The 2024 Veeva Industries EU Summit brought together over 100 participants from over 40 organizations. 

Matthieu Cassier
Chief Transformation & Digital Officer, Research & Innovation
L'Oréal

Matthieu Cassier is Vice President R&I Chief Transformation and Digital officer at L'Oréal Research and Innovation. He is enhancing the company's century-old legacy of innovation model, with a steadfast commitment to sustainability and cutting-edge performance.

Central to Matthieu's approach is his commitment to the human aspect—empowering a team of 4,000 diverse and dedicated researchers to lead the digital transformation within the scientific domain. By harnessing the power of data, digital tools, and advanced technologies, he aims to amplify their expertise and position them at the heart of a robust, interconnected science and technology factory model.

Prior to his current role, Matthieu held various leadership positions, each underscoring the importance of innovation to meet unique consumer needs across the globe. From directing L'Oréal's Research Hubs in the South Hemisphere and Japan, to leading Global Categories such as Luxury Skincare and Photoprotection and Hygiene. In all those roles, he focused on creating and leveraging disruptive innovations to meet the unique needs of consumers in pivotal markets such as Latin America, Southeast Asia, China... These roles have reinforced his belief in the power of cultural diversity and the intrinsic value of human connections in propelling L'Oréal's success.

With a background in chemical engineering, Matthieu's diverse experiences have deepened his appreciation for the 'human magic' that fuels progress. He believes in the symbiotic relationship of technology and human ingenuity and is dedicated to nurturing a culture of innovation, collaboration, and cultural empathy within L'Oréal.

Zoltan Syposs
Senior Vice President, Chief Quality, Safety and Environmental 
CocaCola

NATASHA ZUYEV
Chief Quality Officer
Kenvue

Natasha Zuyev is the Chief Quality Officer for Kenvue where she leads the Global Quality, Regulatory Compliance, Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) and Occupational Health teams. Prior to her current role, Natasha served as Vice President and Chief Quality Officer for Johnson & Johnson (J&J’s) Consumer Health business, playing a critical role in the separation of this business, and the founding of Kenvue.

Natasha began her tenure with J&J in 2013 as Vice resident of Consent Decree, holding various positions of increasing responsibility over the next decade. Prior to joining J&J, Natasha held a variety of Quality and Compliance positions at Merck and Schering-Plough.

Berenice Vettore
Global Chief Quality Officer
Estée Lauder

Berenice is a dynamic leader who has extensive experience overseeing Quality organizations at multinational consumer goods companies. She joined ELC from Danone, serving as Senior Vice President of Quality and Food Safety, and oversaw a team of over 4,500 people covering Quality for all Danone businesses. Previously, she held other senior quality roles at Danone, Unilever, and Reckitt Benckiser.

She has strong international experience having worked in EMEA, APAC, and Latin America, and overseeing quality teams worldwide. She also has a foundational understanding of the end-to-end Supply Chain function—having started her career in plant management. Berenice has relocated from Paris to New York for this role. She is originally from Brazil and has degrees in Food Engineering and an MBA from Universidade Estadual de Campinas.

Aldo Caceres
Chief Quality Officer 
Beiersdorf

Aldo leads end to end Quality and Global Crisis Management at Beiersdorf. In his current role he has driven a significant cultural and functional leap – to position Quality as a top priority and as a strategic advantage. He will be sharing more about the key challenges, achievements and learnings of this ongoing journey.

He has built his career primarily within Supply Chain Manufacturing, Quality and Sustainability - across different FMCG categories and companies - primarily in Europe and Latin America.

Monique Pellegrino
Chief Food Safety & Quality Officer
Ferrero

Monique Pellegrino, FERRERO Chief Food Safety & Quality Officer, has more than 30 years of experience in leading diverse functions in international environments: Quality & Food Safety, Regulatory Affairs, R&D, Innovation and strategic programs.

After a first experience of research in Molecular Biology at the USDA of Berkeley in California, she joined Coca-Cola Company in 1992 where she successively led Quality & Environment and Process Operations. In 1998, she entered Lesaffre Group as Quality, Environment & regulatory affairs Director before being appointed Group Performance Enhancement Program Officer in 2003. She moved to the position of Group Innovation Director in 2005 and became R&D and Innovation Director in 2008. Monique joined Danone in 2010 as Functional brands / Innovation R&D Director and was then appointed Science & Technology Director in 2012.

In May 2016, Monique was nominated Strategic Transformation Director, acting as the catalyst of strategic initiatives towards Danone 2020 ambition. She was nominated Vice President Danone Food Safety Center in November 2017 and was then promoted Vice President, Chief Food safety Officer in March 2019. with the mission to drive the Food Safety governance further up in all Danone businesses and deploy a robust Food Safety Management System based on latest science and advanced technologies across the organization.

