John is Head of Regulatory and Scientific Affairs for Nestle's Nutrition business. As well as RSA he is also responsible for Nutrition, Health and Wellness strategy of the business. He has a passion for seeing that developments in science and technology can be translated into products that improve the health of both people and the planet.

John is an accomplished and respected leader in the Food Industry, having spent the last 24 years working in multiple geographies for Unilever, Cereal Partners Worldwide and now Nestle. He is known for being able to combine his insight into science, the consumer, and the regulatory environment to help steer effective business decisions.

He has held a number of leadership positions in External Organizations including the Presidency of the European Breakfast Cereal Association, and membership of the Executive Board of the European Food Information Council.

Martina Müller is a dedicated professional with over 20 years of experience in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry, including companies like Mondelez International and Pepsico. For the past 10 years, she has specialized in the Dairy industry, building a wealth of knowledge in marketing, sales, and general management.

Martina has relevant experience in both B2C and B2B markets, with a keen interest in forging strategic partnerships to overcome market challenges and drive results. Her hands-on approach and practical insights have made her a respected leader in her field.

As co-chair of the upcoming Dairy Innovation conference, Martina is excited to share her experiences and learn from other industry leaders. She's passionate about driving innovation and collaboration in the Dairy sector and is always looking for new ways to push the boundaries of what's possible.

Dr. Kevin Deegan is Vice President, Innovation in Valio, Finland’s largest food company and food exporter. He holds undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from University College Cork, Ireland and a PhD in Sensory Science from the University of Helsinki, Finland. He has led the development of consumer insight and research in both Valio and on the executive board of the Finnish food company Saarioinen. His passion lies in unlocking and interpreting consumer behaviour as a driver for consumer-centric business development and innovation in international markets.

Kevin is a board member of the Irish Business Club of Finland, an advisory board member of the Innovation Practitioners Community of Finland and a member of the Enterprise Ireland Nordics Advisory Panel.

Artis Celmiņš is a results-driven export sales professional with extensive experience in market expansion, distributor management, and private label development, currently Head of Export Sales at Food Union. With over a decade in international trade, he has successfully executed growth strategies, optimized sales processes, and built strong partnerships across global markets.

As Head of Export Sales at Food Union Latvia, Artis plays a pivotal role in overseeing international sales operations, spearheading marketing initiatives, and identifying new market opportunities. His expertise in international project management has been instrumental in strengthening the company’s global footprint.

With a deep understanding of international trade, certifications, and customs regulations, Artis excels at identifying emerging business opportunities and executing high-impact market entry strategies. His strong background in sales, logistics, and brand positioning makes him a valuable asset in the global food and beverage industry. Known for his strategic mindset, leadership, and negotiation skills, Artis is committed to driving sustainable business growth and expanding international market reach.

With over a decade of experience in Consumer-Packaged Goods (CPG) marketing and brand strategy, José Pedro combines expertise in managing iconic brands with a forward-thinking approach to market development. Currently serving as Head of Brand and Market Development at Lactogal, the largest Iberian dairy group, he leads the growth of key brands, including Matinal, Portugal’s premium dairy brand, which, through innovation and consumer-centric solutions, has elevated the Lactose-free segment, driving value in a competitive market. Previously, as Senior Brand Manager for Mimosa, Portugal’s largest CPG and dairy brand, José Pedro spearheaded its rebranding and strategic repositioning to ensure its relevance in the future. A Mathematics graduate with a postgraduate degree in Branding, José Pedro is currently pursuing a PhD in Marketing and Strategy, alongside an MBA. As an educator, he shares his knowledge through university-level courses on Marketing Management and Brand Strategy, inspiring the next generation of marketers.

Passionate about the role of consumers in shaping markets, José Pedro champions brands as active contributors to market evolution. He advocates for combating the commoditization of consumption by delivering perceived value, enhancing consumer lives through meaningful brand experiences. His work exemplifies the transformative power of strategic marketing to build enduring brands that lead and inspire.

