Luca Galizia is an Italian-qualified lawyer with 15 years of professional experience, including over 8 years specializing in food, feed and packaging law, trade compliance, and regulatory affairs. Founder of Lexfood.it and a start-up in the spirits sector, he is currently Senior Associate at the international law firm Keller and Heckman LLP, in the Brussels office, with past roles in both private practice and in-house environments.

Vincent Nguyen started his procurement journey at L’Oréal, managing diverse packaging categories before moving into ingredient sourcing at Danone. Today, he leads strategic procurement and drives the Business Continuity Plan strategy for all ingredients, ensuring resilience and reliability across the supply chain. Vincent holds a double master’s degree in Management and Procurement. His work focuses on global strategy, consumer-centricity, and strong partnerships to create anti-fragile supply chains and accelerate innovation for products that serve consumers and patients of Danone worldwide

Pauline Marcelli is a global procurement leader with experience across diverse industries, from luxury to food and beverage. At Danone, she managed the global portfolio of flavors and colors before moving to starches, where she focuses on specialty starches for dairy applications, medical nutrition, and baby food. Her role combines strategic sourcing with customer-centric innovation, ensuring resilient supply chains and cost-competitive ingredients. As key point of contact for specialty ingredients sustainability strategy and a Cambridge Sustainability Institute alumna, Pauline plays a central role in translating the Danone’s ambitious goals - net zero emissions, biodiversity protection and regenerative agriculture - into concrete sourcing actions to deliver both business performance and measurable environmental impact.

Maria Luiza is an experienced and accomplished professional with over 18 years in the food industry, including 15 years dedicated to the B2B specialty ingredients market. She currently leads strategies for systems and texturants across South LATAM at IFF, driving innovation and customer-centric solutions. Her career journey includes key roles in product management and marketing in companies such as BASF and Cargill, as well as regional account leadership at Givaudan, giving her a unique perspective on market trends and customer needs. With a background in Food Engineering and a MBA in Marketing, Maria Luiza is passionate about transforming challenges into opportunities and fostering collaboration to deliver impactful results.

Nesha Zalesny brings over 20 years of technical expertise in the food industry. She began her career with 12 years at CP Kelco in R&D and Technical Service, where she created formulations and prototypes across a wide range of applications, from baked goods and dairy to dressings and sauces. She later served as Director of New Product Development at Javo Beverage, leading consumer product innovation, and then moved into technical sales and service at Fiberstar, focusing on clean-label solutions for diverse food applications. Since joining IMR in 2019, Ms. Zalesny has leveraged her technical and commercial expertise to deliver comprehensive solutions to clients, including hydrocolloid training, test development, product development consultation, market intelligence, and ingredient sourcing. She holds a B.Sc. in Food Science from Brigham Young University and an MBA from California State University San Marcos.

Conrad Fessler is Senior VP Purchasing at the HARIBO Group, the international market leader in fruit gums, jellies and liquorice segments. He has extensive experiences in Supply Chain and Purchasing of different categories as packaging and commodities. As an economist Conrad has started his career in Finance at Unilever before moving into Purchasing roles at Unilever, Danone and Haribo. HARIBO is worldwide one of the largest processors of Gelatine, 100 Million Goldbears leave the production lines every day. The company was founded 100 years ago by Hans Riegel and is since there family owned with a HQ in Germany with 13 factories in Europe and Brazil. USA is coming soon. After many years abroad Conrad is currently living in Germany and Luxembourg is married and has two children.

Margie leads Ashland’s global nutrition business development efforts with a focus on global strategic account management and execution to achieve business goals. She also identifies new market segments and develops strategies, targets and milestones to measure performance against aggressive growth goals. She develops webinar content, sales tools and media messaging to support the growth of Ashland's nutrition business, with particular emphasis on focus market segments. She has been in the specialty ingredient industry for over 25 years. Margie has a BS in Biology from The University of Michigan and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management, where she graduated with Honors.

