Speakers biographies 

Jill Ardagh

Director General

British Soft Drinks Association

Jill Ardagh has been Director General of the British Soft Drinks Association for nearly ten years.
She started working in the food and drink industry in 1990, first as Director of European and International Policy at the Food and Drink Federation and then as Director of the British Meat Manufacturers’ Association.
Prior to that she was a consultant on government affairs to a range of business, industry and interest groups.

Conference:

Tam Fry

Hon Chairman

Child Growth Foundation

Tam Fry, Honorary Chairman, Child Growth Foundation, has spoken for children with growth problems since 1977. Initially, he tried to balance medical lobbying with his day job as a BBC Television producer but succumbed to the unequal struggle in 1988 and became involved full time with the charity.
In 2005 he joined the Board of the National Obesity Forum and is now their spokesperson.

Conference:

How beverage businesses should respond to obesity

David Jago

Director of Innovation & Insight

Mintel International

With over 18 years experience tracking and analysing new product trends, David Jago brings a unique perspective on the marketplace and future new product development. As Director of Custom Solutions, he is primarily responsible for answering clients' needs for new product expert knowledge. The role incorporates a close involvement in the continued development of GNPD. 

David also works with a number of major packaged goods companies in Europe, providing expert research and analysis in the fields of product development, market appraisal and competitor evaluation. David has had numerous articles published in European trade press and professional journals, and is a regular speaker at conferences including the International New Products Forum, as well as numerous industry groups and client-specific meetings in Europe and Japan. He has also been involved in the judging of several new product awards.

Conference:

Soft drinks for adult taste buds

Salvatore Gabola

Director of Public Affairs

Coca-Cola Europe Group

Based in Brussels, Salvatore Gabola is the Director of Public Affairs for Coca-Cola Europe Group. He has also spent time directing public policy and stakeholder relations for Coca-Cola at a global level.

He has been actively involved in directing Coca-Cola’s public affairs strategy in Europe since July 2000, managing the company’s relationship with institutions and stakeholders across the European Union.

Salvatore first joined Coca-Cola in 1997 as Director of European Environmental Affairs. In 2003 and 2004 he was given several global assignments, including the leadership of the worldwide team that developed the company’s first ever global environment report.

Salvatore holds a post-graduate degree in European Affairs from the College of Europe in Bruges.

Conference:

How beverage businesses should respond to obesity

Cedric Bourges

General Manager

Nutraveris

Cédric Bourges is a Phd in Pharmacy, he also has done post-graduate in Pharmacology and a MBA.
In January 2006, he created the consultancy NUTRAVERIS and surrounded himself of numerous experts, experienced executives coming from industry mastering various and complementary know-how (formulation, manufacturing processes, clinical studies, research, preparation of European files, regulatory affairs,…), of narrowly specialized and synergetic training (Pharmacist, Doctor in physiopathology, Biochemistry engineers, Agro-food engineers, Master’s degree in Law and in Nutrition and Health, Dietitians…).

Thanks to its two scientific and regulatory departments, strong, mature and well organized. The strength of the consultancy Nutraveris, lies in an expert, complementary, dynamic and reactive team, resolutely focused on the client: its advice, its satisfaction and its success, giving him the tailored and strategic solutions.

Conference:

Making health claims for beverages

Chris Brockman

Market Intelligence Manager

Leatherhead

Chris joined Leatherhead Food Research in 2009 to head up the market intelligence team and is responsible for providing a range of products and services including confidential projects, publications and the Global Food Market database. After graduating in Business Studies, Chris has spent the past 13 years in market research and project management roles, including seven years with Food from Britain, where he headed up a research and consultancy department undertaking research activity for UK food and drink exporters.

Conference:

Fast growing segments of the drinks industry

Rianne Ruijschop

Project Manager Flavour - Texture related Health

NIZO food research

Rianne Ruijschop was born on January 22nd 1980 in Heerlen, The Netherlands. In 1998, she completed secondary school at the ‘Catholic Grammar School Rolduc’ in Kerkrade. In the same year she started her study Food Technology with main specialisation Product Design and Quality Management and second specialisation Food Quality Management at Wageningen University. From December 2003 on, Rianne is working as a project manager at NIZO food research.
In October 2007, she was awarded with the Best Poster Award in the category Nutrition & Health for her poster ‘Engineering satiating liquid food products by altering the extent of flavour release’ at the World Dairy Summit 2007. In April 2008, Rianne was awarded with the prestigious Unilever Young Scientist Prize. The prize was awarded based on her ground breaking work on the role of aromas in satiation. In April 2009, she finished her thesis entitled ‘Retro-nasal aroma release and satiation’. At NIZO food research Rianne is currently involved as a project manager in multidisciplinary research projects with a focus on health.

Conference:

Tackling flavour-texture interactions in drinks