The Digital Advantage for Superior Products

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.

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

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.

Marie Tanner
Senior Vice President, Global Head of Quality
Reckitt

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mikael Bundgaard-Nielsen
Vice President, Global Quality.
Novonesis

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.

Marc Engle
Chief Supply Chain Officer
Unilever

In his 20+ year career with Unilever, Marc has worked in the Netherlands, Singapore, the UK, Brazil, Switzerland and Kenya. He has extensive experience in supply-chain operations, covering procurement, logistics, finance and strategy development. Prior to being Chief Supply Chain Officer Marc had an executive leadership role in Unilever’s East Africa business where he was responsible for laying the foundations for accelerated growth. Before this he was Unilever’s Chief Procurement Officer, in charge of the worldwide procurement of third-party goods and services. During this time he was responsible for establishing the Partner to Win program, which has been instrumental in helping to transform Unilever’s supplier relationships and to deliver our Unilever Sustainable Living Plan ambitions.

Michael Voegele
Chief Digital & Information Officer,
Philip Morris International (PMI)

Michael Voegele became Chief Digital & Information Officer at Philip Morris International (PMI) in March 2021. Before joining PMI, he served as Adidas’s Global Chief Information Officer, and was a member of the core leadership team. In this role, Michael initiated the digital transformation of Adidas and reshaped the IT Organization and Strategy, making it more consumer centric and supportive of innovation throughout the company. Before his tenure at Adidas, he spent more than a decade at SAP from 2000 to 2011. Mr. Voegele holds an engineering degree from Universität Karlsruhe in Germany.

Craig Slavtcheff
Chief R&D and Innovation Officer,
Campbell Soup Company

Craig Slavtcheff joined Campbell in 2012 and was named Executive Vice President, Chief R&D and Innovation Officer in September 2019. Craig leads Campbell’s Global R&D function, including strategy, divisional product development, and corporate science and technology, as well as regulatory, nutrition, and culinary teams.

Since joining Campbell, Craig has led various teams across divisions to drive consumer preferred innovations that combine culinary inspiration with product and packaging technology and appeal to consumers’ desire for delicious, affordable, nutritious, food. Under his leadership, Campbell’s has transformed its innovation processes leveraging advanced sensory design methodologies and building agile, nimble development teams that mine consumer insights and translate them into superior product designs. He is a member of the Operating Committee, which focuses on Board-level matters and the development of the Strategic Plan and Annual Operating Plan. Craig reports to the CEO.

Throughout his more than 20-year career in consumer packaged goods, Craig has held several leadership positions in North America and Asia, responsible for driving the span of upstream research to divisional market focused innovation as well as quality assurance. He holds more than 80 patents, covering a wide range of product categories, many of which protected key innovations that generated growth platforms for the businesses he supported.

Craig earned a Bachelor of Science, magna cum laude, in chemical engineering from the University of Connecticut. He serves on the board of the International Food and Nutritional Sciences organization, as well as the International Research Institute.

Michael Ott
Chief R&D Officer,
The Clorox Company

Michael Ott is senior vice president and chief research and development officer of The Clorox Company.

In this role, Michael leads global research and development, and is responsible for product development and innovation, from concept to commercialization, and oversees the company’s stewardship activities and technical capability areas.

Michael has spent his entire professional career at Clorox, supporting nearly every part of the business. Prior to his current assignment, he was vice president of research and development – Specialty, helping reset the business through the creation of innovation platforms such as Fresh Step Outstretch cat litter, Glad with Clorox trash bags and Hidden Valley Special Sauce. During this time, he also served as the company’s interim chief sustainability officer, working with the businesses to achieve the company’s packaging and emissions goals.

Previously, Michael was vice president of research and development for the Cleaning, International and CloroxPro divisions. For more than a decade, Michael led initiatives resulting in significant expansion of the company’s Home Care and Professional businesses.

Starting as a bench scientist in 1996, Michael moved to the Product Supply Organization’s Global Strategic Sourcing team before returning to research and development to help launch the company’s Open Innovation capability.

He serves as chair and chief volunteer officer of the board of directors for the Boys and Girls Club of Oakland, California, and coaches Pop Warner youth football in West Oakland.

Michael holds a doctorate in chemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Villanova University.

Tara Glasgow
Chief Quality OfficerSenior Vice President R&D, Global Beverages
PepsiCo

Tara has spent most of her 28 years in industry leading across a wide range of consumer categories, where she developed a track record of reinvigorating pipelines and consequently business performance by lining up consumer insights with scientific ones to create superior products that drive consumer loyalty.

Tara joined PepsiCo in July 2022 from Reckitt Benckiser where she had worked since 2019. While at Reckitt, Tara led R&D for two of the three business units: Health and Nutrition. This included the teams responsible for Enfamil®, Nutramigen®, Strepsils®, Lemsip®, Nurofen®, Mucinex®, Dettol®, Durex® and Neuriva®. She was responsible at a corporate level for shaping the strategy that led to reviving the product pipeline, by putting a new focus on developing superior products. In addition, she focused on continuity of supply through Covid-19, helping the team react nimbly through regulatory and raw material challenges to keep products flowing to customers.

Prior to joining Reckitt, Tara spent more than twenty years working across the categories and sectors of Johnson & Johnson. Tara has her MS in Materials Engineering from Drexel University and her BS from Jefferson University in Philadelphia. She has recently moved back to the US from the UK with her husband and two children.

Sumit Bhasin
Senior Vice President, Global R&D
Estée Lauder

Sumit Bhasin is Senior Vice President, Global R&D at the Estée Lauder Companies. In his role, he leads a global team of scientists and engineers responsible for developing breakthrough products for the beauty industry. He has worked on strategic program development by leveraging advanced technologies to create unique solutions that meet consumer needs. Prior to joining Estée Lauder, Sumit held product innovation leadership roles at Coty and Procter & Gamble.

Sumit is a member of multiple industry association boards such as the Society of Cosmetic Chemists and the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association.

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.

Biswaranjan Sen
Global Chief Product Supply Officer Beauty & Wellbeing
Unilever

Biswaranjan (Bish) Sen is the Global Chief Product Supply Officer Beauty & Wellbeing at Unilever under the company’s new Compass organization. He joined Unilever in 1991 and has worked in R&D and across various parts of the Supply Chain including manufacturing, planning, logistics, customer service and procurement. Bish was a member of the Board of Directors of Unilever Indonesia with responsibility for the Supply Chain between 2009 and 2012.

Following his subsequent roles as Vice President Procurement Chemicals and Vice President Group SC Personal Care, he became an Executive Vice President in Unilever in May 2017, responsible for Unilever’s Beauty and Personal Care Supply Chain thru 2021. He was the architect of the end-to-end Digital Transformation of Unilever’s Global Supply Chain. Bish is also responsible for Unilever’s global Decarbonisation Technology strategy. Bish holds a degree in Chemical Engineering.