engineering at Cornell University, and serves on the board of the Global Fund for Women, a leading public foundation dedicated to improving global gender equality.

Mekala received her Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University in 2011. Prior to Cornell, she received a Bachelor of Technology degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2006 from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi.

Irina is one of the leaders in IT transformation and infrastructure for McKinsey. Drawing on deep expertise in next-generation infrastructure, cloud computing, and digital enablement, Irina advises both companies that are using and companies that are developing these IT products and services to enhance innovation and productivity. Her primary focus is on the technology, healthcare, and consumer industries. Examples of her recent work include the following:

•  working with a global technology company to develop a long-term IT strategy to cut costs, improve effectiveness, and transition to a next-generation IT infrastructure

•  helping a large healthcare provider to develop its infrastructure demand and capacity-management capabilities, as well as optimize its data-center strategy and cloud adoption

•  implementing lean IT principles to boost performance for a large industrial IT organization, resulting in a 25 to 30 percent gain in productivity

•  developing a cloud strategy for a large financial-services company and helping put it into practice, including developing a new operating model to provide more flexible services and reduce cost

Irina is an active contributor to McKinsey's research, including leading McKinsey's enterprise cloud-infrastructure survey that studies trends in enterprise cloud adoption. She is also one of the authors of McKinsey's 2017 Women in the Workplace research, in partnership with LeanIn.Org and the Wall Street Journal. This research series aims to identify gaps in female leadership and proposes actionable steps toward a more equitable workplace.

Roberto Uchoa is a senior partner at McKinsey & Company in the Chicago office. Roberto leads McKinsey’s Agriculture Practice globally and our consumer operations work in North America. As an advisor to agricultural and food and nutrition companies, Roberto brings on-the-ground experience in the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, and Western Europe to help global agricultural, consumer, and retail companies as they pursue growth, integrate acquisitions, and drive improvements in organizational performance and health.

Since joining McKinsey in 1997, Roberto has built extensive expertise designing growth strategies and delivering performance improvements across commercial and supply-chain operations. Working with companies across the globe, he has led efforts to assess value-chain vulnerabilities and growth opportunities in the dairy, protein, row-crops, oilseeds, and starch and sweeteners sectors. Roberto also supports complex post-merger situations, defining integration approaches and ramping up value-capture teams.

Roberto earned his B.S. in Electronic Engineering from Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica in Brazil and an M.B.A. from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

Ludovic Meilhac is a procurement and supply management expert partner at McKinsey & Company in the Stamford office. He co-leads the McKinsey Food Institute and is a core member of McKinsey’s Consumer Operations practice. Ludovic has over 25 years of experience in procurement and sourcing globally and helps both companies and national governments develop world sourcing strategies and design manufacturing solutions for milk and dairy ingredients. Among other work, Ludovic has helped shape the 2020 vision for French milk and fruit procurement, design solutions for oversupply of local fluid milk in China, and optimize COGS on dairy and flavor for an ice cream manufacturer.

Prior to McKinsey, Ludovic spent 13 years at Danone sourcing all fluids and dairy ingredients for North America, while also serving as a board member on the Quebec Dairy Council. He also spent 5 years at Coca Cola/Glaceau in manufacturing and sourcing. Ludovic earned his Master’s in Automation from Ecole Nationale Superieure des Mines de Paris in France and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania.

Christina Adams is a leader in McKinsey & Company’s consumer goods practice, with deep experience across commercial optimization, growth strategy, and optimizing portfolio and network complexity. She regularly looks at topics relating to how food and beverage consumer goods companies can adapt and grow in the changing consumer and retail landscape.

Christina started her career at Procter & Gamble working in brand management in Cincinnati, Ohio. Christina earned both her B.A. and M.B.A. from Harvard University. She is a native Oklahoman.

Dan Zagzebski is the President and CEO of Great Lakes Cheese, a natural and processed cheese manufacturer and packager. Dan has been with Great Lakes Cheese for 15 years, serving as President and CEO since 2015. He is an industry veteran with more than 25 years of experience. His focus on infrastructure and innovation has enabled the company to be a leader in cheese packaging and manufacturing in the United States.

Prior to his current role as President and CEO, Dan held various positions of increasing responsibility, including Chief Operations Officer and Vice President of Sales and Product Development. Dan joined the company when Great Lakes Cheese purchased Lemke Cheese and Packaging in Wausau, Wisconsin, where he was co-owner and CEO.

