Programme 2023

After graduating in Economics at Università Bocconi and a Master of Science in International Public Policy at UCL (University College London), Matteo joined The Monitor Group, a strategy consulting firm supporting companies' business development in EMEA. He joined Barilla in 2008 and moved from Marketing to Innovation in 2012 to develop and launch CucinaBarilla, which he led as the CucinaBarilla Managing Director. In 2018 he was appointed Global Marketing Director at Barilla, leading the company's most dynamic and vibrating product categories with a global footprint. He is passionate about Food, business modelling, trends and innovation. He will be chairing the Food Innovate Summit for the second time and attending it for the third time.

After graduating in Economics at Università Bocconi and a Master of Science in International Public Policy at UCL (University College London), Matteo joined The Monitor Group, a strategy consulting firm supporting companies' business development in EMEA. He joined Barilla in 2008 and moved from Marketing to Innovation in 2012 to develop and launch CucinaBarilla, which he led as the CucinaBarilla Managing Director. In 2018 he was appointed Global Marketing Director at Barilla, leading the company's most dynamic and vibrating product categories with a global footprint. He is passionate about Food, business modelling, trends and innovation. He will be chairing the Food Innovate Summit for the second time and attending it for the third time.

Alberto Musacchio, together with his wife Malu and his son Damiano, have been vegetarians and have dedicated their lives to vegetarianism for over 30 years. He started out with a restaurant back in 1979 and he has been running the famous Country House Montali, which is considered one of the best vegetarian agritourism in Europe, for almost 40 years now. Furthermore, he published several best-sellers about veggie and vegan cuisine together with Malu Musacchio, who is considered one of the best vegetarian Chefs in the world. They sold them in 12 different countries and translated them into 5 languages. Alberto and his family decided to start their business in Umbria, considered the greenest region in Italy, since it perfectly represents their philosophy based on respect for the environment.
They created a brand-new factory which produces Food Evolution line, composed of plant-based meat analogues that are 100% natural, vegan, gluten-free, high-protein, low in fat, low-carb and easy-to-cook products. A distinct Italian accent is given to the clean label meat alternatives.
Arguments between vegans and omnivores have finally been overcome thanks to these products with the same taste and texture of meat which can satisfy all palates and fulfil different ethical and environmental needs.
After its debut in Esselunga supermarkets chain in Italy, Metro DE and other international players, Alberto Musacchio is ready to face new challenges both in Italy and all over the world with its 100% “made in Italy”products.

Laura is the Head of Brand & Communications at Onego Bio, a game-changing food-biotech company producing animal-free egg white protein with precision fermentation. Onego Bio’s ingredient Bioalbumen® is bio-identical to ovalbumin, the primary protein in egg white, so it provides all the same functionality and nutrition without the environmental, ethical and safety-related concerns of eggs from chickens. As a purpose-driven communications and sustainability professional, Laura is passionate about building a more sustainable future with delicious food innovations. She is experienced in communications, corporate sustainability, brand building, public relations and marketing in the field of alternative proteins. Laura has a Masters Degree in Food Science from the University of Helsinki where she studied Food Chemistry, Food Economy and Sustainability.

Stefania De Pascale is a full Professor of Horticulture and Floriculture at the University of Naples Federico II; she is also Vice-president and member of the board of directors of the National Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA, https://www.crea.gov.it/en/centri-di-ricerca). She teaches courses on Crop-physiology, Greenhouse horticulture and Landscaping and supervises BSc, MSc and PhD students. Since joining the Department of Agricultural Sciences in 1993, Stefania has performed numerous research in the field and in the greenhouse to determine the effects of environmental and cultural factors on plant growth and product quality on a wide range of vegetable and ornamental crops. Listed among the World's Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University, recent research activities include the setup of a Bioregenerative Life Support System based on the use of plants for food production, air regeneration and water purification and the effects of “Space environment” (i.e. microgravity and ionizing radiation) on plants. She is responsible for the Research Laboratory on Crop research for Space, including the PaCMAN Plant Characterization Unit (PCU) conceived as a crop research facility within the MELiSSA project (https://www.melissafoundation.org/), which is a joint long-term effort, led by the European Space Agency (ESA), focused on the development of a regenerative life-support system for air, water and food production in the sight of future long-term manned missions to Moon and Mars.