Jemma is an experienced commercial director with extensive experience leading teams across sales, category and commercial strategy. With nearly 20 years FMCG experience, Jemma started her career at P&G working on iconic brands including Gillette and Pampers before moving into food where she has gained significant experience in the dairy industry, with roles focused on sales, innovation and revenue growth strategies. Jemma has a proven track record of delivering growth in both local and Global roles and is currently a member of The Collective’s leadership team, heading up the commercial function to drive expansion for The brand’s future.

Paul and his wife, Rachael, farm a herd of 400 pedigree Holsteins, supplying Paynes Dairies in the Vale of York.

Not from a farming background, Paul worked in the financial sector before meeting his wife and joining the family dairy business.

Paul joined the National Dairy Board in 2017 as an appointee before being elected as the North East representative. He served nearly four years as vice chair before being elected as Chair in 2024.

Paul is enthusiastic about educating people of all ages about dairy farming and is keen to continue developing relationships with milk processors and other farmer representatives to ensure a joined-up industry approach to future farm policy.

He believes a fair and transparent supply chain is critical if dairy farmers are to meet the demands of a quickly changing society. He also works hard to ensure the sector is represented throughout the supply chain and at government level so dairy farmers can make the most of future opportunities and have a bright and prosperous future.

Joe Rotondo is the Founder of Smearcase, the first-ever high-protein frozen cottage cheese, “FroCo.” Based in NYC, Smearcase is redefining the dairy aisle by turning cottage cheese into a crave-worthy, protein-packed dessert. As a pioneer in the category, Joe is leading the charge in innovation, proving that cottage cheese isn’t just back—it’s the future of indulgence.

Qualified Regulatory Affairs Professional with over 15 years of experience, Donna is passionate about food law and consumer transparency. As an integral part of a cross functional team at Bel UK Ltd, she collaborates with both internal and external stakeholders to monitor the policy landscape and compliance. The Bel Group prides itself on its approach to provide healthy and sustainable food for all.

Beyond her professional life Donna is a keen cyclist and gardener.

As Rabobank’s Dairy Strategist, Mary Ledman leads a team of analysts around the globe and is tasked with analyzing developments in the regional and global dairy markets, developing the bank’s medium-term dairy forecasts and advising the bank on its engagement with the dairy industry.

Mary has a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from Texas A&M University. In addition, she received Fulbright Scholarship to conduct comparative research on U.S. and European dairy policies at the University of Goettingen, Germany.

Paul is an executive R&D leader with 30+ years of experience working with science and technology to drive innovation in the market place. He has strong technical expertise in food and dairy in particular as well a deep understanding of the structure-function relationship of ingredients and their interactions in food. His expertise was acquired when in positions both in academia as a post-doc (UC Davis) and a professor (Purdue University), and in industry through various R&D leadership roles in global food companies (Danone, Arla Foods, General Mills), ingredients and blends manufacturers (Tate & Lyle), and equipment manufacturers (Foss). In 2022, he co-founded PlanetDairy ApS, a startup that develops and commercializes sustainable dairy products to consumers that do not compromise on taste, functionality, and nutrition whilst priced fairly and with reduced CO2e footprint. He is also consulting for other startups to help them navigate their innovation challenges and opportunities. He is a board member of the Food & Bio Cluster Denmark which is one of the leading innovation clusters in Europe in food and biosolutions. Paul holds a MS and PhD in Chemical Engineering.

Betty van Esch is Senior Scientist at the division of Pharmacology at UIPS, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University with a broad background on immunology and allergy. Her interest is immune modulation by nutrition with >75 published papers related to this topic (H-index 23, Scopus). As senior scientist in Immunology & Nutrition, she is conducting translational immunological research. Her main interest field is immune modulation and immune-imprinting by dietary interventions, environmental factors and experimental agents. Nutritional concepts, like raw milk, fermented raw milk and its components are valuable new strategies based on the epidemiologic evidence that structural changes in proteins induced by processing play a role in the development of allergic diseases. By studying the specific bioactive component in unprocessed milk, we are aiming to develop therapeutic strategies which support current pharmaceutical therapies.
She has received her PhD degree on her research on “Cow’s milk Allergy; Avoidance versus tolerance: new concepts for allergy management”.  She runs programs on the anti-inflammatory and immune effects of nutrition, biologicals and using experimental models and isolated cell systems. Current projects include; The effect of nutritional concepts on the microbial composition of the gut, lungs and esophagus in relation to disease; The immunomodulation of fermented raw milk and The immune profiling of eosinophilic esophagitis. Next to her research, she teaches in the Bachelor and Master program of Pharmacy.  She is an elected member of the EAACI Immuno-pharmacology taskforce, Ethical Committee Animal Experiments and reviewer for Frontiers in Immunology.