He earned an MBA from University of Notre Dame and a BS in Business Administration from University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. Dan enjoys traveling, sports, and spending time in nature. He and his wife, Dana, have three children and a beloved two-year-old granddaughter.

Thierry Clement is CEO of Lactalis North America and Chairman of Lactalis American Group, both part of the largest dairy company in the world, Lactalis Group.

In his role, Thierry is responsible for all Lactalis Group operations within the US and Canada, supporting brands which include, but are not limited to, Galbani®, Président®, Parmalat®, Black Diamond®, Cracker Barrel®, Stonyfield®, siggi’s®, and Karoun®.

Thierry has spent a majority of his 30-year career in the food industry, first with Nestle and then joining Lactalis, where he has held various positions including Factory Manager, Technical Manager, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, and President before moving into his current role. He leads a team of 5,500 people within his zone and is responsible for nearly 20% of Lactalis Group’s annual revenue.

Thierry is a native of France and father of three. He currently resides with his wife near the Lactalis American Group headquarters in Buffalo, NY.

Ron became Schreiber's eighth President and Chief Executive Officer on Sept. 29, 2019.

Ron has spent more than 35 years in the dairy industry with senior executive roles in operations and sales. He joined Schreiber in 1996 and was elected to the Board of Directors in 2003.

In the community, Ron has been closely involved with CP Center of Northeast Wisconsin. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Mentors International and Utah State University Center for Entrepreneurship. In the dairy industry, Ron served on the Board for International Dairy Foods Association and as Chairman of the National Cheese Institute.

Ron and his wife, Dana, have two married sons and are the proud grandparents of three. Away from work, you will find Ron in the mountains skiing, trekking or biking.

Mariano Lozano is President & CEO of Danone North America, a public benefit corporation. Prior to this he served as President and CEO of The Dannon Company. From March 2009 to December 2013, he was General Manager of DANONE Brazil. He started his career in various sales functions at Cerveceria y Malteria Quilmes, a leader of the Argentinean beer market, and was then appointed Sales Director of Pillsbury Argentina. He joined DANONE in March 2000 as General Manager of Logistica La Serenisima, the company in charge of sales and distribution for DANONE and La Serenisima products in Argentina. From 2004 to 2006 he was General Manager of DANONE Slovakia and from January 2006 to May 2009 General Manager of DANONE Clover (Pty) in South Africa. Mariano is an Argentinean citizen and holds an Industrial Engineer Diploma from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and children.

Jerry serves as the Chief Operating Officer for Land O’Lakes, Inc. In this role, Jerry leads efforts across the organization to develop, implement and monitor growth strategies and platforms consistent with the collective vision for Land O’Lakes. In addition to continuing to have oversight for the international businesses in South Africa, Kenya, China and Canada, Jerry also has overall responsibility for SUSTAIN, Crop Nutrients, International Development, Fuel for Growth, Ecommerce and Corporate Strategy.

Jerry comes to the COO role after serving as executive vice president and chief operating officer of International. Prior to that, he was the executive vice president and chief operating officer of the total Dairy Foods Business/Retail and foodservice divisions, in addition to, Global Dairy Ingredients. Jerry joined Land O'Lakes in 2007. Before joining Land O’Lakes, he served as a vice president and general manager at General Mills, where he held various leadership positions in the retail and business-to-business segments. He also served as president and chief operating officer at Sparboe Foods. Jerry holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

A graduate of Concordia University with a B.A. in Political Science, Lino A. Saputo, Jr. joined Saputo in 1988 as an Administrative Assistant. Over the next few years, he started rising through the ranks, managing a plant in Ontario and holding various administrative and marketing positions. In 1993, he became Vice President, Operations, and in 1998, Executive Vice President, Operations. From July 2001 to January 2004, he was President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company’s Dairy Products Division (USA). Since March 2004, Lino A. Saputo, Jr. serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Company. In 2011, he was appointed to the position of Vice Chairman of the Board, and since August 2017, he serves as Chair of the Board.

Phil Plourd is President of Blimling and Associates, Inc. and President of the services division of Dairy.com. He has been involved in dairy market analysis, research, forecasting and risk management activities for 20 years. Phil draws on that experience to lead an expert team of 16 committed to helping clients find better ways to do business. He is a popular speaker who engages audiences on a variety of topics.

