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 Download our Conference Agenda (PDF)  Jerry BoumaFounder and Senior Consultant Toma & Bouma Management Consultants Edmonton, Alberta Presentation Title - Innovation in the Alberta Food Processing Sector: What will it take? The presentation will deal with the challenges of growing the Alberta food processing sector over the past 20 years; a conclusion by a recent Conference Board study that Alberta food processors lag the nation in terms of innovation adoption; and what needs to happen to change this state of inertia. Profile Jerry Bouma has over 35 years experience as a management consultant in the agri-food industry. As a founder and senior partner with Toma & Bouma Management Consultants, he has managed more than 500 strategic planning and marketing projects. Prior to establishing Toma & Bouma in 1992, he worked as the Senior Marketing Manager with Shur-Gain Feeds – a division of Maple Leaf Foods; and as a management consultant with Deloitte Haskins + Sells – now Deloitte Touche. In addition to his consulting experience, Jerry served as Member of the Board (1999 to 2010) for Northlands – Canada’s largest agriculture and exhibition society. He held the position as Chair of the Board from 2007 to 2009. He has also served on the Board of Horse Racing Alberta (2002 to 2007) where he chaired the Marketing Committee which won numerous national and international awards for its innovative marketing campaign. Currently Jerry serves as Board Chair of the Little Potato Company, Director on the Board of Governors with Olds College, Board Member with AVAC and Chair of the Investment Committee, Chair of the Edmonton Triathlon Academy and Advisor to the Canadian Athletics Coaching Centre. He is a former member of the Canadian Track & Field Team and holds a M.Sc. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Guelph and a B.Sc. in Mathematics from Villanova University, Pennsylvania. Jerry has been at the forefront of many new innovations in the agri-food business sector including:
 Jennifer CarlsonFounder Baby Gourmet Foods Inc. Calgary, Alberta Presentation Title - Innovating to Success How to find growth and innovation within your business and industry. Profile Jennifer Carlson, Founder of Baby Gourmet, always knew she would start a business; but it wasn’t until she had her first child that inspiration hit. A true entrepreneur, Jennifer began selling her homemade baby food at her local Calgary Farmer’s Market in 2006. The farmer’s market was a great place for market research where she incorporated the feedback from the local moms buying her food into building her growth strategy. By 2008 Jen focused all attention on scaling her brand nationally. Jen spent two years researching how to commercialize her business; raising capital and acquiring a team to assist in following her passion for changing the way people feed their children. In 2011 after successfully securing distribution across Canada’s largest grocery retailers such as Walmart Canada and Loblaws stores, Jen was named 2011 Ernst & Young’s Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year (Prairies). In 2012 she was the recipient of the Star Women in Grocery award receiving national recognition for innovation, influence, leadership and dedication in the grocery industry. Today across Canada her product is available in 90% of where all baby food is sold with 22% market share in the baby food category, doubling sales for the third year in a row. Overcoming many obstacles, Baby Gourmet is now Canada’s leading organic baby food brand. In early 2014, she focused her attention on healthy kids snacking and has launched two product lines in the U.S. through Safeway and Target locations nationwide (2200+ stores).  Joanna CliftonGlobal Account Manager Innova Market Insights Arnhem, The Netherlands Presentation Title - Top 10 Trends 2015 Insights into key food industry trends and consumer interests and concerns that Innova has identified for 2015 and beyond. The latest trends shaping the development of food industry products. Profile Joanna is Global Account Manager and Market Analyst for Innova Market Insights, based in Colorado, USA. Joanna’s background is in the flavor, ingredient and fragrance industries, principally in Bush Boake Allen (Australia, Singapore, US) and in IFF during the transition period of the BBA acquisition. Joanna held the position of VP Marketing Latin America in her latter years in BBA, working extensively in Latin America while based in the US. Prior to joining Innova, Joanna was based in Buenos Aires as regional marketing consultant for Saporiti, a Latin American flavor and ingredient company.  