Louis Raubenheimer, a specialist in conceptual design processes, has over 30 years of experience in an array of specialised fields. Louis graduated from the University of the Free State and holds a Bachelor of Agriculture Honours degree in Food Science (specialising in Dairy Science) and a Master of Business Administration. Louis’ passion in in these specialised fields spurred him on to lecture on Environmental Science and Food Microbiology at the Central University of Technology, Free State.

Louis’ eagerness to learn and conquer new fields of expertise led him to undertake diverse roles in the corporate world, which have included Quality Assurance Manager, Program Manager, Business Solutions Architect, CIO/COO of Absa Rewards (formerly affiliated with Barclays bank), Manager Productivity and Continuous Improvement, and all of this has led him to his current position as Head of IT for Clover S.A. (Pty) Ltd (“Clover”). These diverse portfolios have allowed Louis to acquire a diverse set of skills, which include but are not limited to the ability to integrate commercial requirements with product innovation, manage critical performance indicators by enhancing efficiencies and yields, aligning business processes with complex change management, complex risk mitigation skills which extend to operational, manufacturing, IT, and overall risk management strategies.

Louis is proud to be a part of the Clover Group. Clover is one of South Africa’s leading dairy and non-alcoholic beverages companies, whose holding company is the Central Bottling Company based in Israel, and is renowned for providing high quality products to its consumers, whilst continually innovating in the FMCG environment. Clover plays a significant role in the African market as well by continuously expanding its portfolio to meet the ever-evolving consumer demands.

As the Head of IT, Louis spearheads Clover's digital transformation efforts to ensure technology enhances production efficiencies, automation, and data-driven decision making.

Louis looks forward to sharing his insights at the Dairy-Tech Conference in Copenhagen on how to best leverage information technology in order to effectively improve operations, standardise performance metrics, and speak to industry challenges faced through digital innovation.

Ilse Siekkinen is General Manager Nordics at Oatly, the world’s first and largest oat drink company from Sweden, where she is leading the company’s business in Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway. Prior to joining Oatly, Ilse has spent almost 20 years working within the FMCG sector.

Oatly is originating from visionary food scientists at Lund University who invented the world’s first oat drink. Since then, Oatly has been pioneering the shift to a more plant-based food system by offering great tasting oat-based products to make it easier for people to make food choices that are good for both people and the planet.

Helge Einar Lundberg, born in 1966 in Norway, is an MD Specialist in General Practice and Sports Medicine. He attended the Medical Faculty at Oslo University from 1985 to 1991 and has since accumulated 30 years of experience in general practice. He has also worked with cross-country skiers as a doctor for ski teams. Since 2018, he has been engaged by Professor Stig Larsen (Professor of Clinical Research Methodology and Statistics) at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences/Meddoc AS to conduct clinical studies on the effects of Jarlsberg Cheese on bone health. Dr. Larsen serves as his advisor on this project. He is currently completing his PhD program at the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, with Professor Jorunn Sundgot-Borgen and Professor Larsen as his advisors. Since September 2022, he has also been serving as the Medical Director at Meddoc Research AS

Petter Aagesen is representing Thise Dairy. An organic cooperative established in 1888. He comes with + 25 years of experience working with FMCG in Denmark and internationally.

Sarah Bjerre Lindboe is a highly accomplished civil engineer with over 20 years of experience in leadership, quality management, and development across various sectors, including public institutions, laboratory companies, and food industries. For the past four years, Sarah has been an integral part of the Dragsbæk Group, which owns renowned brands such as Bakkedal, AMA, and the plant-based brand NATURLI'.