Phil resides near Madison, Wisconsin with wife Rhonda and daughters Rebecca and Leah. He is currently President of the Board of Directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County and his family is involved with the Madison Public Library Foundation.

James De Jong is the Director of Dairy Economics and Risk for Glanbia Nutritionals. Prior to joining Glanbia Nutritionals in 2018, James spent over 4 years with Hilmar Cheese Company doing risk management, market analysis and various business analysis for cheese, whey, and milk powder. Before Hilmar Cheese, he spent over 3 years with Rabobank’s Food & Agriculture Research and Advisory (FAR) engaging in industry analysis and authoring reports on dairy, US rice, and North American forest product.

James sees his biggest strength as understanding the nexus between dairy markets, dairy risk management, Federal Milk Marketing Orders and milk pricing systems, business analysis, and how these fit together to influence financial outcomes of milk processors. James holds a Masters of Public Administration from California State University Stanislaus.

Catherine de Ronde joined Agri-Mark in March 2017 as an Economist. She is responsible for watching dairy market trends, forecasting milk prices, and working on state and federal legislation affecting Agri-Mark members. Catherine believes in the importance of telling the dairy farmer story and communicating the economic benefits and issues to the public and policy makers. Catherine was previously employed as the Agricultural Economist with the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. While with the Department, she worked with a variety of agricultural industries, most notably the dairy industry. She was responsible for administering the state’s Dairy Farmer Tax Credit Program, which distributes a maximum of $6 million dollars to the state’s dairy farmers in years when farm milk prices fall below the cost of production. Catherine holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Resource Economics from the University of Connecticut.

Lucas Fuess has spent a lifetime in dairy, growing up on his family’s 200-cow farm in Upstate New York. Lucas graduated with distinction in research from Cornell University, where he studied Animal Science and International Agriculture. Lucas started his career as a Dairy Analyst at Glanbia Nutritionals and was soon promoted to the Dairy Economist role after completing Master’s Degrees at Purdue and Indiana Universities. In 2018, Lucas joined HighGround Dairy as Director of Market Intelligence, leading HighGround Dairy’s best-in-class global dairy market analysis group. Lucas resides in Chicago, Illinois, USA and was recently named to AgGrad’s “30 Under 30” list.

Kathleen Noble Wolfley serves as Senior Economist and Research Specialist at Blimling and Associates. In her role she covers all the key dairy markets, leading Blimling’s publication and research platform. From following the gyrations in the butter markets to talking about nuances of cheese prices, Kathleen is focused on providing clients easy to understand, and actionable insights and commentary. Kathleen graduated from Cornell University and spent four years at Leprino Foods before joining Blimling in 2013. Blimling and Associates is a 15 person firm that strives to provide clients with the tools necessary to successfully navigate the global dairy markets. This integrated approach includes timely and insightful publications, in-depth research projects, educational sessions and continuous consulting support.

Danielle Quist works with members and government agencies on environmental, worker safety, bioengineered foods labeling and sustainability issues. She also serves as the association’s legal counsel on issues involving contracts, antitrust, and statutory and regulatory interpretation.

Quist comes to IDFA from the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), where she worked for nearly 14 years, most recently as senior counsel for public policy. She also was co-lead for AFBF’s legal advocacy program, winning cases, resolving issues and securing policy outcomes for farms, ranches and the entire agricultural community. Before that, Quist worked on Capitol Hill as a counsel on the House Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Natural Resources and Regulatory Affairs. She also was an associate at Howrey Simon Arnold & White, LLP, and served as a law clerk in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.

Quist earned her Juris Doctor and bachelor’s degree in political science from Columbia University. She is a member of the D.C. and New York Bars.

Jim is working as a Beverage Analyst in New York with a focus on soft drinks.

Jim is a CFA and former equities analyst with deep knowledge of the consumer food and beverage space. Prior to joining Rabobank he spent 10 years covering beverages at HSBC.

Martin Hahn uses his background in food technology and his comprehensive understanding of the laws governing the food industry to navigate clients through the myriad regulatory and business issues impacting the industry from farm to table.

He recognizes the demands placed on his clients and finds innovative and creative solutions, particularly when responding to observations raised by regulators during inspections. Whether the issue involves obtaining the authorization of a new food or dietary ingredient, complying with manufacturing requirements, labeling or advertising, product recalls, or enforcement, Martin serves as an effective advisor and advocate.