I am a food scientist, Editor in Chief of the Journal of Functional Foods, and R&D director of Arterra Bioscience. After 20 years of career at the University of Naples as a professor in Biochemistry, Food Chemistry and Functional Foods, in 2013, I became chair of the Food Quality & Design group at Wageningen University.

I published more than 450 publications in indexed journals covering many aspects of Food Science. These papers received more than 20.000 citations.

I work on the modification induced by food processing and, in particular, for the compounds formed through Maillard Reaction in coffee, cocoa, bakery and dairy products. Now, my research focuses on the design of innovative healthy foods adopting a food system perspective and the focus on gastrointestinal health. My challenge is to use a food design approach to tackle the two main issues of the food sector: feeding the planet in 2050 and counteracting obesity.

I am a food scientist, Editor in Chief of the Journal of Functional Foods, and R&D director of Arterra Bioscience. After 20 years of career at the University of Naples as a professor in Biochemistry, Food Chemistry and Functional Foods, in 2013, I became chair of the Food Quality & Design group at Wageningen University.

I published more than 450 publications in indexed journals covering many aspects of Food Science. These papers received more than 20.000 citations.

I work on the modification induced by food processing and, in particular, for the compounds formed through Maillard Reaction in coffee, cocoa, bakery and dairy products. Now, my research focuses on the design of innovative healthy foods adopting a food system perspective and the focus on gastrointestinal health. My challenge is to use a food design approach to tackle the two main issues of the food sector: feeding the planet in 2050 and counteracting obesity.

Martino Madelli is the Head of Deliveroo Hop Italy, the quick commerce branch of Deliveroo.
He has been working in the food delivery space for almost a decade, witnessing and shaping the evolution of this sector in Italy and Europe.

Tom Cheesewright is the Applied Futurist, helping people and organisations around the world to see the future more clearly, share their vision, and respond with innovation. Tom will help you and your audience to connect tomorrow’s world to today’s experience, and make sense of what’s happening next, and why. Tom’s clients include global 500 corporations, government departments, industry bodies and charities. Using a unique set of tools that he developed, and now teaches and licences to others, Tom finds the critical intersections between today’s macro trends and the existing stresses in each client’s organisation and sector.

João Brites is a regenerative entrepreneur, breakdancer, and Director of Growth & Innovation at HowGood, a research company with the world’s largest product sustainability database. Before HowGood, João was a Director of Sustainability at AB InBev and led impact ventures in the USA, Mexico, Portugal, and the Amazon Rainforest. João is an economist by training, a tropical agroforestry specialist, and is on a shared mission to make the business a force for the regeneration of life.

CHAOS PILOT and Expert at bringing structure, divergent thinking and convergent action to the chaos. An INNOVATIVE and PASSIONATE leader who loves to spend her time using HUMAN INSIGHTS to connect the dots and EXPERIMENT on solutions fit for the FUTURE Superpowers include CURIOSITY, COLLABORATION,  CREATION and a commitment to CONNECTION (people and ideas)
o   EXPERIENCE: Passionate change-maker that thrives on operating on the frontier and pushing the business into new places and spaces.  More than 20 years of experience across Local and Global Sales and Marketing roles.  Recent roles have focused on Human Intelligence and Strategy.   Currently leading a Global Agile Innovation team who are focused on delivering our future innovation pipeline for the next 3-5 years.  My previous role was in our Global Digital Acceleration Team, focused on building digital marketing and commerce capabilities within our markets around the world
o   Previously presented at ESOMAR conferences and Panels on Digital Moments that Matter and Agile research and across many research and digital forums
o   Member of Digital Shelf Institute Executive Forum, Zappi Insights Alliance, Voxpopme Customer Advisory board and Trendhunter Innovator Exchange

Danilo is the Head of the R&D – International B2C Division at Zuegg SPA. Danilo is currently Managing an incredible team with a very positive spirit strongly focused on improving core brand products and the development of new innovations such as ZUEGG “Zero Chemical Residue” fruit nectar and ZUEGG fruit compotes (with high fruit content and low sugar amount). His previous experience saw Danilo working as Process Technologist for Heineken Italy with the aim to re-organise production operations concerning the secondary fermentation stage of the beer and optimize the new facilities implemented for the secondary fermentation stage of the beer. He holds a Food Science and Technology degree from the University of Basilicata.