Dragsbæk A/S operates four production sites in Denmark and has additional facilities abroad. The company is partially owned by the ORKLA Group. Throughout her tenure at Dragsbæk, Sarah has held multiple roles, focusing on quality and development. Currently, she serves as the QEHS and ESG Director, where she oversees quality, environmental health and safety, and sustainability initiatives.

Sarah's extensive expertise and dedication to excellence have made her a key player in driving innovation and ensuring high standards within the organizations she has worked with. Her leadership and commitment to continuous improvement have significantly contributed to the success and growth of the companies she has been associated with.

An independent entrepreneur and innovator with a focus on sustainable food that respects nature.

Since 2020, Christian Christensen has been the CEO of DRYK ApS, a company producing plant-based drinks for the high-end market.

After several years as a product manager at Coop, Christian Christensen and his partner decided to embark on a project to develop, produce, and sell some of the future’s plant-based foods—without compromising on taste and quality. The core idea was that by replacing milk with plant-based drinks, it is possible to reduce animal production and promote climate sustainability and biodiversity.

Thorough research into suppliers capable of meeting the high standards for raw materials, production, and quality led to a collaboration with the Swedish supplier Trensums Food.

Despite challenges both personally and in business, Christian Christensen has persevered and worked tirelessly, and he is now beginning to reap the rewards of his efforts. DRYK ApS’ revenue is steadily increasing, and today the company exports to more than 30 countries.

Christian Christensen has no doubt that the future of food is plant-based – and that this shift is necessary. His message is that we must find solutions to global public health challenges while simultaneously reducing the global resource consumption of food production.

Sibéal Bird leads the execution of the Beyond the Horizon sustainability strategy in Europe for Kerry Group, a global leader in Sustainable Nutrition. In her role, she is dedicated to creating a significant, positive impact on both the environment and society. Sibéal drives the ambitious goal of providing sustainable nutrition to over 2 billion people by 2030.

With over a decade of experience in the food and beverage industry, Sibéal is a seasoned sustainability professional known for her ambition and pragmatism. She has provided strategic guidance to some of the world’s largest food and drink companies, helping them develop and implement innovative strategies that transform businesses and operations towards triple-bottom line sustainability.

Sibéal holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Business from the University of Maynooth and a Master’s degree in Business Sustainability from the Smurfit Graduate Business School at University College Dublin.

Vicky Davies is Senior Global Marketing Director for Performance, Active & Medical Nutrition at FrieslandCampina Ingredients. She trained as a physiologist and nutritionist, and has a PhD in nutritional biochemistry. She has been working in health and nutrition for 20 years, holding posts in academia and clinical nutrition research, as well as leadership roles in communications and marketing in leading multi-national companies, including Danone and Philips.

At FrieslandCampina Ingredients, Vicky is responsible for the global marketing and innovation strategy in Performance, Active and Medical nutrition. With her team, she strives to bring locally relevant, superior and beneficial nutrition and health related solutions to customers and consumers around the globe.

Vicky is passionate about her work, which enables her to bring together her love of nutrition and business, to have a positive and holistic impact on people’s health throughout their lives.

Dr. Yaniv Altshuler is the founder and CEO of metha.ai where he leverages his extensive expertise to drive innovation and growth in the AI and microbiome fields. An MIT Research Fellow and accomplished entrepreneur, Dr. Altshuler is celebrated for his groundbreaking work in designing and implementing scalable AI systems.

Dr. Altshuler holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Computer Science from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, where he graduated summa cum laude. He then completed his post-doctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Dr. Altshuler is the author of three books, over 70 scientific papers, and 17 patents in the field of AI. His pioneering contributions have earned him global recognition, including being named a Technological Pioneer by the World Economic Forum.

Owner and Founder of UK-based natural flavour manufacturer, I.T.S. Mike is an experienced flavour innovator who has spent over 25 years in the food and beverage industry. With a background in science and food ingredients, he then founded I.T.S. in 2009. Building it up from his kitchen table to the international flavour business it is today. Mike remains proudly independent and always passionate about creating market-leading natural flavours for the food and beverage market. Mike spends his days exploring the food and drink industry, playing rugby and brewing beer.