Martin's career has touched on almost every issue impacting the food industry. He has a comprehensive understanding of the laws affecting the labeling and advertising of foods, dietary supplements, infant formulas, medical foods, and foods for special dietary use. He helps clients anticipate new trends and develop the data that is needed to distinguish their products from others on the market. With his understanding of science and technology in the food industry, Martin provides assistance in obtaining regulatory authorizations to market new food ingredients, food packaging materials, and dietary ingredients. He also assists clients in responding to proposed regulations and draft guidance, as well as, tracks and keeps his clients apprised of the latest trends in class action law suits and helps clients anticipate new regulatory initiatives.

Martin grew up on a farm and worked in food processing plants before going to law school. His hands-on experience in the field and degree in food technology allow him to better understand the challenges his clients face in complying with the laws impacting food manufacturing. He understands Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) and the regulations under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

Sara Wyant is President of Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc., a communications firm with offices in Washington, D.C., Sacramento and Camdenton, Missouri. As a veteran farm policy reporter, she is recognized on Capitol Hill, as well as with farm and commodity associations across the country.

The newsletter and website she founded, Agri-Pulse, include the latest updates on farm policy, commodity and conservation programs, trade, food safety, rural development, and environmental and regulatory programs.

In addition, Wyant publishes early morning news summaries Daily Harvest and Daybreak, providing busy readers with a quick overview of the latest farm, food, and rural policy news each weekday. She frequently speaks at farm and commodity associations around the country.

In 2015, Wyant was named to the Folio: "Top Women in Media" recognition in the Entrepreneurs category. She has been awarded a producer communications award from the United Soybean Board, and Oscar in Agriculture award for excellence in agricultural reporting from the American Agricultural Editor's Association and a leadership award from Agriculture Future of America. She is currently President of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters (NAFB) Foundation. In 2013, Wyant was recognized for outstanding service to agriculture by the Missouri Farm Bureau.

Jerry Hagstrom is a prize-winning agricultural journalist, book author and commentator.

The American Journalism Review has named Jerry Hagstrom one of its “unsung heroes” of American journalism for “sterling work in the shadows” covering agriculture, and the Crikey, an Australian website, has called him a "rogue journo" for investigative stories that revealed the Australian Wheat Board had given kickbacks to the Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein in order to maintain its wheat sales. In 2000, the National Farmers Union named Mr. Hagstrom Agricultural Communicator of the Year, and he has won awards from many other farm groups. Mr. Hagstrom also won first prize in commentary from the North American Agricultural Journalists and has served as its president.

In addition to his own daily Hagstrom Report, he writes a bimonthly column of commentary for National Journal Daily, both of which reach a national policymaking audience. He reaches farmers, ranchers and agribusiness throughout the country with his work for DTN/Progressive Farmer news service in Omaha, the weekly Agweek newspaper in Grand Forks, N.D., and the Capital Press of Salem, Ore., which has editions in California, Oregon, Idaho and Washington state.

Mr. Hagstrom appears frequently on C-SPAN to discuss farm issues, and has appeared on National Public Radio and the British Broadcasting Corporation program Farming Today. He has also lectured before major trade groups and at universities including Harvard, Yale, Columbia, the Institute d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (often referred to as Sciences Po), and the Ecole Nationale d'Administration, the prestigious training school for French civil servants.

With over 18 years of experience—much of it navigating consumer, regulatory and legislative issues surrounding food, agriculture and nutrition—Matt will lead IDFA’s communications and reputation management activities, with a particular focus on refreshing IDFA’s brand and demonstrating value to members across dairy manufacturing and marketing. Matt brings a results-based approach to strategic communications planning, implementation and reporting, and has strong relationships with media, policymakers, and thought leaders in the food space.

Matt comes to IDFA from The Rockefeller Foundation, where he served as Managing Director, Communications, for one of the world’s most renowned institutions with a legacy in global food security. Prior to that, Matt was Senior Vice President with Story Partners public affairs in Washington, DC, where he founded and managed the agency’s food, nutrition, and trade practice, working with trade associations, food companies, and foundations. He served in the Obama Administration, first as press director and spokesperson for the U.S. Agency for International Development, and then as communications director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture under Tom Vilsack. Matt also led communications and media relations for Oxfam America, served as speechwriter and spokesperson for USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service as a civil servant, and worked as a newspaper and magazine reporter. He holds a BA from the College of the Holy Cross and an MA from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications.