Bill Grand has been a successful entrepreneur for over 45 years. His experience has covered corporate management, sales, marketing, manufacturing, product development, retail, distribution, logistics and general administration. He has led companies to success in domestic markets, Canada & other international markets across a wide range of categories, including Retail & Private Label manufacturing, Direct Sales.

Over the last 13 years, he has built NutriFusion into a world leader in plant-based, nutritionally dense powders derived solely from fruits & vegetables.

Simon Carr is VP and Head of Evalueserve’s CPG practice. He has over 20 years of experience in the CPG space in innovation and IP-based roles. With Mondelez International, he was IP & OI Manager for their global coffee business and Crown Holdings as Global IP Manager. He has a degree in Engineering Design and a Postgraduate Diploma in Strategy and Innovation from the Säid Business School, University of Oxford. He has been a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, appearing in their 2016 production of King Lear.

Diana Mathew is a Space Applications Engineer within the Telecommunications and Integrated Applications Directorate (TIA-A) at the European Space Agency (ESA) where she works closely with businesses from space and non-space sectors to launch innovative services that make use of space assets. She has broad experience project managing R&D and innovation projects utilising space assets for applications and services for various sectors. She has a background in Telecoms/Satcoms Engineering and has been working mainly in Satellite Broadband and Optical communications areas prior to joining ESA.

Dr. Glenn Mathijssen is the CEO & Co-Founder of Alberts (alberts.be), leading a Belgium-based team focusing on food robotics and AI. The result is Vending 4.0 solutions for personalized fresh smoothies & hot soups and personalized nudging solutions. In the Alberts One stations, a variety of ingredients and brands can be hosted to create perfect blends in under two minutes. In Belgium, Alberts recently partnered with Alpro/Danone to serve blends with coconut and oat drinks to accelerate the advent of plant-based products. Alberts joined EIT Food as a Rising Food Star. Glenn holds a double degree PhD in Electro-Mechanical Engineering with speciality in Robotics and an M.Sc. degree in Management. In 2019, Glenn was chosen as Belgium's FITCE Young ICT Personality.

In 2008, Gary co-founded TraceGains and has been CEO since then. Gary has 30 years’ experience designing software and networks for food, beverage and supplement leaders.

Edward joined FutureBridge at the end of 2021. In his role as a senior analyst for food & nutrition, Edward is responsible for evolving and delivering FutureBridge’s techno-commercial syndicated research. He has a decade of experience in the food industry within retail and market intelligence roles. Along with his team of professionals from diverse fields, Edward provides insights and outlook to his clients on the future of food. He is a passionate speaker and storyteller – with a life goal to deliver a TED talk.

Dr. Georg Schirrmacher is the Managing Director of the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) Food Co-Location Center (CLC) Central in Munich/Freising.

EIT Food is the world’s largest and most dynamic agri-food innovation community. We accelerate innovation to build a future-fit agri-food system that produces healthy and sustainable food for all. We unlock innovation potential in businesses and universities and create and scale agri-food startups to bring new technologies and products to market. We equip entrepreneurs and professionals with the skills needed to transform the food system and put consumers at the heart of our work, helping build trust by reconnecting them to the origins of their food.

Since 2021 Georg Schirrmacher has been a member of the FACCE-JPI Stakeholder Advisory Board (StAB). The FACCE-JPI promotes the integration and alignment of national research resources under a common strategy.
Before joining EIT Food Georg Schirrmacher was Head of Science Network Management at Clariant, a globally leading speciality chemicals company. He was responsible for Clariant's scientific cooperation network, fulfilled the function of a global consultant being the main contact for scientific and technical cooperation and was responsible for public funding.

Until the end of June 2018, Georg Schirrmacher was chairman of the BIC Programming Working Group, an industrial working group about bioeconomy in Brussels. The BIC represents the private part of the public-private partnership "Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI JU)", which was launched in 2012 together with the EU and is one of the pillars of the European bioeconomy strategy.

 Prior to joining the industry in 2009, he was Manager for Strategy and Industrial Cooperation for the president´s office at Technical University of Munich (TUM).

 Georg Schirrmacher is Dipl.-Ing. agr. (Univ.) and received his doctorate from TUM.