As the CEO of Factbird, a world leader in Manufacturing Intelligence, Søren Schønnemann drives innovation within the manufacturing sector, focusing on optimizing operational efficiency through data-driven solutions. Working in tech since 2010, today, he is committed to advancing Factbird's Manufacturing Intelligence Suite, which enhances productivity and operational performance for clients in the food and beverage sector.

At the Dairy-Tech Conference, Søren will share his perspectives on how to leverage Manufacturing Intelligence for operational efficiency, improving sustainability, and what the future of dairy manufacturing looks like.

Monica Battistella is the Group Sustainability Manager at Taghleef Industries, a leading global BOPP films producer.

With over 20 years of experience, she has held key positions across various functions, including Sales and Product Management for Ti Europe.

Active in cross-value chain associations like CEFLEX and Recyclass, Monica is a sustainability and circular economy advocate with deep insights into regulatory compliance and the strategic role of suppliers in addressing industry challenges.

Meleknur is a business development professional with over 15 years in the food production industry, specializing in the dynamic world of dairy and plant-based dairy. Her career is built on a strong foundation of food engineering, complemented by strategic business acumen gained through an Executive-MBA from Istanbul Technical University.

For the past ten years, Meleknur has focused on innovative texturizing solutions at Avebe, driving advancements in the dairy and plant-based dairy sectors. She possesses a deep understanding of both technical applications and market demands, enabling her to forge strong client partnerships and deliver impactful results.

At the Dairy Innovation Strategies Conference, Meleknur will unveil Avebe's latest texture breakthroughs, demonstrating how cutting-edge solutions like Etenia are redefining dairy product possibilities and sensory experiences. She will showcase significant advancements in creaminess and mouthfeel, validated by consumer preferences and Avebe's advanced scientific methodologies. Explore the journey of texture development, backed by rigorous analysis and consumer-driven innovation.

In terms of qualifications, Mr. Christoph Hiesgen is a graduate engineer in energy and environmental technologies.

Mr. Hiesgen has been employed by E.ON Energy Infrastructure Solutions since beginning of 2013. He has been active in the energy services business after his university graduation since 1997 and had different leadership roles in Sales being responsible in particular for the business development in different energy intense industrial segments.

Katriina Leigh works as a Customer Development Manager at Valio Oy. With a Master of Science Degree in International Business from University of Hertfordshire, Katriina has a strong background in international sales and true passion for creating success together with the customers. She has previously worked at Solina Group,  Huhtamaki and S-Group.

Britta Wyss Bisang is the VP of Sustainability and Strategic MarCom of Schoeller Allibert, the leading supplier of returnable and reusable transport packaging in Europe.

Britta has a 20+ years track record in strategy development, ESG/sustainability programs, communications and change management. She is an expert in corporate sustainability and advocacy for a circular economy and has positioned Schoeller Allibert as a sustainability leader in its industry.

Britta holds an MSc in Environmental Sciences from ETH Zurich and has graduated with an Executive MBA from IMD Business School, Lausann

Karin Jenniskens, Marketing Manager Dairy & Dairy Alternatives at Cargill’s Food Solutions EMEA

Karin has over 15 years of experience in working in different marketing roles in the animal & human nutrition sector. She is currently the Commercial Marketing Manager for the Health & Nutrition categories at Cargill’s Food Solutions EMEA, including Dairy & Dairy Alternatives. Born in the Netherlands and living in Rotterdam, Karin has always had a keen interest in nutrition and health – in fact she’s a self-confessed “conscious consumer.”

During her presentation day 2, Karin will be outlining how to bring “dairy joy for everyone” by co-creating on-trend dairy and dairy alternatives for tomorrow’s consumer.