In May 2023, Monique Pellegrino joined Ferrero as Chief Food Safety and Quality Officer.

Jos Wellekens
Senior Vice President, Quality & Food Safety
Danone

Jos Wellekens is currently the Senior Vice President , Quality & Food Safety for Danone , a role he assumed in May 2023 . In that capacity he has the accountability for the development and implementation of the global quality strategy for the whole product portfolio . He is also responsible for the development , the implementation and the governance of all quality & food safety related processes and procedures across the full supply chain , from the procurement of the ingredients and packaging materials till the management of the consumer voice input and every step in between . He is a global quality leader and expert at developing and implementing quality management systems , using appropriate statistical tools and data analytics , designed to secure the consumer experience and to drive continuous quality improvement . He has an extensive experience across multiple industries having worked for Monsanto ( chemicals) , The Coca-Cola Company ( beverages ) and Philip Morris International ( electronics and medical devices ) in different parts of the world before joining Danone . Jos holds a Masters degree in Electromechanical Engineering from Ghent University in Belgium , a masters degree in Quality Management and is a certified ISO auditor

Olivier Mignot
Vice President Global Quality Management 
Nestlé

Olivier is Vice President and Global Head of Quality at Nestlé. His career with Nestlé expands over more than 35 years in various science, technology and operations positions with increased leadership responsibilities. Prior to his current role, he was Head of Operations for Nestlé Health Science (NHSc), where he was instrumental in the successful integration and leadership in Operations, with a largely diversified portfolio of NHSc products and acquisitions. Before joining NHSc, Olivier has held several positions at Nestlé in the United States and Canada, responsible for driving and overlooking manufacturing facilities, corporate technical functions and quality management.

He also held various leadership positions in the Research & Development area, at the Nestlé Research Center in Lausanne, as well as in various Nestlé Product Technology Centers in France and in Switzerland

Alberto Prado
Global Head of Digital & Partnership for Research & Development
Unilever

Alberto is the Global Head of Digital & Partnerships at Unilever R&D. He leads the Digital Transformation of R&D to maximize the value of data and AI for scientific discovery, process engineering, and new business models. He also leads external ecosystem engagements to accelerate innovation through collaboration.

Prior to Unilever, Alberto set up and led the Digital Innovation Accelerator at Royal Philips to boost innovation and a culture of entrepreneurship. During that period, he chaired the AI Council, providing oversight and steer on company-wide AI-related investments in innovation. Previously, he led the innovation transformation program that delivered the first wave of Philips connected consumer products (IoT) and new business models.

Alberto started his professional career in management consulting, followed by executive roles at NEC, Symbian Software, and Nokia. He graduated in Engineering and Economics at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany) and holds an MBA from INSEAD (France).

Marie Tanner
Senior Vice President, Global Head of Quality
Reckitt

Marie is the Senior Vice President and Global Head of Quality for Reckitt, encompassing the Health, Hygiene and Nutrition business units. She relocated from the US to London for this role. Marie’s has over 30 years of experience in a variety of senior quality leadership roles across PepsiCo, Kerry, Godiva and DFA. She has had responsibility for food safety, quality, EHS and regulatory in past roles. In addition, Marie has worked in R&D and held a technical packaging role in Procurement. Marie holds a master’s degree in food science from Rutgers University in New Jersey and a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Colorado.

Horst Wenck
Corporate Vice President, R&D Global Product Stewardship
Beiersdorf

Horst Wenck is Corporate Vice President of Global Product Stewardship at the research center of Beiersdorf AG, Hamburg, Germany. His responsibilities comprise human and environmental safety and toxicology, regulatory compliance and advocacy, analytics, and the governance of sustainability activities, altogether securing the product portfolio and innovation programs to follow the “safe, sustainable and compliant by design” principle.

During his more than three decades in industrial R&D, Horst Wenck has led comprehensive portfolios of internal projects and external co-operations to secure the innovation pipelines of the company’s consumer products. He has managed a variety of international product, technology, skin biology, biophysics, digital, knowledge, patent and packaging technology, as well as testing organizations, with a focus on making early innovation most impactful for the business.

Horst Wenck is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology, the Society for Investigative Dermatology and the chairman of the Cosmetics Europe Strategic Core Team on Science (SCT Science). He has a long-term dedication to 21st Century Toxicology, having been the industry chair of the Cosmetics Europe Long Range Science Strategy Consortium, and now being a member of the Board of Directors and the Co-Chair of the Strategic Planning Team of the International Collaboration on Cosmetics Safety (ICCS), focusing on the science and regulatory acceptance of novel test methods and strategies to ultimately achieve global human and environmental safety clearance of cosmetic ingredients without any traditional animal tests.