Alejandro González Navech is Director of Innovation, R&D, Quality, and Nutrition & Health at Pascual since 2022. He holds a degree in Chemical Sciences from the Autonomous University of Madrid, specializing in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and has over 25 years of experience in the food industry, particularly in the dairy sector. Before joining Pascual, he conducted research at the Complutense University of Madrid and built a 23-year career at Danone, where he held senior roles in R&D, Quality, and Commercial Operations, working mainly at a global level and spending a decade based in Paris and London.

Paulo Fernandes is an Ingredient Expert and has been with Nestlé since 1992. He is a graduate of Oporto University in Food Biochemistry with a PhD in Biotechnology and Food Engineering from Portuguese Catholic University. Paulo did a Post Doc on Food Technology at the Nestlé Research Center in Lausanne. Paulo has published papers on hydrocolloids and participated in patents related to food applications.

Dr. Demeng Zhang, is VP of Qingdao Bright Moon Seaweed Group, one of the largest seaweed processing companies of China based in Qingdao. He is also Deputy Director of the National Laboratory of Marine Food Processing and Safety. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), recognize Dr. Zhang as an expert in Advanced Manufacturing and Technology. Dr. Zhang specializes in processing of brown algae for the extraction of alginates and bioactives for food, pharma and biomedical applications. He led the groundbreaking achievement of domestic production of ultra-pure sodium alginate for implantable medical devices. He has directed and participated in multiple national and provincial key R&D programs. He has been awarded First Prize of China Light Industry Federation Science and Technology Progress. An accomplished researcher, Dr. Zhang has co-authored eight books/book chapters and holds 15 invention patents, including two PCT patents. His work continues to drive advancements in marine bioresource utilization, bridging the gap between scientific discovery and industrial application.

Svjetlana is a global executive with more than two decades of leading strategic commercial initiatives partnering across mining, manufacturing, distribution, SMEs, multinationals, and FMCG sectors. As Global Head of Raw Materials Procurement at ICL, she has played a key role in transforming the procurement function from a local to a global organization and advancing corporate sustainability goals through implementation of Sustainable Procurement practices, Climate Impact programs, and leading Scope 3 decarbonization efforts. With deep expertise in building cross-sector and public–private partnerships, Svjetlana works at the intersection of supply chains, sustainability, and innovation—bringing a systems perspective to more regenerative future of agri-food ecosystems. She speaks and runs panels on gender equality, sustainable system transformation, and leadership for impact. She holds a B.Sc. in Chemistry from McGill University and a Global Executive OneMBA from Erasmus University. Svjetlana serves on the Advisory Boards of the Fertilize Show and Women in Chemicals and is a member of IMAGINE, a global leadership community for impact.

Dennis has worked in England, France, Belgium, and since 1980, has been based in San Diego, California. He has a bachelors in Mechanical Engineering and a masters in Industrial Marketing from Bathy University. He worked as an engineer for Foster Wheeler, as a consultant for C.H. Kline S.A. in Brussels, and for Kelco (then a division of Merck) in Brussels and San Diego. He was closely involved in the market development of many new biopolymers to follow xanthan in the marketplace. In 1985, Dennis founded IMR International and has since focused his attentions on the food hydrocolloid markets worldwide. The Quarterly Review of Food Hydrocolloids was launched in 1991 and has become established as THE source of independent and objective hydrocolloid information. The Food Hydrocolloid Conference was launched in 1996 and has become the annual networking center for hydrocolloid executives worldwide. Dennis loves to travel and thrives on people connections which are the essence of IMR's activities. He has attended the trade shows (IFT, FIE, FIC etc.) and built close personal relationships since the inception of IMR in 1985.