Kelly Bengston is the senior vice president, chief procurement office. In this role, Kelly is responsible for enhancing Starbucks enterprise-wide functional strategic sourcing and supplier relationships, creating consistent global sourcing processes, developing a sourcing talent management program, and building a values-based approach to working with suppliers across all categories of the business.

A respected leader inside and outside Starbucks, Kelly has held numerous leadership positions during her 9+ years with Starbucks, including direct and indirect sourcing, store development, and commercialization. Most recently, Kelly served as vice president of Starbucks Global Supply Chain’s Strategy & Deployment team, a new team created under Kelly to support Starbucks supply chain’s aspirations of becoming digitized, strategically aligning resources against priorities, and building capabilities through long-term capacity planning and supply chain intelligence.

Kelly attributes much of her success over the years to her ability to create flexible, high-functioning, and creative teams that unlock possibilities through shared value relationships, cross-functional collaboration, autonomy, and supply chain management excellence.

Kelly holds a B.S. in Management from Central Washington University. She also gives back to her alma mater by serving on the university foundation board and chairing their board development committee.

Prior to joining Starbucks, Kelly gained broad experience in packaging, product development, manufacturing, and project management at Macy’s, Bensussen Deutsch, Cranium and Hasbro. She enjoys running, traveling, and spending time with her family. Her favorite beverage is Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew.

Dr. John Dardis is Senior Vice President for Policy & Sustainability with Glanbia, a global nutrition company. Based in Illinois, John oversees Glanbia’s public policy and sustainability agenda providing strategic leadership across a diverse range of businesses that are part of Glanbia’s growing footprint in the United States. He represents Glanbia on a range of industry organizations including serving as a board member of the US Dairy Export Council.

John previously served as Ireland’s First Secretary for Agriculture, Food and the Marine at the Irish Embassy in Washington DC where he managed Irish agri food trade interests including involvement in the TTIP negotiations. John holds an honors degree in agricultural science from University College Dublin, and a Ph.D. in wheat breeding from UCD. He worked at NC State University as a visiting scientist. John is a 4th generation farmer with a farm in County Kildare, Ireland.

Sheri Flies is the Assistant Vice President of Global Sustainability and Compliance at Costco Wholesale. Flies has been a member of the Center for Business Ethics’ Advisory Board since its inception. Her work at Costco Wholesale in the areas of compliance, private label sourcing and now sustainability illustrates not only the importance of social responsibility at Costco but also how one’s personal commitment to higher standards in business can be a catalyst for change.

John Allan directs all aspects of IDFA's food safety training initiatives, leads efforts related to product safety issues and has responsibilities in federal and state regulatory affairs. He engages on behalf of IDFA members with 3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc., and the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments (NCIMS). Allan also helps represent IDFA’s international trade interests through his seat on the U.S. Department of Agriculture/U.S. Trade Representative Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee (ATAC) for Trade of Processed Foods, as well as through engagement with the International Dairy Federation and the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex).

Prior to joining IDFA, Allan was the director of regulatory and international affairs for the National Yogurt Association, the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) and AFFI’s affiliated associations: the National Frozen Pizza Institute, Frozen Potato Products Institute and the Frozen Food Foundation.

Allan also has regulatory and technical affairs experience in the infant formula industry and has worked for the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization helping develop Codex international food standards. He graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in microbiology and a Master of Science in food science and technology.

Lone Jespersen is a citizen of Denmark with permanent residence in Canada since 2000. Lone holds a Master in Mechanical Engineering and started her career as Research and Development Engineer at Dan-Foam A/S in 1996. Lone continued her work in the automobile industry as Engineering and Operations Manager for Woodbridge Foam in 2000. In 2004 Lone joined Maple Leaf Foods as a Six Sigma Black Belt and continued her passion for food science and safety in her former role as Director, Food Safety Strategy. In her role Lone was responsible for the execution of the Food Safety strategy at Maple Leaf.

Laura Dunn Nelson is Alchemy's Vice President of Business Development. She brings over 30 years of experience implementing food safety and quality control programs for processing, packaging, food service, and retail operations. She has worked with global retailers and manufacturers in the implementation of their food and workplace safety programs. Laura is a graduate of University of Texas with a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology.