Sarah EltonAuthor, Food Columnist University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario Presentation Title - Consumed: Grassroots innovation in food for a finite planet Bestselling journalist Sarah Elton travelled the world to find out how people are creating innovative local solutions to global food problems. She reports back on these new ideas from the grassroots. Profile Sarah Elton is the bestselling author of Consumed and Locavore. In her work as an author and journalist, she documents the innovative and inspiring new ways people around the world are producing food—and how we can secure a sustainable future for healthy, local food in the face of climate change and population growth. Sarah Elton is an award-winning author and journalist. Her most recent book, Consumed: Food for a Finite Planet, made the national bestseller list in its first week. Consumed has been described by internationally renowned food writer Naomi Duguid as “A must-have for anyone interested in food.” Elton’s first book Locavore: From Farmers’ Fields to Rooftop Gardens, How Canadians Are Changing the Way We Eat is a national bestseller and won Gold at the Canadian Culinary Book Awards. It was also named one of Amazon.ca’s top 50 books of 2010 and is a David Suzuki Foundation Book Club pick. Her new book for kids, Starting from Scratch: What You Should Know About Food and Cooking, "is an intelligent introduction to food and cooking meant for children 10 or older but useful for adult beginners as well" (New York Times). Elton is an instructor with the Fellowship in Global Journalism at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and an adjunct professor with the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development at The University of Guelph, where she teaches a food politics seminar. She has written for Maclean’s Magazine, the Globe and Mail, the New York Times, and The Atlantic. She is also the food columnist for CBC Radio One’s Here and Now. She has spoken at TEDx at the University of Guelph and has debated alongside Mark Bittman of the New York Times at the Conference Board of Canada Food Summit. She also sits on the board of directors of PEN Canada.  Ken GossenExecutive Director Food and Bio Processing Division Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Leduc, Alberta Presentation Title - Alberta’s Food Processing Capabilities Profile Ken Gossen is Executive Director, Food and Bio Processing The Division contributes and plays a key role in growth, diversification and competitiveness of Agri-Food industry in Alberta. The Division consists of the Food Processing Development Centre (FPDC) and the Agrivalue Processing Business Incubator (APBI) located in Leduc, Alberta. The FPDC provides product and process development support to the food processing industry. The Incubator is a multi-tenant, Canadian Food Inspection Agency approved facility that is dedicated to assisting new food processors scale up and commercialize new products and technologies. The Division also includes the Bio-Industrial Opportunities Branch which is located on the south campus of the University of Alberta. The Branch provides industry with business development expertise and innovative technical series to maximize the value of Alberta’s crops, wastes and biomass, creating new opportunities for agricultural diversification. Ken grew up on a dairy farm near Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Before joining Alberta Agriculture and Food he held a number of progressive positions at Cargill Foods and United Grain Growers. Ken’s extensive experience ranges from working with small to medium size enterprises in a business development capacity to working with multinational firms in investment and policy related issues. Ken holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from the University of Saskatchewan.  Dr. Rick GreenVP, Technology POS Bio-Sciences Presentation Title - Food Processing Capability and Innovations in Saskatchewan This presentation will provide details on the food and ingredient development facilities and expertise offered in Saskatchewan primarily through POS Bio-Sciences, the Saskatchewan Food Development Centre and the University of Saskatchewan. An overview of the current state and emerging opportunities in the food processing industry in Saskatchewan and throughout Western Canada will also be covered. Profile Dr. Rick Green is Vice President of Technology at POS Bio-Sciences in Saskatoon. Rick’s responsibilities include supervision of technical staff and oversight of Project Leader activity. Dr. Green joined POS in 1989 and prior to moving onto the Senior Management Team in 2007, he was a Senior Scientist at POS. His technical background includes process development in the area of extraction and purification of specialty oils, protein concentrates, protein isolates and polyphenol compounds. In addition to his work at POS, Dr. Green has held Food Scientist positions at food product development centers in Manitoba and Ontario, and a food processing company in Alberta. He holds a Ph.D. in Food and Bioproduct Sciences from the University of Saskatchewan, and an M.Sc. and B.Sc. from the University of Manitoba. Dr. Green is a member of the Board of Directors of the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre, and the U of S Structural Sciences Centre.  