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.