Lone Jespersen is the principal at Cultivate, an organization dedicated to helping food manufacturers globally make safe, great-tasting food through cultural effectiveness. Lone has significant experience with food manufacturing, having previously spent 11 years with Maple Leaf Foods. Following the tragic event in 2008 when Maple Leaf products claimed 23 Canadian lives, Lone led the execution of Maple Leaf's food strategy and its operations learning strategy. She holds a master's degree in mechanical engineering from Syd Dansk University (Denmark), and an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in food science from the University of Guelph (Canada).  

Marie Tanner joined the Dairy Farmers of America in 2017. She is currently the senior vice president of food safety and quality. Prior to that, Marie was the global chief food safety and quality, health, safety, and environment management at Kerry. Before Kerry, Marie held various quality leadership roles at PepsiCo and Godiva (Ulker). Marie holds an M.Sc. in food science from Rutgers University. She formally served on the board of SSAFE, a global nonprofit working to integrate food safety, animal health, and plant health across food supply chains. 

Neil Coole is the director of food and retail supply chain at BSI Americas. In 2015, Neil joined BRC Global Standards to head up their global key account strategy, engaging key industry brand owners, manufacturers, and retailers to understand their requirements from a risk solutions perspective. He was the subject matter expert on BRC Global Standards' new strategy on food safety and quality culture excellence, working with manufacturers on how to embed a culture of food safety and training food manufacturers, brand owners, and suppliers on the important topic of food safety and quality culture excellence. 

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to the panel [11:46] about:

• Organizational culture and how it influences food safety
• How a company's culture is created from the top down 
• How food safety culture can and should give an organization a competitive edge
• COVID's impact on food safety culture
• Why the idea of "implementing" a food safety culture is problematic
• Some wrong ways to go about creating change within an organization's culture
• Diversity and inclusion, and how they play a role in changing a company's culture
• How to begin undoing a history of complacency within a company's current culture
• Tips for improving and sustaining a positive culture

Food Safety Culture Articles 
Supply Chain and Food Safety Culture - Feb/March 2017 
The Supply Chain and Food Safety Culture: Primary Production - April/May 2017 
The Supply Chain and Food Safety Culture: Distribution - June/July 2017 
The Supply Chain and Food Safety Culture: Processing - Aug/Sep 2017  
The Supply Chain and Food Safety Culture: Foodservice - Oct/Nov 2017  
The Supply Chain and Food Safety Culture: Retail - Dec/Jan 2018 
Supply Chain and Food Safety Culture: Sector Leaders Sharing Their Challenges and Recommended Practices - Feb/March 2018

Resources
Cultivate Maturity Model
BSI - Cultivate Food Safety Culture Postcard 
BSI - COVID-19 Safe Working Guidelines 
BSI - Workplace Hygiene Solutions Brochure 
BSI - Workplace Hygiene Solutions Video
BSI - UK's National Standards Body - COVID-19 Response 

News Mentioned in This Episode
EU's Draft Amendment of Hygiene Legislation Includes Focus on Food Safety Culture [2:07] - see official draft regulation document 
FDA Announces the Voluntary Phase-Out of by Industry of Certain PFAS Used in Food Packaging [3:46] | The Growing Challenge of Safe Water Use for Food Processing Operations
UMASS Food Scientist Secures Grant to Develop New Method for Cleaning Peanut Butter Off Food Processing Equipment [7:42] 

Adam Holt, BCE is a Board Certified Entomologist with decades of hands-on experience. He is the Founder and Principal Consultant at NameDatBug, a pest control consulting firm grounded in real-world success across every level of the pest control industry. Adam has held executive roles at several PCT Top 100 companies and brings unmatched industry expertise to every engagement. He holds a patent for an electronic rodent monitoring device, has worked in pest control software development, and has collaborated closely with manufacturers and distributors on both product design and market strategy.

Shannon Sked, Ph.D., BCE is an entomologist and the National Technical Director at Orkin. He received a B.S. degree from Rutgers University, an M.S. degree in Entomology from Penn State University, and a Ph.D. from Rutgers' Urban IPM Entomology lab. Dr. Sked's research focuses on distribution and temporal modeling of insect and rodent communities in order to design effective pest management programs. He began his career as a Navy Entomologist overseeing structural pests, specifically focusing on pests related to imports, exports, and within the logistics chain for Navy operations. He had the unique opportunity to practice applied entomology and invasive species management in the Middle East, North Africa, the Caribbean, and the eastern shore of the U.S.  

Michael Ciepiela is Vice President of Quality and Continuous Improvement at Southern Specialties. He brings over a decade of diverse experience in the food and beverage industry, along with experience in the pharmaceutical sector, specializing in quality assurance and food safety. Throughout his career, he has excelled in multi-site implementation and adherence to GFSI requirements and regulations. Michael has also been instrumental in promoting and educating Lean Six Sigma principles in fast-paced, cross-departmental settings. As a recognized thought leader, he frequently speaks at national conferences. He is also a senior member of the American Society for Quality (ASQ). Michael holds a bachelor's degree in Biology from Alfred University and a Six Sigma Master Black Belt from Villanova University.

Mindy Brashears, Ph.D. is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Under Secretary for Food Safety. She previously served as Under Secretary for Food Safety from 2020–2021, and Deputy Under Secretary in 2019. Dr. Brashears returns to USDA from Texas Tech University, where she was a Paul Whitfield Horn Distinguished Professor of Food Safety and Public Health, the Roth and Letch Family Endowed Chair for Food Safety, and the Director of the International Center for Food Industry Excellence.

Carmen Rottenberg is a leader in food safety and agriculture policy, serving as Managing Director of Groundswell Strategy a Board Member for the Partnership for Food Safety Education. Prior to launching Groundswell Strategy, Carmen served as Administrator of USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. Over her 13 years with USDA, Carmen held several leadership roles and was credited with spearheading key agency initiatives including modernizing food safety inspection systems and establishing and updating pathogen performance standards. Carmen has extensive experience achieving collaboration across federal, state, and municipal agencies including with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), with state departments of agriculture and across USDA's 29 agencies and offices.

Jules Shepard is the CEO and Founder of gfJules, the number-one‑voted gluten‑free flour and baking mixes company in the United States. A recognized gluten‑free baking expert, she has authored three award‑winning books in the field and recently released a new cookbook dedicated to gluten‑free bread. A long‑standing and respected leader in the gluten‑free and food allergy community, Jules championed the gluten‑free food labeling movement in 2011. Her tireless advocacy, education, and lobbying efforts culminated in her receiving the first‑ever "Gluten Free Person of the Decade" award in 2020.

Lily Yasuda is the Deputy Director of the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness, where she leads national initiatives that bring together food industry leaders to strengthen food safety culture and support continuous learning across the sector.

Athenais Boeffard is a collaborative and people-focused production leader with over a decade of experience in food manufacturing and food safety. 

John Boyce has over 45 years of experience in various aspects of food production, food safety, quality assurance, sanitation, training, and auditing.