Carmen GunthorpeDirector of Sales Sysco Edmonton Edmonton, Alberta Presentation Title - The Changing Canadian Food Service Environment The only thing constant in the food service environment is change! Being able to adapt and change is the only way to survive in this turbulent industry. Profile Carmen Gunthorpe is the Director of Sales for Sysco Edmonton. She has worked in a variety of roles at Sysco over the last 16 years. She is currently responsible for leading the Sales Team in Edmonton that services the Independent restaurants. She leads a large team of sales professionals who are focused on being their customers’ most valued business partners. Prior to working with the Independent Restaurants, Carmen was focused on the healthcare market (i.e. Hospitals, Nursing homes and Retirement homes). Carmen has a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural/Food Business Management from the University of Alberta and a Masters in Business Administration from Queen’s University. In her spare time she enjoys many wild adventures including but not limited to Whitewater kayaking, rock climbing, running, biking and swimming.  Lone JespersenDirector, Food safety and operations and learning, Maple Leaf Foods, Mississauga, Ontario Presentation Title - Cultivating Food Safety The participants will gain an insight into tools for measuring and strengthening food safety culture. Profile Lone has been with Maple Leaf Foods since 2004 where she started as Six Sigma Black Belt and later Six Sigma Director. Lone has been responsible for the execution of the Maple Leaf Foods food safety strategy since the company’s tragic 2008 Listeriosis outbreak and recently taken on the leadership of all operations learning. Prior to that, Lone worked for Woodbridge Foam as Engineering and Operations manager responsible for the safety and quality of automobile safety products. Lone holds a Master in Mechanical Engineering from Syd Dansk University, Denmark; a Master of Food Science from the University of Guelph, and presently pursuing her PhD with Dr. Mansel Griffiths at the University of Guelph. Lone’s passion for food safety culture has led to the development of her food safety culture measurement system “Cultivate Food Safety” which she is currently refining with North American, European, and Indian food manufactures. In her spare time, Lone practices her rowing strokes and marathon running.  Ken KeelorCEO Calgary co-operative Association Limited Calgary, Alberta Presentation Title - The Future of Food Safety – A Calgary Co-op Perspective This presentation will provide Calgary Co-op’s perspective on food safety and how it is expected to evolve in the future. Profile Mr. Ken Keelor joined Calgary Co-op on November 3, 2014 as Chief Executive Officer. Born and raised in India, he completed a B.Sc. Degree in Physics in 1988. After completing his MBA in 1990, he was recruited by Procter and Gamble and began to build his skills in the complete value chain of the grocery business – manufacturing, distribution and retail. His experience in the industry spans 24 years across merchandising and marketing through to private label procurement and global sourcing. Owned by its members, Calgary Co-op is one of the largest retail co-operatives in North America. With over 440,000 members, 3,500 employees, assets of $457 million and annual sales over $1.1 billion, Calgary Co-op is committed to lead in food, petroleum, home health care, pharmacy, travel and wine, spirits and beer. Calgary Co-op supports numerous not-for-profit and charitable organizations in Calgary (through the Co-op Community Foundation) by investing over $4 million into the local community each year.  Jeff ManningPrincipal, Got Manning? Orinda, California Presentation Title - Got Milk? Lessons Learned in Adding Value Based on an iconic marketing program, this smart, humorous and highly entertaining presentation will help food companies, large and small, add lasting value to their brands and categories. Profile In 1993, after 25 years in the advertising agency business, Jeff became the Executive Director of the California Milk Processor Board. He is credited with transforming GOT MILK? from a local tag line into one of the best known, most influential campaigns in advertising and a part of American pop culture. By applying creativity and packaged goods disciplines to GOT MILK?, he was able to turn it into a ‘brand” that competed effectively with Coke, Pepsi Gatorade and bottled waters. He broke new ground by creating a wide range of strategic alliances with the most powerful food companies in the US (Nabisco, Nestle’, General Mills and Pillsbury) and positioning GOT MILK? as a licensed property. Prior to GOT MILK? Jeff had extensive ad agency experience with JWT, McCann Erickson and Ketchum. His branded clients included: Procter & Gamble, Con Agra, Clorox, Warner Lambert, Safeway and Bank of America. He is acknowledged as a leader in category marketing with experience in a wide range of categories including beef, potatoes, eggs, bananas, raisins, cold cereal and, of course, milk. In 2005 Jeff left the milk board to launch Got Manning?, a firm specializing in reigniting and revitalizing mature brands and categories. His clients include: the Cherry Marketing Institute (where he serves as the Chief Marketing Officer), H-P, the California Milk Advisory Board, Beyond Meat and Jamba Juice. Jeff authored GOT MILK? The Book, as well numerous articles on branding.  