Beth Hughes is responsible for supporting the association's efforts on international trade and import and export issues. Hughes is a cleared advisor serving on the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee (ATAC) for Processed Foods. She also oversees IDFA's trade committee, as well as programming for the annual International Sweetener Colloquium. In collaboration with other dairy and food industry associations, Hughes has worked with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to promote and protect U.S. dairy interests in free trade agreements and held briefings on Capitol Hill about the importance of preserving the use of common food names.

Before joining IDFA, Hughes served for five years as manager of international policy for the USA Rice Federation. She developed and implemented international trade policy and promotion activities to support the U.S. rice industry and help small- and medium-sized U.S. enterprises in overseas export markets. She also analyzed domestic and international rice trends and prepared comments relating to non-tariff and technical barriers, such as sanitary and phytosanitary barriers.

Hughes earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science at George Washington University and received a Master of Arts in international affairs from Florida State University.

Cary Frye leads the association's regulatory team covering the areas of food safety, food defense, federal standards of identity, labeling, international Codex Alimentarius standards, nutrition policy, environmental and worker safety. With extensive experience in dairy product processing and quality assurance, Frye has served IDFA member companies for almost 20 years, representing member companies on food labeling and standards of identity, ingredient technologies, nutrition and health issues, and product safety.

She is active on domestic and international regulatory issues. As an active participant of the International Dairy Federation, Frye chairs the United States affiliate to IDF and is a member of the IDF Standing Committee on Standards of Identity and Labeling. She has been active in international standard-setting, advising U.S. delegations on Codex standards and has served as the head delegate for IDF at the Codex Committee on Food Labeling. She has also served on the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments’ Executive Board and Liaison Committee, and chairs the Conference’s Program Committee.

Her work has been published in professional journals and textbooks, including "Dairy Processing and Quality Assurance" and "Manufacturing Yogurt and Fermented Milks," published by Wiley-Blackwell Publishing and “Beverage Impacts on Health and Nutrition,” published by Humana Press.

Gregg Doud serves as the Chief Agricultural Negotiator, with the Rank of Ambassador, in the Office of the United States Trade Representative. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 1, 2018.

Prior to Ambassador Doud’s nomination, he was the President of the Commodity Markets Council, where he had served since 2013. Previously, Ambassador Doud was a Senior Professional Staff member of the Senate Agriculture Committee for Senator Pat Roberts and Senator Thad Cochran. He was part of the team that crafted the 2012 Senate Farm Bill, and his portfolio of issues included international trade, food aid, livestock and oversight of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

Outstanding Young Alumnus of the Kansas State University Agriculture Alumni Association, and in 2017, he received the Outstanding Alumnus award from the Department of Agricultural Economics.

Brian P. Sylvester is Special Counsel at global law firm Foley & Lardner LLP where he focuses his practice on Food & Drug Law. He previously served as a Regulatory Attorney at the USDA for 5 years. Brian guides companies through every stage of the production and distribution lifecycle – from premarket clearance through manufacturing, advertising, labeling, recalls and unanticipated regulatory scrutiny. He has particular experience with innovative foods and biotech products that do not squarely fit within the current regulatory framework, leveraging his experience as a former USDA lawyer to advance his clients’ business goals. Brian received his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and his law degree from Cornell.

Ryan Pandya is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Perfect Day, a food company on a mission to create delicious animal-free dairy products, while leaving a kinder, greener footprint on the planet. Ryan studied Chemical & Biological Engineering at Tufts University, where he contributed to seminal research on tissue engineered meat at the Kaplan Lab before graduating and going on to work at MassBiologics, a small biopharmaceutical company in Boston, MA. He realized that the same technology used in the pharmaceutical industry could solve other world issues, including one that was particularly personal to him – the need for better dairy alternatives.

Perfect Day is now pioneering a new and more sustainable era in dairy by using fermentation to create dairy products from the very same proteins (casein and whey) found in cow’s milk, but made without the cow. Named one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in 2019, Ryan is committed to making delicious, nutritious food that does less damage to our planet.

Frédéric Seppey is Assistant Deputy Minister of the Market and Industry Services Branch at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). Frédéric's responsibilities include agriculture and agri-food sectoral competitiveness, trade negotiations and the department regional operations.