Mark, CEO of Nature Force Technologies AG and Global Sales Director of ViCAP Systems Global AG, with  experience in Israel and internationally, is part of the management board of a joint venture of 2 companies:

Nature Force Technologies AG - R&D of functional ingredients for the beverage industry 
ViCAP Global AG - dispenser cap producer

Mark takes an active role in the joint venture company board to develop and commercialise functional beverages, which include clinically tested functional ingredients, ViCAP dispenser cap and naturally alkaline water because simply quenching thirst or tasting great is no longer enough; a drink must-do something.

David was appointed Senior Vice President, Global Business Development for Ocado Solutions in July 2022. He is responsible for growing and maintaining both current and potential new partner relationships. David joined Ocado in January 2012 as Head of IR and Corporate Finance. In September 2017, he was appointed SVP of North America for Ocado Solutions, where he led corporate partnership development activities in that region. Prior to Ocado, David was an investment banking Managing Director at DC Advisory Partners and Daiwa Capital Markets, advising companies on M&A, financing, strategy and other corporate finance matters. He is a Chartered Accountant, qualifying with Arthur Andersen as part of its Corporate Restructuring group before moving to Brunswick, the corporate communications consultancy.

After graduating in Economics at Università Bocconi and a Master of Science in International Public Policy at UCL (University College London), Matteo joined The Monitor Group, a strategy consulting firm supporting companies' business development in EMEA. He joined Barilla in 2008 and moved from Marketing to Innovation in 2012 to develop and launch CucinaBarilla, which he led as the CucinaBarilla Managing Director. In 2018 he was appointed Global Marketing Director at Barilla, leading the company's most dynamic and vibrating product categories with a global footprint. He is passionate about Food, business modelling, trends and innovation. He will be chairing the Food Innovate Summit for the second time and attending it for the third time.

Experienced FMCG executive with an international track record of leadership in fast-growth companies. Strong marketing background balanced by significant commercial experience in B2B services. An authentic and energetic leader who strives for positive social impact through commercial success.

Ilaria is Global marketing director with focus on Innovation. She has a strong international experience in FMCG since she has worked in different geographies developing new categories and launching new brands. She is now dealing with the setup of new business models and startups spin-off inside Barilla.

Alberto Musacchio, together with his wife Malu and his son Damiano, have been vegetarians and have dedicated their lives to vegetarianism for over 30 years. He started out with a restaurant back in 1979 and he has been running the famous Country House Montali, which is considered one of the best vegetarian agritourism in Europe, for almost 40 years now. Furthermore, he published several best-sellers about veggie and vegan cuisine together with Malu Musacchio, who is considered one of the best vegetarian Chefs in the world. They sold them in 12 different countries and translated them into 5 languages. Alberto and his family decided to start their business in Umbria, considered the greenest region in Italy, since it perfectly represents their philosophy based on respect for the environment.
They created a brand-new factory which produces Food Evolution line, composed of plant-based meat analogues that are 100% natural, vegan, gluten-free, high-protein, low in fat, low-carb and easy-to-cook products. A distinct Italian accent is given to the clean label meat alternatives.
Arguments between vegans and omnivores have finally been overcome thanks to these products with the same taste and texture of meat which can satisfy all palates and fulfil different ethical and environmental needs.
After its debut in Esselunga supermarkets chain in Italy, Metro DE and other international players, Alberto Musacchio is ready to face new challenges both in Italy and all over the world with its 100% “made in Italy”products.

Rita is Strategy Director Food & Beverage in Veeva, helping Food & Beverage companies to optimize the product journey across product development, regulatory and quality through modern cloud solutions.

Graduated in Chemistry, before joining Veeva Rita has developed her career in the Food industry, with +23 years of international experience in Quality Assurance and R&D roles.

Rita has worked at Unilever in the Foods & Refreshment Division for +20 years.

At Unilever, as Quality Manager, Rita has led the ISO 9001 certification process, built the Quality and HACCP systems and managed the different aspects of Food Safety, Hygiene and Quality, including being a qualified Auditor.

Rita has also covered various R&D roles in Unilever’s Ice Cream category, leading the innovation programs and teams for multiple regional and global brands and managing strategic and breakthrough innovation projects, including reshaping the ice cream portfolio leveraging on main trends in the area of Health & Wellness (low calories, high protein, dairy free, lactose free, organic)

More recently Rita has covered the role of R&D Director at Besana, leading European Company for nuts and dried fruit, where she has designed the Innovation governance with the objective to boost added value innovation.