Doug Powellpowellfoodsafety.com Annerly, Australia Presentation Title - Food Safety as a Competitive Marketing Advantage Food producers that excel at food safety should be able to brag about it at retail, so consumers can choose. Profile Dr. Douglas Powell received a PhD in food science from the University of Guelph in 1996, and was a professor of food safety for 16 years at Guelph and subsequently Kansas State University. Powell has published over 65 peer-reviewed papers, book chapters and a book, and has written over 9,000 entries for barfblog.com since 2006. A native of Brantford, Ontario, Canada, Doug is passionate about food, has five daughters, and coaches ice hockey in Brisbane, Australia, where he resides.  Andrew RamloDirector, Urban Futures Vancouver, British Columbia Presentation Title - Changing People, Changing Places; the future of work, workers and workplaces in western Canada Over the coming decades the thirty percent of Canada’s current population born between 1946 and 1965 will age into the third (and final) major stage of their lifecycle, one that is dramatically different from the first stage – the twenty years of childhood that was concerned with getting through school and entering the workforce – and from the second stage – the forty years of establishing homes, families, and careers. No part of Canadian society or economy will be unaffected by these changes, directly or indirectly, as Canada enters its third great demographic transformation. So what will this mean for the future of work and workers in western Canada? Join Andrew for a walk through the dimensions of demographic and economic change that will characterize western Canada in the coming years. Profile THE LATEST: Andrew Ramlo has been named to Business in Vancouver's 2010 "Forty Under 40" list. One of Canada's most esteemed demographers and planning consultants, Andrew Ramlo is in high demand for his uncanny capacity to forecast the demographic and economic change in our country's diverse regions and markets -- and to apply this information to specific industries. As Director of Urban Futures Incorporated, Ramlo works with many of Canada's leading investors, retailers, developers, and public sector organizations. He is regularly quoted in the media and has recently been named as one of Business in Vancouver’s “Top Forty Under 40”. His talks are informative, animated and lively. With a focus on the dimensions of change -- demographic, societal, economic and environmental -- he lays the foundation for strategies to address the challenges and opportunities organizations and individuals will face in the decades to come. He has written numerous research reports on a broad scope of topics ranging from labour force, pension plans, and healthcare to urban planning and regional economics.  Angela SantiagoCEO, CO-Founder The Little Potato Company Edmonton, Alberta Presentation Title - Growing... Potatoes and Leaders: Personal lessons from a Start up Business. The journey of how The Little Potato Company got started in 1996 to today and the lessons along the way that I learned about business and myself. Profile Angela Santiago is a mother of 4 and CEO of The Little Potato Company Ltd. Her time is in demand and well managed between kids, the office and numerous business trips to Europe, the US and across Canada. Family values have been the foundation of building her fledgling company from the first 1 acre crop to the emerging big produce supplier it has become. Her education includes a Bachelor of Arts Degree from University of Alberta, preceded by a Business Diploma with courses in Mediation and Conflict Resolution at the Justice Institute in B.C. to round out the post secondary years. Then came her PhD in potatoes with a segue into a business with her Dutch father in September 1996. While discussing the farm life of his youth, her father Jacob introduced the idea of small potatoes. The family tie has not diminished to this day. Jacob in the field and Angela in the lead chair, The Little Potato Company Ltd. has forged ahead creating a niche market for a North American food staple. Angela has seen the company grow from its beginning stages, washing spuds in a bathtub and a farmers market distribution to over 60 million in pounds sold. The Little Potato Company Ltd. holds the proprietary rights on all its varieties which are now sold through retailers and foodservice across Canada and the USA. Market demand has dictated plans for expansion both of fields and production facilities. With over 5000 acres of small potatoes grown in regions such as Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, PEI in Canada and California, Washington and Georgia in the USA and packing in Edmonton and PEI.  