Prior to his current assignment, he held several management positions (most recently as Canada's Chief Agriculture Negotiator) with AAFC and at the Canadian section of the Canada-US Regulatory Cooperation Council. During his 25-year career in the Public Service, Frédéric also worked at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, as well as the Privy Council Office, the Department of Finance and the Treasury Board Secretariat.

Christopher is a senior editor of Food Dive. Before joining Industry Dive, he covered food and agriculture for USA Today and commodities for Reuters. He graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in journalism. Christopher was born in Milwaukee and is a Brewers, Packers and Royals fan. When he's not working for Industry Dive, he can be found running, swimming and spending time with his wife and five-year-old son.

Aaron De Smet is Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company. De Smet counsels leadership teams as they transform their organizations to improve performance, organizational health, speed, and agility. He is also an expert on organizational design, corporate culture, leadership development, team effectiveness, capability building, and transformational change.

Much of Aaron’s work focuses on helping large distributed organizations to achieve growth, innovation, productivity, and organizational agility. He serves clients across several industries, including agriculture, biotechnology, chemicals, energy, financial services, and healthcare.

Liz Mygatt is an Associate Partner in McKinsey’s Boston office and a leader in the Organization practice with a focus on operating model transformation and organizational redesign. She has a wide base of experience across sectors on topics including organizational and performance transformations, governance and decision rights, leadership and cultural transformations. She is leading the firm’s work around Organizing for the Future, helping organizations reimagine themselves in ways that allow them to quickly adapt, foster emergence more than control, and manage value centrally while empowering the edges.

Prior to joining McKinsey, Liz was a consultant with an environmental strategy firm, focusing on corporate strategy, energy and carbon management, water management, and communications. She holds an M.B.A. from Cornell University and a B.A. from Williams College. In a former lifetime she was an elite rower, but has transitioned to competing in an occasional marathon or triathlon.

Joe graduated from Michigan Technological University with a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering in 1993 and has been working as a process engineer and scientist with the dairy industry for 26 years. Having been the technical product lead for 3D TRASAR™ CIP through its initial development, Joe is now responsible for creating customer value through the deployment of new digital technologies in Ecolab’s Food and Beverage division and holds several patents and patents pending. Joe works closely with the installation teams, field sales and service organization, product development teams, and Ecolab’s customers to ensure efficient deployment and configuration, consistent results, and constant innovation of the platforms to meet customers’ evolving needs.

As Global Head of Sustainable Business Development Matthijs leads the implementation of Rabobank’s sustainability commitment into its global wholesale banking network.

Matthijs has been with Rabobank for more than 16 years in various professional and management roles, including Global Sector Head for the Farm Inputs sector, Head of F&A Banking and member of the management team of the Wholesale Bank in the Netherlands, before which Matthijs lead the home-market Acquisition Finance team. Over the years, Matthijs has built a vast global network of relationships in the various Food & Agribusiness industries and sectors. He has led many successful transactions, including –most recently leading roles (M&A and capital markets) for Rabobank in the wave of farm inputs industry consolidation. Prior to joining Rabobank, Matthijs worked in several Structured and Acquisition Finance roles in ABN AMRO.

Matthijs holds an MBA degree from Nyenrode University in the Netherlands and has received executive education at Harvard Business School, IMD and Insead.

Kelly Shea is the Senior Vice President, Government Affairs and Corporate Communications for Charlotte's Web, Inc.

Ceri leads the Global Trade Negotiations team in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), where she and the team lead negotiations on the agri-food and SPS elements of the UK’s trade agreements, amongst other responsibilities. Prior to her current position, Ceri led Defra’s EU strategy and negotiations team.

Growing up in a farming family gave Ceri an appreciation for agricultural producers, processors, and the needs of rural communities. Ceri started her career in the civil service working with coastal farming and fishing communities and has worked in a number of departments leading the delivery of diverse and high profile projects.

Before working in agricultural trade policy, Ceri took a sabbatical from government service to spend time as Executive Director of the British Film Institute, developing the economic strategies for film and television representations of the UK. In this role, Ceri participated in film policy discussions around the world helping prepare her for the global travel demands of a career in international trade. Ceri has also served as director of a £150 million major infrastructure project in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, negotiating and delivering mobile phone signal coverage across rural and remote areas of the UK.

