Francine Shaw, CP-FS, FMP, is a food safety specialist, podcaster, speaker, entrepreneur, the Founder and CEO of Savvy Food Safety Inc., and the author of Who Watches the Kitchen? She has spent more than 30 years working in the foodservice industry and is committed to constantly evolving in the ever-changing landscape of foodservice. Her career has included performing services—such as operating partner, corporate/private trainer, health inspector, third-party inspector, and adjunct professor—in various sectors of the foodservice industry. Francine has also written hundreds of articles for national trade magazines and appeared on Dr. Oz, the BBC World Series Radio, and iHeart Radio as a food safety expert. 

Christian Ararat, M.Sc., M.Eng. is a food safety professional with more than ten years of experience in food safety and quality. After earning a bachelor's degree in Food Science from Valley University in Colombia, he began his career in the bakery industry, where he implemented and enforced good manufacturing practices (GMPs) and prerequisite programs. After moving to Canada, Christian joined Natursource Inc., a Montreal-based food manufacturing company dedicated to producing healthy snacks.

Savannah Applegate, Ph.D. is a Senior Consultant at Elanco Poultry Food Safety. Dr. Applegate received her B.S. degree in Meat Science from Ohio State University and her M.S. degree and Ph.D. in Applied Food Microbiology from Texas Tech University. Her areas of expertise are meat and poultry food safety, and she specializes in diagnostics and pathogen mitigation.

Alfredo Fernández, J.D. is an attorney and Partner at Shipman & Goodwin LLP. As a member of the firm's national Environmental Practice, Alfredo advises clients across industry types on environmental, health, and safety issues that arise in all areas of business operations. Risk management pertaining to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is one area of focus. Alfredo also counsels private and public entities regarding abatement of hazardous materials and conditions. He received his J.D. from University of Connecticut School of Law and holds a B.S. degree from the University of Michigan.

Edward G. Dudley, Ph.D. is the Director of the E. coli Reference Center and a Professor of Food Science at the Pennsylvania State University. He has a broad background in molecular biology, physiology, and foodborne bacteria genomics, with expertise in both beneficial and pathogenic species. His current research program focuses on factors that drive the virulence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and the development of DNA sequence-based methods for tracking pathogen spread during foodborne illness outbreaks, including wastewater monitoring. 

Phil Kafarakis is the President and CEO of IFMA The Food Away from Home Association, formerly known as the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association. He is responsible for overseeing IFMA's day-to-day operations and directing the activities of the association in support of its policies, goals, and objectives. Phil is a highly accomplished senior executive with broad experience leading major food industry companies and associations. He began his industry career in the manufacturing sector, successfully leading and managing businesses at Kraft, Jones Dairy Farm, Cargill, and McCormick & Co., where he also served on IFMA's Board of Directors. He also previously served as President of the Specialty Food Association (SFA) and as the Chief Innovation and Member Advancement Officer at the National Restaurant Association (NRA).

Mark Carter is the Senior Software Product Manager at Hygiena. He assumed the presidency of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) at the conclusion of the IAFP Annual Meeting in July 2024.

Mr. Carter has extensive international business and technical experience. He most recently served as COO of Matrix Sciences, as well as the Executive Vice President of Corporate Development, where he was responsible for Matrix Sciences Mergers and Acquisitions activity. He previously held positions as CEO of QC Laboratories and Corporate Vice President of Research and Development with the Silliker Group Corporation (now Mérieux NutriSciences). He has served within the food industry as Section Manager for Microbiology and Food Safety at Kraft Foods and Corporate Laboratory Group Leader at McKee Foods Corporation.