As the founder of Eatable Adventures back in 2015, José Luis pioneered the nascent Food Entrepreneurship movement in Europe, which resulted in an emerging ecosystem of new companies that are improving the way we eat. He also led the launch of Gastroemprendedores, the largest global network of Food & Beverages Startup founders and entrepreneurs, reaching well over 25.000 individuals; similarly launched Food Business Angels, the first global network of early-stage investors in early stage phases of F&B startups. Before his involvement in the Food Space, he has been active in the innovation and new technologies industry for almost 30 years, working with international corporations like Cisco, Oracle, BBVA and Unisys as EMEA and LATAM new markets and emerging sectors development business directors. Educated as a Computing Engineer at Extremadura University, José Luis completed his tech studies with business and culinary studies at Stanford University —Graduate School of Business Executive Program – Le Cordon Bleu at Francisco de Vitoria University in Madrid — Diplôme de Cuisine – Reims Champagne- Ardennes University – Diplôme Universitaire DUGGAT – and Haas Business School Berkeley University – Venture Capital Executive Program.

With a background in Russian literature, Valeria found an outlet for her love for languages and food in KoRo in 2020, where she translates and coordinates other
translators and personally tests every single new nut butter. She always cared about the environment and the animals more than anything, but until KoRo crossed her path, she never knew how to help make a difference beyond personal life choices and actions.

Alice is currently Country Manager at KoRo Italy, and she is responsible for social media, sponsoring and public relations, besides coordinating the sponsoring activities of other countries. Her journey to this position was unconventional and unpredictable: after attending a journalism school, she graduated in Japanese at the University of Torino, then earned a Master's degree in Sustainability of Food Chains, followed by another Master's degree in startups and entrepreneurship. She sees her job at KoRo as a crossroads of her passion for communication, her interest in the sustainability of the food industry and her love for a challenging environment.

Eda Fetahu studied at the University of Udine Business Management, and then, in 2017, she majored in international business with a specific focus on innovation. Working experiences preceded the path within the Group in Norway concerning the European projects Horizon 2020 and the United States in the Made in Italy wine sector.

Now, she works as an Open Innovation Expert for Amadori, aiming to spread innovation within the company and design and manage internal and external innovation projects. She had previously led projects within the Amadori organisation concerning the Organization and Business Transformation area.

Since 2010, Paolo has held a Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Parma. He has over ten years of experience working for the Group and his current role is Milk Purchasing Quality Manager for the Parmalat and Nuova Castelli Bus. He has held positions of increasing responsibility within the Milk Collection management. Paolo is a member of the Lactalis Open Innovation team, where he interacts with creative start-ups to develop initiatives for milk quality, animal welfare, and stable sustainability.

Hélène's journey is a testament to the power of perseverance, innovation, and purpose-driven work. In 2004, she started her career at Adidas in China, where she quickly rose to leadership roles in retail, marketing, and e-commerce. She went on to establish the online business division, a testament to her forward-thinking vision for the company.

Hélène's passion for pushing boundaries led her to accept a challenge from Gucci to set up the very first online luxury store in China, a groundbreaking achievement that demonstrated her pioneering spirit. Her success in this role earned her a senior position at Gucci Headquarters in Italy as digital director, where she continued to make her mark.

One of Hélène's most significant accomplishments was the successful redesign and re-platforming of the new Gucci website, launched in 26 countries, in 10 languages, and with localized operations. Her hard work and dedication were essential to the project's success, cementing her reputation as a skilled innovator in the industry.

But it was after the birth of her children that Hélène realized her true calling. Witnessing the devastating effects of pollution on nature and health during her time in China, she felt a strong desire to focus on sustainable development. Driven by a sense of purpose, Hélène made the brave decision to quit the fashion industry and pursue a postgraduate diploma at Cambridge University, which she successfully completed in 2020.

Today, Hélène is the co-founder of inoqo, a purpose-driven start up that aligns with her values and commitment to making a positive impact on the world. Her journey serves as an inspiration to us all, demonstrating that with hard work, determination, and a strong sense of purpose, we can achieve great things and make a meaningful difference in the world.