Paul UysSenior Director, External The Food Institute - The University of Guelph Guelph, Ontario Presentation Title - A retailers vision as to the opportunities and challenges facing the future of food innovation. Traditional Food Innovation in the retail sector has changed significantly in recent years. Global forces, Sustainability, Social Responsibilities, Consumer’s Lifestyle Preferences are now as critical as anticipating the next Foodie trend or technical breakthrough. Profile Paul is a senior executive with 40 years global retail experience specializing in brand creation, product development & sourcing. He was recruited from Woolworths South Africa to join Loblaw Companies, Canada’s largest supermarket, to head the emerging product development department of their control brands, the most famous being No Name and President's Choice brands, the latter being Canada’s the largest consumer brand. During his tenure as a senior executive he was responsible for the creation and launch of a number of highly acclaimed brand initiatives focusing on Organics, Healthy Eating and Perishable programmes. In his latter days he spearheaded its sustainable seafood procurement initiative and played a key role in establishing their responsible sourcing position "Food for the Future." After 25 years he retired from Loblaws, and he has become Senior Director, External; heading up the University of Guelph's Food Institute, and is an advisor to various organisations, including recently, WWF-Canada on strategic ocean industry matters. He is a board member of Ontario’s Livestock Research Institute (LRIC). In 2013 TV Ontario recognized his sustainable leadership efforts in the documentary series “Green Heroes”.  Rickey Yada, PhDProfessor and Dean, Faculty of Land and Food Systems University of British Columbia Vancouver, British Columbia Master of Ceremonies and Presenter Presentation Title - Emerging technologies and innovation in food science and technology: meeting consumer needs of the future. Recently we have seen the unprecedented growth of innovative technologies in all disciplines including food. Emerging and innovative technologies will be required to address issues such as food safety, food security/sustainability and food/diet/health. This talk will give an overview of some of the recent trends and emerging innovative technologies that are currently being examined and developed to address the latter. Profile Rickey Yada is currently the Dean of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, and Professor of Food Science at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Among other activities, he is the Scientific Director of the Advanced Foods and Materials Canada Network, the Vice Chair of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes, the President of the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST), is the North American Editor for Trends in Food Science and Technology and is on the editorial boards for several journals. He is the author of over 190 refereed journal publications and several book chapters. Dr. Yada is a Past President and Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology, as well as being a Fellow of the International Academy of IUFoST and the Institute of Food Technologists. |
Conference Agenda Download and view our agenda Save the Dates Tuesday, May 26, 2015 7:30 am to 5:00 pm Ingredients for Success, the Conference on Food Innovation 2015 Tuesday, May 26, 2015 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm Reception Tuesday, May 26, 2015 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm Alberta Food Awards Dinner Wednesday, May 27, 2015 7:30 am to 1:30 pm Ingredients for Success, the Conference on Food Innovation 2015 Registration to the conference includes, breakfast, speaker sessions, lunch and networking breaks on both days as well as the evening reception on Tuesday. Register to attend the Alberta Food Awards Dinner hosted by Alberta Food Processors Association being held on Tuesday, May 26, 2015 at the same hotel immediately following the reception. There is a separate registration fee for the Alberta Food Awards Dinner. Location Deerfoot Inn & Casino 1000, 11500 – 35 Street SE Calgary, Alberta T2Z 3W4 Register Now Online registration is no longer available. Registration will be available onsite at the Deerfoot Inn & Casino at 7:00am on Tuesday May 26, 2015 Quick Links Home Registration #IFSfood2015 |
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