Name: Change Management of Food Safety Culture: Effective Strategies for Achieving Greatness
Start: 2025-03-11T10:00:00-04:00
End: 2026-03-10T23:00:00-04:00

Implementing change management in food manufacturing often presents challenges. Common obstacles include resistance to change from employees who are accustomed to existing processes, the need for updated skill sets to adapt to new technologies or methodologies, and siloed thinking among departments or teams that hampers collaboration. Our esteemed speakers will provide insights into overcoming these barriers, with Dr. Lone Jespersen discussing how to assess and improve adaptability as part of your food safety culture (FSC), Hugo Gutierrez sharing his experience leading a successful FSC change program at a global food and beverage corporation, and Kim Crawford providing examples from Birchwood Foods' successful FSC transformation journey, addressing accomplishments, progress, and practical challenges.

Research shows that 70 percent of change initiatives fail to deliver the intended outcomes, and collected data indicate similar trends in FSC transformations. Understanding the experiences and strategies shared by our speakers will help attendees navigate these challenges and increase their chances of achieving lasting improvements in their organizations' FSCs.

By attending this webinar, participants will:

Recognize common challenges in food manufacturing change management, such as employee resistance and siloed thinking, and understand their impact on food safety culture transformations
Learn strategies for assessing and improving FSC within organizations, and gain insights on culture evaluation and enhancement to overcome obstacles
Gain practical knowledge on successful FSC change programs and transformation journeys from real-world experiences, enabling attendees to navigate challenges and achieve lasting improvements in their FSC initiatives

Speakers:

Lone Jespersen, Ph.D., Principal and Founder, Cultivate SA. Lone Jespersen, Ph.D. is a published author, speaker, and the Principal and Founder of Cultivate SA, a Swiss-based organization dedicated to eradicating foodborne illness, one culture at a time. Dr. Jespersen has worked with improving food safety through organizational culture improvements for 20 years, since she started at Maple Leaf Foods in 2004. She chaired the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) technical working group A Culture of Food Safety, chaired the International Association of Food Protection (IAFP) professional development group Food Safety Culture, and was the technical author on the BSI PAS320 Practical Guide to Food Safety Culture. Dr. Jespersen holds a Ph.D. in Culture Enabled Food Safety from the University of Guelph in Canada and a master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Syd Dansk University in Denmark. She is a visiting Professor at the University of Central Lancashire in the UK. Dr. Jespersen serves as Chair of the IFPTI board and as Director on the Stop Foodborne Illness board. She is also a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Food Safety Magazine and a member of the Educational Advisory Board of the Food Safety Summit.

Hugo Gutierrez, M.B.A., former Global Quality, Safety, Health and Environment Officer, Kerry. Hugo Gutierrez, M.B.A. has more than 28 years of experience within global companies, specializing in multicultural skills, people development, using technical knowledge to drive business growth, effecting cultural and behavioral transformation, and developing customer-based programs. He formerly worked as the Global Quality, Safety, Health and Environment Officer at Kerry. Mr. Gutierrez holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from Javeriana University and Executive M.B.A. and Top Global Management M.B.A. degrees from Icesi University.

Kimberly Crawford, Vice President of Human Resources and Safety, Birchwood Foods. Kimberly (Kim) Crawford is Vice President of Human Resources and Safety at Birchwood Foods. She joined Birchwood Foods in 2020 to oversee the company's Human Resources (HR) and Safety departments at each facility. Bringing over 20 years of HR and safety experience to the role, she leads Birchwood's HR and Safety programs, as well as Learning and Development, to attract and retain the best talent and maintain a safe workplace where every employee has the opportunity to grow and do their best work. Kim co-chairs the Meat Institute's Labor and Employment Committee, and is a member of the national and local Racine/Kenosha (Wisconsin) chapters of the Society for Human Resource Management.

Moderator: Adrienne Blume, Editorial Director, Food Safety Magazine

Sponsored By