Sally Lyons Wyatt is a recognized Food and Beverage thought leader in the CPG and retail industries and is a frequent keynote speaker and an authority on consumer eating and shopping trends. She is frequently quoted in national business and trade media outlets, such as The Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, Supermarket News and Candy and Snack Today. She has more than 25 years of industry experience and partners with clients to leverage big data, technology, Omni-channel media and cutting-edge ideas to help achieve better results and drive growth.
As an executive and practice leader for IRI’s Client Insights division, Sally is responsible for driving integrated initiatives as well as measuring their success within consumer strategy, consumer/customer insights, media, supply chain and personalization practice areas. Her vast experience includes managing and developing global account teams that service Fortune 500 companies
Debbie Reed was named Executive Director of the Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC) in May of 2019 upon the establishment of the Consortium and subsequently assumed the same role for the ESMRC upon the creation of the Research Consortium in November of 2019. Reed’s role in leading the ESMC builds on decades of experience in agriculture climate change mitigation and sustainability efforts at the national and international level. Previously, Reed led the Coalition on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (C-AGG), a national multi-stakeholder coalition, supporting the development of tools, support systems, knowledge, and programs to improve quantification of GHG from agriculture. Prior to her work with C-AGG, Reed worked at the White House Council on Environmental Quality as the Director of Legislative Affairs and Agricultural Policy and in the U.S. Senate as a Senior Staff on natural resource and agricultural issues for U.S. Senator Robert Kerrey of Nebraska. She has held numerous leadership positions at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, including special assistant to the Deputy Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics (REE) and special assistant to the Administrator of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS).
She has graduate and undergraduate degrees in human nutrition/dietetics, chemistry, and communications.
Scott Krakar is the Eastern Wheat Merchandising Manager at London Agricultural Commodities, Inc. based in London, Ontario. LAC is a major merchandiser of grains and soybeans, as well as feed ingredients and co-products in both domestic and export markets. LAC also owns and operates two country elevators, markets grain from 15 partner locations and an export terminal in the province. LAC is a subsidiary of Michigan Agricultural Commodities, Inc., a grain merchandising and elevator company with locations throughout the state of Michigan.
Scott graduated from the University of Guelph in 2001 with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Agricultural Business and has been involved in the Ontario grain business for 20 years. Scott lives on a cash crop farm near Thamesford, Ontario with his wife Brenda and their three children.
Ron was named the Senior Director Food Safety, Quality and Regulatory in the Research Quality and Technical (RQT) function for Ardent Mills in May of 2014. Ardent Mills’ operations and services are powered by more than 2000 associates, over 40 flour mills and bakery-mix facilities as well as a specialty bakery and Mobile Innovation Center, all located in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.
In his current role, Ron is responsible for leading the implementation and adherence to food safety and quality policies, training and development of quality and food safety personnel and regulatory compliance. Additionally, the FSQR team provides overall food safety, quality & regulatory strategy for the business.
Previous to Ardent Mills, Ron spent 14 years at Con Agra Foods/ConAgra Mills in quality, food safety and operational management positions.
Ron is a graduate of Brooklyn College – City University of New York - with a bachelor of science in Geology and currently pursuing a masters degree in food safety from Michigan State University. Ron and his wife Laurel currently reside in Denver, Colorado. They enjoy traveling, sports and the arts.
Marie has been working as a food safety and quality professions for over 10 years with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois. She began her career in the food industry as an intern in operations and has continued ever since. She has held positions at Nestle USA and General Mills before joining the McDonald’s system. About half of her experience has been plant-based, Quality and Regulatory supporting plant operations and the balance has been in supply chain management for McDonald’s Quality Systems. In her most recent role at McDonald’s, she provides Food Safety and Quality leadership to over 40 supplier facilities with responsibility for the Bakery and Baked Goods and Tortillas categories for McDonalds USA.
Mark Moorman is the Director of the Office of Food Safety at the Food and Drug Administration where he leads a team of professionals focused on improving the safety of our food supply. Prior to joining the FDA, Mark was the Senior Director of Global Scientific & Regulatory Affairs for the Kellogg Company in Battle Creek, MI with responsibilities for emerging food safety and nutrition technical and regulatory issues. Prior to joining the Kellogg Company in 1998, Mark spent 10 years with Silliker Laboratories as the Technical Director of Microbiology. Mark has his undergraduate and Ph.D. degrees from Michigan State University in Microbiology and Food Science.