At Veolia Water Tech, Peter van Iperen is the Process Growth Sales Leader for Europe within the Food and Beverage industry. As part of the Process Center of Excellence, Peter is responsible for the sales growth of process applications particularly around E-Separation and Process Membranes. Before joining Veolia Peter has been working in several international roles from Engineering, Project Management, Sales and Key Account Management at major process solutions and engineering companies.

Julia Keppler studied Food Science at Kiel University in Germany where she also received her PhD, and was a visiting post doc at INRAe in France afterwards.

She has more than 11 years of experience in the field of food protein functionality and 99 peer-reviewed publications and holds multiple patents.  She started her research group in the Food Process Engineering lab at Wageningen University, the Netherlands 6 years ago with the focus on tuning the structure and functionality of food protein ingredients during processing. In that context, her group explores new food protein sources that range from plant-, single cell -, mussel-proteins, to (dairy) proteins obtained through precision fermentation; unravels their functionalities and delves into the intricate relationship between structure and function influenced by processing techniques. The overarching aim is to identify and create sustainable and functional ingredients for the future.

Pam Leddy is a Business Development Specialist at Edlong Flavour Solutions, based in the company’s EU headquarters in Cork, Ireland. Since joining Edlong in 2019, she has played a pivotal role in managing sample services and bringing her expertise in administration, organisational psychology, and sales management to the team. 

In her current role, Pam focuses on fostering strategic partnerships, driving market expansion, and implementing innovative business development strategies. With a strong ability to nurture client relationships and lead initiatives that enhance organizational culture, she is dedicated to advancing Edlong’s presence across the EMEA and APAC regions. 

Kasper Hettinga received his MSc and PhD at Wageningen University. Over the past 15 years, he built a research group on the effects of processing on milk proteins in relation to digestion and health functionalities of dairy products. He is full professor in Dairy Processing and Functionality" and also is the chair of the Food Quality & Design Department. He is scientific advisor to 3 startups. He has supervised, and is supervising, ~40 PhD projects, and published ~175 peer-reviewed articles. He is teaching at the BSc, MSc and PhD level on topics related to food science, especially dairy technology.

In his work, he is combining traditional food science approaches to study food proteins with advanced -omics approaches (proteomics, peptidomics), leading to more detailed insights in the effects of processing on milk proteins. By subsequently studying the digestive behavior of those proteins, and linking this to the health consequences, focusing especially on immunogenicity, he aims to get better understanding of the health consequences of dairy processing. His works focuses on milk proteins from different sources: from animals such as cows and goat, to human breast milk, and recombinantly produced milk proteins.

Colette Jermann is a food scientist with a wide experience across the food industry including consultation for new and conventional thermal processing technologies, fortifying foods, and solving NPD challenges. ​

She is now primarily focused on maximising the visual, and colourful, impact of dairy products using EXBERRY® colours.​

Susan O’Shaughnessy is an Edlong Flavour Applications Senior Specialist, where she works in the Ireland based applications lab on a variety of different customer projects and applications including bakery, snacks, sauces, beverages and plant based products. Susan joined Edlong in 2018 and has a bachelor’s degree in Food Technology from the Technical University of Dublin and an MBA from the Dublin Business School. Prior to joining Edlong, Susan managed the development of private label food products for a major Irish retailer and was a product development manager for an ingredient’s manufacturer prior to that. Susan also has trained professionally as a chef with 9 years’ experience in the restaurant sector.

Jazz Minhas Technical Sales Manager brings 17 years of expertise and a network of contacts within the F&B industry. Passionate about natural colours and ingredients has turned his attention to highlighting the importance of the dairy industry and immersing in proactive solutions for clients. A delegate spokesperson for dairy media articles with exposure to key global dairy manufacturers he continues to drive the usage of sustainable natural colour solutions.

After graduating for chemical engineering in 2007 from Technical university of
Munich, Matthias got a detailed scientific education in working as a scientist at the
university of Munich.

In 2011, he joined Quantachrome GmbH/later 3P Instruments GmbH for leading the
product group for scientific instruments for measuring the stability and optical
rheology of dispersed systems.