Giulia is the Head of FoodTech Acceleration Platform (www.foodtechaccelerationplatform.io), an innovation services platform that since 2018 develops industrial projects between forward-thinking startups and leading international corporations through a customized and end-to-end approach. Previously Giulia was Innovation Director for Product and Services @Carrefour Headquarters in Paris.

Matteo is a Manager at FoodTech Acceleration Platform, with previous experience in Tech Consulting in the Consumer Industry. He has multi-year track record in supporting FMCG players in designing, setting up and executing successful open innovation global initiatives.
Previously Matteo used to be Innovation Consultant for an Appliances Market Leader and a Research Fellow on Strategy & Innovation topics.

Born in Sondrio in 1987, he obtained a degree in Organization and Human Resources from the University of Milan (2010) and an MSc in Management at Bocconi University (2012). During university, he founded his first startup dedicated to the world of events. Just after the master's, he approaches the world of consulting where, inside BTO Spa, he creates and grows his business unit. In 2014, he reached the position of COO but decided to devote himself to a new professional adventure: in 2015, he founded Winelivery, where he currently holds the position of CEO—nominated both in 2020 and 2021 Businessperson of the Year by Fortune Italia and in the Next 40 by Capital Italia. Today he actively collaborates as an advisor for various companies in the startup world, including Venture Box of Gellify. He is always devoted to sharing values and oriented toward growth; he chose in 2021 to publish his first book, "Fare Startup in Italia", which tells the knowledge collected in recent years to support the new generations of Italian entrepreneurs.

Laura is the Head of Brand & Communications at Onego Bio, a game-changing food-biotech company producing animal-free egg white protein with precision fermentation. Onego Bio’s ingredient Bioalbumen® is bio-identical to ovalbumin, the primary protein in egg white, so it provides all the same functionality and nutrition without the environmental, ethical and safety-related concerns of eggs from chickens. As a purpose-driven communications and sustainability professional, Laura is passionate about building a more sustainable future with delicious food innovations. She is experienced in communications, corporate sustainability, brand building, public relations and marketing in the field of alternative proteins. Laura has a Masters Degree in Food Science from the University of Helsinki where she studied Food Chemistry, Food Economy and Sustainability.

A former semi-pro rugby player, I have been in food all my adult life, having previously worked in managing restaurants. I love to eat out in London and try new things. I bring this mindset into my professional life, looking for ways to enhance innovation and solve consumer cravings.

My background has made me a driven and passionate marketer. I have had an eclectic career working on products ranging from artisan chocolate brands at Cocoa Runners to plant-based meats at Nomad Foods and back on snacking at General Mills. I have worked in start-ups and global companies, allowing me a broad perspective on business operations. Among my achievements, I helped to drive reconsideration of the Marmite brand as part of the Gene Campaign team and, through launching Marmite Reduced Salt and Project Managing Marmite Peanut Butter, bring in the next generation of lovers. I also returned Bovril to growth through 'creative nostalgia'. I designed a pack renovation process that allowed me to deliver 1500 artworks in 6 months at Vibrant Foods preventing our products from being delisted across Europe post-Brexit. I have developed the long-term pipeline for several brands with a strategic lens.

Eda Fetahu studied at the University of Udine Business Management, and then, in 2017, she majored in international business with a specific focus on innovation. Working experiences preceded the path within the Group in Norway concerning the European projects Horizon 2020 and the United States in the Made in Italy wine sector.

Now, she works as an Open Innovation Expert for Amadori, aiming to spread innovation within the company and design and manage internal and external innovation projects. She had previously led projects within the Amadori organisation concerning the Organization and Business Transformation area.

Claudia Vasquez is the founder and director of Origenal Story (www.origenalstory.com), which is a European consulting agency combining biodiversity with science, brands, and society.

Claudia is a visionary. Her 20+ years of corporate experience inspired her to connect with her initial profession she left for branding and marketing: agrifood journalism. Claudia is active as an international freelance journalist specialising in food and sustainable development trade publications (off-line and online).

Claudia’s passion for nature and for children led her to create new projects where she could bring a multicultural and multidisciplinary approach.