James P. (Jim) Zallie was appointed president and CEO of Ingredion in January 2018 and elected to the Board of Directors in September 2017. He previously served as executive vice president, global specialties, and president of the Americas. Zallie joined Ingredion in 2010 when the Company acquired National Starch LLC, a $1.2 billion leader in specialty starches. During his tenure, Zallie was instrumental to the successful execution of Ingredion’s Strategic Blueprint for Growth overseeing responsibility for the global specialty portfolio, which has grown to 33 percent of the Company’s revenues. Zallie was the architect of Ingredion Idea Labs, a global network of innovation centers that fosters customer collaboration and drives innovation, product development and growth. He also led the integration of several key acquisitions, including Kerr Concentrates, Penford Corporation, PureCircle, TIC Gums, Verdient Foods Inc. and Western Polymer. Prior to Ingredion, Zallie served as president and CEO of National Starch, where he developed and executed a comprehensive strategy focused on asset productivity, people development, innovation, and emerging market growth. During his four-year tenure, compound annual sales grew by double digits. Zallie earned a bachelor’s degree in food science from Pennsylvania State University, and both a master’s degree in food science and technology and a master’s degree in finance from Rutgers University. Zallie serves on the boards of The Executives' Club of Chicago, Northwestern Health Network and Sylvamo Corporation.

Markus has been since 2021 with Azelis, a fully integrated solution provider for specialty chemicals and food ingredients distribution. Markus is responsible for partnerships, business development and innovation with principals (manufacturers), particularly in the life sciences sector. As Technical Director, Markus also manages 14 application laboratories for Food and Nutrition in Europe, Middle East, and Africa, which support all product categories of food, beverages and nutraceuticals. Markus has been working in the nutrition ingredients industry for over 25 years. Before joining Azelis, he was responsible for research & development and technical marketing at BASF Germany in the nutrition & health division. Markus holds a PhD in biology from the University of Göttingen. He completed his scientific work with a postdoc at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. His knowledge of hydrocolloids comprises (i) their enzymatic degradation, (ii) their use in formulations of fine chemicals such as vitamins and carotenoids, and (iii) their application in the food and beverage sector in various technical and commercial contexts.

Xavier Martin is the Product Line Director for Carrageenan & Biopolymer at Cargill. He also currently serves as President of Marinalg, the international trade association representing the seaweed extracts industry. Xavier holds an MBA from EDHEC Business School and a Master’s degree in Dairy Industry Technology from ENSAIA Engineering School in France. He began his career in 1990 at Senoble in France, where he developed a wide range of innovative dairy products and was first introduced to the world of hydrocolloids. In 1995, he joined FMC Corporation in Brussels as European Application Group Manager. There, he played a key role in developing successful texturizing solutions, including a pioneering functional system based on microcrystalline cellulose for stabilizing protein beverages—an innovation that achieved global success. Following the completion of his Executive MBA, Xavier transitioned into more commercially focused roles. He served as Key Account Manager for major European dairy companies, then as Area Sales Manager for the Middle East and Africa, and later as Commercial Development Manager. In each of these roles, he successfully expanded hydrocolloid business opportunities worldwide and contributed to the strategic growth of FMC Biopolymer. In 2013, Xavier joined Cargill, where he has since led the Carrageenan and Biopolymer business, driving innovation, global market development, and long-term strategic success.

Veronica Jaramillo is a Montreal-based food scientist and science communicator with a Master’s degree in Food Safety from McGill University. She is the co-founder of The Food Truth Project, a science communication initiative dedicated to combating misinformation in food, nutrition, and agriculture while promoting media literacy and healthier relationships with food. As an international speaker, Veronica has delivered more than 30 workshops across North America, reaching over 5,000 people in person, and her content on her platform @foodtruthproject has been viewed more than 500,000 times. Her talks help audiences recognize misinformation, understand why it spreads so effectively, and learn how to communicate science with clarity, empathy, and impact. A dynamic and engaging communicator, Veronica also collaborates with the Unbiased Science podcast and platform, where she develops accessible communication materials that debunk viral trends and clarify complex topics in food and nutrition. With experience spanning academia, government, and public-facing communication, she brings an energetic and evidence-based perspective to food science. Veronica is passionate about making scientific information accessible, strengthening trust within the food system, and empowering consumers and professionals alike with the tools to navigate today’s challenging information landscape.