Advancing food safety business leaders to drive results for maximum impact

To become a better food safety leader, it’s important to have strong communication skills, be able to collaborate with cross functional partners and inspire trust from the team.  Learn this and more from a seasoned group of food safety professionals at the opening workshop Advancing Food Safety Business Leaders to Drive Results for Maximum Impact on Tuesday, May 7 at the Food Safety Summit. 

Targeted tools and resources will be discussed during this three-hour educational and interactive workshop, which can be applied at every level of the professional journey.

John Crabill, Chipotle Mexican Grill; Jorge Hernandez, The Wendy’s Company; Cindy Jiang, McDonalds – Retired; Deb Kane; J&J Snack Foods Corp; Spir Marinakis, Maple Leaf Foods; and Gillian Kelleher, Kelleher Consultants LLC and formerly with Wegmans, will share their insights as to why food safety leadership is critical to a successful career path and to the overall business. Topics that will be addressed include delivering messages that are crisp, clear, and powerful regardless of audience, storytelling, active listening, having difficult conversations, influencing without authority, understanding different cultural backgrounds and how to build a personal brand.  

The workshop will include two breakout sessions. The first will be led by Emma Gometz, Digital Editor with Science Friday heard weekly on NPR.  Gometz will lead an interactive session on how to communicate science to a non-technical audience. Attendees will learn how to apply the communication fundamentals to talk about food safety to various audiences from the company’s CEO to a line worker. Learn about the importance of active listening, how best to guide the conversation and walk away with tips to apply back at the office. 

Linda Manning, a leader in talent and organizational development and human resources who focuses on team dynamics will lead the second breakout session on navigating difficult conversations and tools that can be applied. Learn how to influence without authority and other development skills to become a good leader. After each breakout session, an executive summary will be provided to attendees and there will be a recap from the panelists sharing their insights as well. 

This workshop is perfect for the whole team or individuals who are actively looking to develop their leadership skills to advance in the food industry. This three-hour workshop is a wonderful professional development opportunity for food safety professionals in all sectors of the industry to learn from experts who will share their experiences, advice and lessons learned to help build up the food safety leaders of the future. 

Food safety professionals rely on strong leadership to navigate the complexities of the industry and uphold the highest standards of safety and quality. Make plans to join the Advancing Food Safety Business Leaders to Drive Results for Maximum Impact opening session from 8.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 7 at the 2024 Food Safety Summit at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, IL from May 6 to 9.  

The authors: Gillian Kelleher, CEO of Kelleher Consultants LLC and Spir Marinakis, Vice President of food safety, quality and technical services for Maple Leaf Foods.

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