Susanne Garcia-Schauermann
Senior Vice President, Global Quality & Food Safety & Regulatory Affairs
Mondelēz International

Susanne Garcia-Schauermann is the global SVP for Quality Assurance, Food Safety as well Scientific and Regulatory Affairs as of 2021 in Mondelēz International, a global company leading the future of snacking. In this role Susanne is responsible for the global strategy on Quality/Food Safety including policies and standards, capability building and tools, regulatory compliance, nutrition strategy and scientific affairs to ensure freedom to operate across the enterprise.

Susanne is a highly experienced food professional with background in Microbiology and over 30 years of experience in Manufacturing Quality, Food Safety Management, R&D and Quality Assurance both on local, regional, and global level being interconnected to all parts of the company business. She has gained deep experience in product categories like confectionery, dairy, salty snacks, coffee and biscuits.

She is a passionate leader, believing in diverse teams and has a proven track record on raising the bar on Quality Assurance and Food Safety with a pragmatic approach and consumer driven mindset.

John Athanatos
Global Head of Regulatory and Scientific Affairs
Nestlé Nutrition

John is Head of Regulatory and Scientific Affairs for Nestle's Nutrition business. As well as RSA he is also responsible for Nutrition, Health and Wellness strategy of the business, ensuring that scientific insights can be translated into compelling products and communication for consumers. He has a passion for seeing that developments in science and technology can be translated into products that improve the health of both people and the planet. John is an accomplished and respected leader in the Food Industry, having spent the last 24 years working in multiple geographies for Unilever, Cereal Partners Worldwide and now Nestle. He is known for being able to combine his insight into science, the consumer, and the regulatory environment to help steer effective business decisions.

John has an MA in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge, an MSc in Nutrition from the University of Glasgow, and an MSc in Business and Management from Strathclyde University. He has held a number of leadership positions in External Organizations including the Presidency of the European Breakfast Cereal Association, and membership of the Executive Board of the European Food Information Council.

Silvia Pereira
VP Corporate Quality & Food Safety
MARS

Silvia Pereira is Vice President of Quality and Food Safety at Mars, where she is responsible for the company’s global Quality and Food Safety vision, strategy, standardization and governance supporting Mars brands, products, and services. She leads the multi-segment Quality Leadership Team across all of Mars' businesses, including their services, pet and food portfolios, while driving the function’s digital transformation for fit-for-future solutions. Her broad expertise includes leading strategies and achieving synergism and compliance through implementing global quality management processes and standards while developing high performance teams and encouraging a strong quality culture. Silvia Pereira’s career at Mars spans three decades and several leading roles of increasing responsibility in Quality and Food Safety and Research and Development in Brazil, South America, and Latin America. She is passionate about working for a business that lives into the purpose of “The world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today." where our passion for Quality delivers better products and better care for a better tomorrow. Silvia Pereira holds a bachelor's degree in pharmacy and a post-graduation degree in food industry.

Arun Mishra
Global Head of Regulatory Affairs for Beauty & Wellbeing
Unilever

With over 23 years of rich experience, Arun is a luminary in the realm of regulatory affairs, leaving an indelible mark on the global healthcare landscape. Arun's journey is a testament to his unparalleled expertise in steering medicines, medical devices, and consumer products across international markets. His role as Head of Global Regulatory Affairs at Unilever, overseeing a 12-billion Euro Beauty & Wellbeing business, exemplifies his strategic acumen in harmonizing regulatory strategies with commercial objectives. Arun's leadership extends far beyond the boardroom, as he has been an influential voice in industry forums, a Visiting Faculty at Duke-NUS Medical School, and a driving force behind policy advocacy initiatives.

Arun's contributions span continents and industries, reflecting his unwavering commitment to innovation and collaboration. During his tenure at GSK Consumer Healthcare, he orchestrated regulatory frameworks that nurtured accelerated innovation, while his role as Executive Vice President for the Indian Subcontinent showcased his dedication to driving positive health outcomes through strategic regulatory leadership. Beyond his professional pursuits, Arun's dynamic personality shines through, with his passion for salsa dancing igniting creativity even during lunch breaks.

As a respected thought leader, Arun Mishra continues to inspire through his transformative approach to healthcare regulation. His exceptional journey is a testament to his vision, leadership, and unwavering commitment to advancing global health standards.

Roberto Buttini
Vice President Global Quality & Food Safety and R&D Strategy
Barilla

Roberto is currently holding two positions at Barilla, Vice President Global Quality & Food Safety and R&D Strategy.

His career with Barilla started more than 30 years ago, with several assignments in Product Development, Process Development, Research, Innovation, Quality and Food safety, with increased leadership responsibilities. Prior to his current role, he was Vice President Product Development and Global Center of Expertise Bakery for Barilla, where he successfully completed projects on product portfolio innovation, renovation and productivity. Before joining Product Development, Roberto has held the position of Research Development and Quality Director at Kamps/Lieken, part of Barilla Group, in Germany and Netherlands, supporting the company turnaround.

