Expert Details
Food Safety, Nutrition, Regulatory Matters, Health and Wellness, and Business Strategy
ID: 733920
Texas, USA
She is a recognized expert and leader in the areas of nutrition, food safety, and regulatory matters and routinely supports clients as expert witness. She is also an accomplished leader for the creation and execution of strategic change designed for business results. She successfully works at the interface of disciplines for solutions; including nutrition, food safety, innovation, regulatory, quality, and food science. She excels at strategic analysis and problem solving and builds coalitions designed for results. Expert has senior executive experience with the manufacturing and food service industries, trade associations and regulatory agencies in the Federal Government. Her business experience includes the creation, design and launch of innovative applications of global Quality and food safety management systems, supporting Quality and Product Development as cornerstones for successful business growth. She designed and executed nutrition strategy for a global business leading reformulation and product innovation designed to promote health. She recommends and leads implementation of business strategies and new products designed for success using health and wellness as a business platform. She drove the creation and implementation of novel internet-based information management systems for product lifecycle management, aligning Research & Development, Nutrition, Marketing, Quality, Procurement and Operations. She also designed and drove implementation of supplier food safety and Quality management programs with proven results for enhanced effectiveness and efficiency, with integration of sustainable agriculture practices.
Expert has senior leadership experience in multiple Fortune 200 businesses and has been Chief Executive Officer for a bakery manufacturing business, leading a safety, production, and quality turnaround. She also has extensive experience with Federal and state regulatory policies delivering regulatory compliance and food safety. She has been a leader in nutrition, food safety, and quality programs with experience in organizing and managing teams in the manufacturing and food service industries. As Assistant Administrator of USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, she was the third highest ranking leader in the agency of over 7500 professionals.
She is recognized by leadership teams and by her peers as a strategic visionary with strong business orientation and acumen, an innovative thinker, a decisive leader, and a demanding professional with extraordinary integrity and strong people skills. She is trained as a corporate media spokesperson and has exceptional communication and presentation skills.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 1986 | Degree: Ph.D | Subject: Food Science | Institution: University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana |
| Year: 1981 | Degree: MS | Subject: Food Science and Human Nutrition | Institution: Michigan State University, East Lansing |
| Year: 1979 | Degree: BS | Subject: Food Science | Institution: Pennsylvania State University |
| Year: 1992 | Degree: N/A | Subject: ISO 9000 Lead Assessor Program | Institution: Chipping Campden, UK |
| Year: 1990 | Degree: N/A | Subject: Senior Executive Management Program | Institution: Carnegie Mellon University |
| Year: 1978 | Degree: N/A | Subject: FDA Better Process | Institution: Control School, University Park |
| Year: 2009 | Degree: N/A | Subject: Agribusiness Seminar | Institution: Harvard Business School |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2008 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: President and CEO | Department: |
Responsibilities:• Consulting organization with focus on for food safety, health and wellness, regulatory compliance, labeling, food safety policy, and quality systems management.• Supports businesses with strategic guidance and problem-solving for food safety, regulatory compliance, and wellness platforms. • Supports businesses to prevent and manage food regulatory and food safety crisis situations; provides expert witness in litigation cases. • Directs new product development based on consumer trends and policy landscapes for health and wellness, and food safety. • Supports regulatory compliance and brand development for functional foods, dietary supplements, and medical foods. • List of Expert Witness cases available upon request. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2011 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Chief Regulatory and Science Officer | Department: |
Responsibilities:• Interprets scientific literature and data in order to identify emerging consumer market opportunities in the food and beverage business.• Creates sustainable business opportunities and customer-centric new product solutions for food and beverage, dietary supplement, pharmaceutical, foodservice, ingredient, and commodity board marketers. • Provides trend interpretation, forecasts and actionable market recommendations; strategic counsel on media, regulatory, safety, quality system, and scientific issues. • Develops cutting-edge product concepts with on-target marketing messages and regulatory claim positioning to protect and drive business. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2015 to 2015 | Employer: Landes Foods | Title: Chief Executive Officer | Department: |