Pedro Goncalves is the Vice President, Marketing for Tetra Pak

Larine Urbina is the Vice President, Communications for Tetra Pak

Mary is a thought leader who has extensive knowledge of domestic and international dairy markets and policy. She has over thirty years of experience in production agriculture, food processing, government service, agricultural policy, dairy risk management, market information and dissemination, and milk and dairy product price forecasting.

Mary grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin and has worked on farms in Germany and Japan. She received a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from Texas A&M University and studied at the University of Goettingen, Germany. Mary’s work experience includes the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Kraft Foods, Stella Foods, Keough Ledman Associates, and the Daily Dairy Report.

Mary joined Rabobank in January 2018 as their Global Dairy Strategist and directs a team of ten analysts around the globe. With a global exposure of $25bn spread across five continents, dairy is one of the most important sectors at Rabobank, the world’s leading Food and Agriculture bank.

Brad Pierce is an Executive Director and team lead in Rabobank’s Chicago office. In this role, he leads a team responsible for the bank’s client coverage, business development and credit underwriting efforts in the dairy sector throughout the majority of the United States as well as the Consumer Foods and Supply Chain sectors in the Midwest.

Prior to joining Rabobank in early 2014, Mr. Pierce spent the balance of his career at other financial services organizations also focused on food & agribusiness sectors. He spent the majority of the last nineteen years in various corporate banking roles with the exception of four years spent as a long-term debt and junior capital investor in food & agribusiness companies for a major life insurance company. He began his career with BMO Harris in Chicago.

Mr. Pierce holds a B.A. in Economics from DePauw University and an MBA with dual concentrations in Finance and Accounting from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Vivek Pai joined Rabobank as an Associate in the Mergers & Acquisitions group in 2009

As part of the Corporate Finance Advisory (CFA) team, Vivek covers clients across North America in various sectors including Dairy, Grains & Oilseeds, and Beverages as well as the Fruits & Vegetables sub-sector

In addition, Vivek coordinates the M&A coverage for the Dairy sector in collaboration with regional CFA bankers located in ten offices globally

Selected transactions include:

1. Fresh Del Monte Produce’s acquisition of Mann Packing Company for USD 360m
2. Strategic partnership between Alabama Farmers Cooperative and The Scott Miracle-Gro Company for the Bonnie Plants business
3. Sale of CSM’s bakery supply division to Rhône Capital for EUR 1.05b
4. Sale of Kozy Shack Enterprises to Land O’ Lakes
5. Saputo’s USD 1.45b acquisition of Morningstar Foods from Dean Foods
6. Saputo’s AUD 613m acquisition of a controlling stake in Warrnambool Cheese and Butter in Australia
7. Chobani’s acquisition of Bead Foods in Australia
8. Schreiber’s acquisition of Dean Foods’ customer brand yogurt business

Prior to joining Rabobank, Vivek worked at Lehman Brothers based out of the New York office

Vivek has a Master of Business Administration from The Johnson School at Cornell University, a Master of Science from University at Buffalo and a Bachelor of Technology from Manipal Institute of Technology in India

Matt joins BioFiltro after leading Product Development for Pacific Gas & Electric where he focused on commercialization of clean technologies for Agricultural customers. Prior to PG&E, he worked for global real estate development firm Federal Development, LLC where he implemented a $3.3 B public-private partnership with the State of California for the re-development of a 550 acre business park in Merced, CA. He holds an undergrad degree from UC Merced in Economics and Political Science and two Master of Science degrees, one in Management from Babson College and the other in Global Entrepreneurship from Emlyon Business School in France.

Juan has dedicated his career to commercializing novel biological technologies, ranging from microbial fuel cells, to novel fermentations - approaches that extract value from waste. Juan identified the market opportunity for the WheyAway fermentation while completing his PhD in Biological & Environmental Engineering from Cornell University (2017).

Patty Stroup is global vice president and head of commodities at Nestlé. She has a long history in the dairy industry, with previous experience heading both North American and global dairy procurement for Nestle, as well as prior leadership roles at Hilmar Cheese Company in California and Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers in Virginia. Her career started as co-owner and manager of dairy farms in North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

She holds a bachelors degree in communications with a cognate in Dairy Science from Virginia Tech, an MBA focused on Food and Agricultural Economics from Purdue University, and a leadership certificate from the London Business School.