Mikael Bundgaard-Nielsen
Vice President, Global Quality.
Novonesis

Mikael Bundgaard-Nielsen is the Vice President of Quality at Novonesis in Copenhagen, Denmark. His responsibilities encompass ensuring high quality, including food/feed safety, driving a differentiated quality strategy across Novonesis​, administering certifications, ensuring compliance to legislation and customer requirements, and support internal stakeholders in customer needs, legal requirements etc.

Mikael has more than 25 years of leadership experience from leading functions, areas, and sites within R&D and Production in the life science industry, including Biotech, BioPharma and Food. Furthermore, Mikael has many years of international experience from leading global organizations in Denmark, Sweden, UK, US, Australia and China. Mikael has previously held positions as Chief Technology Officer at Natures Fynd in Chicago, US, and Vice President of Global Product and Process Development at Novozymes in Copenhagen, Denmark.

In addition to his role as Vice President of Quality at Novonesis, Mikael also serves as an advisory board member in early-stage technology companies.

Ana Rita Rezende Debiazzi
Group Head of Quality
dsm-firmenich

Ana Rita Vasconcellos Rezende Debiazzi is the Group Head of Quality at dsm-firmenich, which is a company committed to bringing progress to life by combining the essential, the desirable, and the sustainable. dsm-firmenich is a merger of 2 iconic companies with a rich history of paving the way to a bright future together. More than a century in the making, dsm-firmenich is the story of two nutrition, health, and beauty innovators.

In this role, Ana Rita is responsible for leading, designing, cascading, and safeguarding all quality domains such as Quality Excellence including, Quality Control, Quality Assurance, Quality Capabilities Training, and Quality Culture, and Quality Management Systems including, Product Protection, Incident Management & Reporting, Auditing & Certification, and Central Laboratory. Ultimately, together with the Business Unit Heads of Quality, Ana Rita is responsible for establishing the Group quality management system strategy to ensure customer satisfaction and compliance.

Ana Rita is an executive passionate about Change Management to lead continuous improvement and people development, with a demonstrated history of quality and product protection management in diverse industries sectors such as Food & Beverage, Flavors, Perfumes, Home & Personal Care, accomplished in a nearly 33-year career. Ana Rita is a typical Brazilian mother, a chemical engineer with a post-graduation in Food Engineering from UCL Belgium, Industrial Administration from USP, Brazil, Executive MBA with FDC Brazil and a post-executive MBA from Kellogg School of Management, USA. Ana Rita has lived in 5 different countries, which has helped her to develop resilience in mutual development fertilization through various cultural aspects.

Stefan Vos
Industry X Lead for Consumer Goods
Accenture

Stefan is an Accenture Lead in Industry X in Europe responsible for Consumer Goods. He has over 25 years of experience driving multiple operational and digital excellence transformations across Product Innovation, E2E Supply Chain optimization, Manufacturing Excellence through lean and digital, High Performing Organization, Site closures, construction, start-up and restructuring.

He has a combination of industry and management consulting experience with Accenture, BCG and P&G.

Michalis Poulikidis
Global Head of Quality for Home Care
Unilever

Michalis is the Global Head of Quality in Home Care at Unilever. His path has been paved with diverse roles, from engineering and manufacturing to continuous improvement and EHS leadership. Before his current pivotal role at Unilever, Michalis served as the EHS & Security Director in Europe & Ukraine, demonstrating end-to-end accountability. Before joining Unilever, Michalis made contributions at P&G, Nestlé, and Vestas, spanning site, national, regional, and global levels. Educationally, he holds an MSc. Degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration. Currently residing in the vibrant city of Rotterdam, Michalis continues to shape the world of quality excellence, as a major advocate of digital transformation, process control and touchless quality.

Steven Oliver
R&D Senior Director, Food Safety & Quality Assurance
PepsiCo

Steven Oliver is a transformational leader with a broad range of experience across Food Safety, Quality and Operations, gathered over 25 years. Steven is value-driven with a reputation of enabling businesses to delight consumers with trusted brands including Müller, Cadbury Desserts and now PepsiCo’s iconic portfolio…. think Pepsi, 7Up, Lays, Doritos and Quaker to name just a few!

Since joining PepsiCo in 2012, Steven has held a range of roles, leading teams across Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific. During this time, he has enabled the Food Safety & Quality integration of business acquisitions in Europe, Africa and Asia-Pacific. Steven is passionate about developing talent and nurturing future Food Safety & Quality leaders.

Combining technical expertise with a curiosity to find more effective ways to deliver the Food Safety & Quality agenda, Steven has led the introduction of several digital and data-driven tools to simplify and make the delivery of Food Safety & Quality requirements increasingly more efficient and effective. Steven is an advocate of user-centred design, and he believes this is the key to the success of Q&FS digital development and implementation at PepsiCo.