Dr. Matilda Freund holds a PhD in Food Science and Human Nutrition from the University of Florida. In 1990, she joined Kraft General Foods (now Mondelez) as a microbiologist in Tarrytown, NY. During her 32 year career at Mondelez, she held a variety of positions across a number of areas including; product development, production management, sanitation, quality, and food safety. Her most recent role was Vice President, Global Food Safety before she retired last October. Matilda has a passion for food safety and she continues to engage in the industry as Treasurer and Foundation Board member of the European Hygienic Design and Engineering Group (EHEDG) and Ambassador Director and Board Member of the Global Harmonization Initiative (GHI).

CHAOS PILOT and Expert at bringing structure, divergent thinking and convergent action to the chaos. An INNOVATIVE and PASSIONATE leader who loves to spend her time using HUMAN INSIGHTS to connect the dots and EXPERIMENT on solutions fit for the FUTURE Superpowers include CURIOSITY, COLLABORATION,  CREATION and a commitment to CONNECTION (people and ideas)
o   EXPERIENCE: Passionate change-maker that thrives on operating on the frontier and pushing the business into new places and spaces.  More than 20 years of experience across Local and Global Sales and Marketing roles.  Recent roles have focused on Human Intelligence and Strategy.   Currently leading a Global Agile Innovation team who are focused on delivering our future innovation pipeline for the next 3-5 years.  My previous role was in our Global Digital Acceleration Team, focused on building digital marketing and commerce capabilities within our markets around the world
o   Previously presented at ESOMAR conferences and Panels on Digital Moments that Matter and Agile research and across many research and digital forums
o   Member of Digital Shelf Institute Executive Forum, Zappi Insights Alliance, Voxpopme Customer Advisory board and Trendhunter Innovator Exchange

Founder and CEO of Edible Planet Ventures. G100 Global Chair 4 Food Innovation, Food Tech Junkies Podcast Host, Ecosystem Builder and Community Shaper, Board Member, Mentor and Advisor, TedX Speaker & Expert.

Using her extensive experience in communications and business, Sharon has been at the forefront of building and growing the global food and ag-tech ecosystem for the better part of a decade. Her work with start-ups, corporations, investors, policymakers, institutions, and youth landed her the title of one of Forbes’ most powerful women shaping the future of food.

She believes in connecting the dots, creating opportunities for others, and facilitating the collaboration that will lead to systemic change within the food system. This dedication to finding collaborative solutions and engaging the next generation has become the backbone of her new endeavour – Edible Planet Ventures, founded in 2021. 

This new project is a systemic platform that aims to reshape our food system by convening leading voices and visionaries to collaborate and innovate around the most pressing challenges of today and the future.

Recognized by Food Tank as one in 14 women to change the future of food, Sharon is active in several other roles. She currently is a Founding Board Member of the AgrifoodTech Italia Association, part of the scientific advisory committee of BAM - Biblioteca degli Alberi, and sits on the Advisory Board of the World Food Programme Italia. She’s also a mentor for both Rockstart Agrifood and the FoodTech Accelerator, on the advisory committee of two funds, part of the United for Regeneration-Now Partners team, and Global Chair for Food Innovation for the G100, a  group of global leaders all joined in a pact of purpose to create massive opportunities for women worldwide. 

Prior to launching her company, Sharon served as the CCO for Seeds&Chips, leading the development, planning, and execution of the signature event in Milan, consulting on high-level corporate strategies and open innovation methodologies, and growing into new markets such as the US and ANZ.

Work experience of 20 years in leading positions in quality assurance, quality control and system management in the food and beverage and retail sector.
Experience and knowledge of HACCP, IFS, BRC, ISO 14001, ISO 9001, KOSHER, and HALAL Standards, In-depth understanding of GFSI standards and legal regulations.
I am the Director of Internal Audit for Food Safety in the Fortenova Group in Croatia.
Fortenova Group is Food and Beverage Company with over 50,000 employees. It operates in three core divisions: agriculture, retail and food, and non-core operations in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Slovenia.

I am responsible for auditing the implementation of all legal requirements and internal standards related to food safety, quality control, consumer protection and the establishment of good laboratory and manufacturing practices within our manufacturing companies and retail business within our Group.

I am a Certified Internal Auditor, a Specialist in the area of the economy, an Internal Auditor for Quality Systems Management, Laboratory Management System NLP practitioner trainer.

Also, I am an Executive Business Coach and NLP practitioner