In 2021, Matthias set up and managed the German subsidiary of Formulaction SAS,
a French company in the field of scientific instruments. In this position, business
development and management of the company was the main task. Two years
later, he decided, together with two former colleagues from Formulaction, to found
an own company named speclz in order to invent scientific instruments on the
base of Multi-Speckle Diffusing Wave spectroscopy. The first innovative product
they launched is called Lucie and is fully dedicated to the dairy industry, With Lucie,
the determination of milk coagulation parameters is going to be a kid’s play.

Mark brings over 20 years experience in the foodservice, retail and FMCG sectors to GlobalData.  Mark joined the GlobalData team in 2017 following 5 years living in Canada where he was an insights leader for PepsiCo and strategy consulting leader for the NPD group.   In his role at GlobalData, Mark brings bold thought-leadership to global partners across the manufacturer, retailer and distributor segments; always striving to find new ways to create growth by positively influencing shopper behaviour.

Mark brings significant FMCG knowledge and expertise to the conference having led research around the world on topics from shopper segmentation, to category market sizing to innovation planning and the study of global best practices.

Mark will be chairing the conference whilst sharing his views on the changing nature of next generation product offerings, the demands and expectations of today’s consumer, and the innovations and trends that will shape the future…

I am Serena Barea, I am the R&D Manager of Cellografica Gerosa headquarter, which is located in Northern Italy, near Como Lake. I have been working in the packaging industry for over 20 years, and I enjoy finding innovative solutions to meet customer needs as well as creatively solving packaging-related challenges.

I live in a small town of the province of Varese, in which I am the deputy mayor; I am mother of a 20-year-old son and beekeeper.

Paolo serves as the Head of Marketing Europe for SIG Group. He joined the company five years ago, bringing with him extensive experience in various marketing roles within leading global Food FMCG companies (Nestlé and Ferrero). Since 2020, Paolo has advanced his career at SIG, starting as the Marketing Manager for South East EU and later becoming responsible for the entire European market. His background enables him to effectively integrate BtB and BtC skill sets, strategic marketing, and a comprehensive understanding of consumer behavior and the retail landscape.

Muhib is leading the category development for Dairy and Plant-Based beverages in Europe for SIG Combibloc.  and working for the company for 6 years. He is a well experienced strategic marketer and brings with him more than 17 years of working experience in the fields of Brand Management, Strategic Marketing and Market Research, and has been working with British American Tobacco and Holcim Group before joining the SIG Combibloc.

Stephanie trained initially as a food technologist and worked for 25 years in a variety of technical and commercial role in the UK; specifically working in the sectors of chilled ready meals, pizza and pies for companies including Northern Foods, Premier Foods and Greencore. Stephanie joined Sealed Air 13 years ago in the UK and Ireland Business Development team, she had a period working as the Senior Marketing Manager for Convenience Foods for EMEA, Business Development and Retail Manager for North West Europe before being promoted to the role of Business Development Director or EMEA at the beginning of 2024.

Andreas Saracevas is a leader in refrigeration engineering, specializing in high-efficiency systems that drive sustainability and performance. At Mayekawa, he spearheads natural refrigerant adoption, optimizing systems that cut energy costs and future-proof industrial cooling.

With deep expertise in system design, optimization, and business strategy, Andreas helps businesses transition from outdated cooling methods to dependable, low-GWP solutions. A strong advocate for natural refrigerants, he works with industry leaders to accelerate technology adoption and regulatory alignment—not just adapting to change but driving it.

Dr. Patrick Hochloff drives using flexibility of energy assets in E.ON’s Energy Infrastructure Solutions segment. He integrates digital solutions in the European subsidiaries and provides solutions integrated with industrial energy supply. He developed solutions for customers in the paper and chemical industry and now he scales it for the food & beverage industry. As graduated engineer and with a scientific background in energy economics, Patrick is passionate about optimizing flexible assets and exploring technical and commercial ways for E.ON’s customers.

Davy Rosseel is Global Key Account Manager at Resilux Group and experienced in business development PET preforms and bottles. With his strong focus in Dairy and Plant Based Drinks Resilux can offer true sustainable packaging solutions for valuable and innovative food and drinks opportunities.