Responsibilities:(designed to be short-term consultancy role)• Led a $26M bakery manufacturing business, based in Dallas, Texas. • Designed a turn-around for the privately-held company; building systems to drive improvements in safety, productivity, efficiencies, and quality performance. • Drove Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) quality systems implementation. • Changed the existing culture to one that is a safety, quality and recognition culture. • Delivered programs that reduced employee turnover and accelerate quality improvements. • Delivered programs that enhanced worker safety programs and processes. • Drove new business opportunities that will substantially expand revenue, and profitability; rationalizing the supply and customer base in order to improve margin and profit. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2010 to 2013 | Employer: Leavitt Partners | Title: Senior Advisor | Department: |
Responsibilities:Provided consulting on food safety, quality systems, and health policy issues. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2004 to 2008 | Employer: McDonald’s Corporation | Title: Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Quality, Food Safety and Nutrition Chief Quality Officer, | Department: |
Responsibilities:• Developed and implemented a nutrition strategy to support the global business.• Worked closely with Worldwide Marketing, Worldwide Communications and WW Menu Management (Research and Development) to implement and promote improved nutrition guidelines. • Served as a corporate media spokesperson on scientific issues including food safety, Quality and nutrition. • Developed and implemented an appropriate approach for engagement with key influence agents, including health professionals and consumer activists. • Led relationships with key food industry trade and professional associations. • Developed food safety systems to optimally support appropriate food safety standards and practices worldwide for suppliers and restaurants. • Led the development of a global supplier Quality management system and distributor Quality management system, including HACCP and statistical process control. • Led the development of criteria for classifying suppliers according to risk and assigning appropriate risk-based audit standards. • Led engagement for current and emerging food safety issues. • Developed proactive strategies to protect the Brand. • Sponsored the McDonald’s Food Safety Advisory Council. • Supported the Legal Team proactively and in litigation. • Led the corporate worldwide quality team. • Developed systems to optimally support quality standards and policies worldwide. • Improved quality practices system-wide in order to deliver world-class products to consumers. • Drove worldwide development and implementation of Quality management tools. • Initiated and led the development and implementation of a state-of-the-art internet-based information system for managing products, suppliers and menu worldwide. • Shared responsibility to support social responsibility policies for the global business, including animal welfare and environmental practices. • Led the reorganization of our European Supply Chain team, including Quality, Food Safety and Procurement. |
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Career Accomplishments
| Associations / Societies |
|---|
| • Faculty Member, 4th Annual Global Food Law and Policy Summer Academy, Italy • Member, Advisory Board, Greenonyx, LLC • Member, Advisory Board, Stonestop (a medical food) • Senior Advisor, PureTech Ventures • Council III (Science & Technology), Conference for Food Protection (CFP); Delegate, CFP, Council III • Former Member, American Heart Association Better Diet Business Committee • Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Food Laws and Regulations Division • Former Board of Directors Member, IFT (elected position) • Former Board Member,Ready By 21 (Youth Development Non-profit Organization) • IFT Food Executive Leadership Forum and Senior Food Official Engagement Committee • Grant Reviewer, US Department of Agriculture National Institute for Food and Agriculture (2011) • Charter Member, Armsby Honorary Society, Pennsylvania State University. • Member IFT (since 1978) and Former Chair Continuing Education Committee and Long-Range Planning Committee • Former Member, Pennsylvania State University Advisory Committee to the College of Agriculture; Former Member Volunteer Fund Raising Committee • Former Member: Pennsylvania 4-H Horse Program Endowment Committee • Former Advisory Board Member, AgriCapital Investments • Former Editorial Board Member and current reviewer, International Journal of Food Control. • Former Co-Chair, NFPA-SAFE Supplier Audit Council • Former US Delegate, FAO-WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission Food Hygiene Committee. • Former Co-Chair, HACCP Working Group, Codex Alimentarius Commission, Food Hygiene Committee • Former Member, US Delegation, FAO-WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission Committee on Import/Export Inspection & Certification. • Former Co-Chair, YouthPlaces Quality Program Committee, City of Pittsburgh |
| Licenses / Certifications |
|---|
| HONORS and CERTIFICATIONS: Graduation from Pennsylvania State University with Highest Distinction (First in Class) (1979) US Federal Government, Senior Executive Service (inducted 1990) Distinguished Alumnus, Pennsylvania State University College of Agriculture (1995) Fellow, Pennsylvania State University (2008) Fellow, Institute of Food Technologists (2009) Member, Cosmos Club (inducted 2011) Member, Phi Tau Sigma Honorary Society Registered Dietitian Certified Food Scientist |
Additional Experience
| Expert Witness Experience |
|---|
| Available upon request. |