Formerly at:

Managing Partner

Active Food Safety

Dr. Hal King is Managing Partner at Active Food Safety, an advisory services firm dedicated to developing practical food safety management programs and systems for food businesses. A recognized thought leader in the field, he is the author of *Food Safety Leadership in the Business of Food Safety* and founder of the FoodSafetyNEXT Exchange initiative, which is pioneering the future of enterprise food safety management and culture, and its strategic role in organizational success and the public health.

Matt Jenkins

Director, Food Safety & Quality Systems

McDonald's Corporation

Matt Jenkins currently works within the U.S. Food Safety & Quality Systems team at McDonald's where he has been for the last 7 years. He has over 20 years of experience in the quality assurance and food safety field, spending most of the time within the foodservice industry. In his current position, he helps to create, integrate, implement, and maintain an end-to-end food safety philosophy that helps to ensure that only high quality and safe food is served to all McDonald's customers. A graduate of the University of Illinois with both a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and a Master of Public Health. He enjoys playing the guitar and hiking around Chicagoland with his wife and two children.

Jorge Hernandez

Vice President of Quality Assurance

The Wendy's Company

Jorge Hernandez is the Vice President of Quality Assurance for the Wendy's Company. As such, he is responsible for the design, implementation and leadership of the Food Safety, Quality Assurance and Regulatory Compliance Programs that impact suppliers, distribution centers and more than 7000 restaurants in 37 Countries.

Meghann McLeod

Director, Food Safety

Yum! Brands

Meghann, a Food Science graduate from the University of Guelph, is a seasoned Food Safety & Quality leader with over 20 years of industry experience. She has spent majority of her career working in foodservice, holding a variety of FSQA positions across Yum! Brands both domestically and internationally. In her current role Meghann and her team manage, from farm to fork, systems and data that impact food safety for all Yum's 4 brands. They use this data to provide actionable insights helping teams to mitigate and/or eliminate food safety risks from the business.

Steven A. Lyon, Ph.D.

Director, Food Safety – Field Operations

Chick-fil-A, Inc.

Dr. Steven A. Lyon has been with Chick-fil-A, Inc. since 2009 leading various food safety and animal welfare initiatives. His primary role today is leading programs for health, hygiene and regulatory compliance. He has held several roles ranging from leading Supply Chain food safety, product safety, restaurant procedure/kitchen design reviews, solutions/innovations, animal welfare, and regulatory compliance.

Brian Crilly

VP, International Supply Chain & Global FSQA

Papa Johns

Brian Crilly is the Vice President of International Supply Chain and Global Food Safety & Quality Assurance (FSQA) at Papa Johns. He leads global supply chain strategy, international sourcing, food safety & quality standards across more than 50 countries supporting over 6,000 restaurants worldwide. With nearly 19 years at Papa Johns, Brian has held multiple leadership roles across operations, supply chain, and quality, contributing to the company's global growth and operational scale. Papa Johns operates vertically integrated dough manufacturing and distribution centers in each international market, as well as 11 high-volume production facilities in the United States. Brian plays a critical role in ensuring consistency, efficiency, and quality across this global network.

Chef Manuel Arredondo

Award-Winning Chef & Food Safety Advocate

Smart Batch

Chef Manuel Arredondo is an award-winning chef, food safety advocate, and food-tech innovator with more than four decades of experience across the United States, Europe, and Mexico. Throughout his career, Chef Manuel has held senior leadership roles as Executive Chef for prestigious hotels and restaurants and as Corporate Chef for Aramark, one of the largest foodservice corporations in the United States, overseeing large-scale culinary operations and high-profile events. His banquet and event portfolio includes President George H. W. Bush's 75th and 80th birthday galas, Super Bowl XXXVIII, the 2000 Republican National Convention, Major League Baseball All-Star events, the 2000 World Series at Shea Stadium, and the Olympic Games in Barcelona and Atlanta. A lifelong food safety champion, Chef Manuel has consistently elevated safety standards in every operation he leads. Today, he integrates classical culinary expertise, large-scale operations experience, and hands-on food-tech innovation to mentor teams, design systems, and develop solutions that balance exceptional flavor with uncompromising food safety while helping organizations operate smarter and more profitably. He currently works in collaboration with Smart Batch and other industry partners.

Formerly at:

Former Executive Director

National Restaurant Association

As a recognized leader in the Hospitality Industry for over 20 years, Paul has held senior financial and operational positions in leading restaurant brands like Cracker Barrel and First Watch. He was the Executive Director of the National Restaurant Association where he led the ServSafe Food Safety program and worked with several restaurant brands in all segments to help develop solutions for their businesses. He also led Industry partnerships with both suppliers, regulatory authorities and e-learning solutions.

Formerly at:

Former Global VP, Food Safety & Quality Assurance

Domino's

Steve Lutes is an FSQA and Supply Chain professional with 35+ years' experience in the food & beverage industry, in a variety of corporate and supply chain roles. He is currently working for Blue Diamond Growers on a 1 year assignment that will go through the end of August 2026. Lutes served as Global Vice President, Food Safety & Quality Assurance for Domino's, the world's largest Pizza company, after 17 years in the Spirits industry, and 12 years in Food & Beverage packaging. Steve holds a Bachelor of Science, Chemical Engineering, from the University of Louisville and an MBA from Bellarmine University. He, and his wife, have a passion for foster care and helping disadvantaged youths achieve their potential. He is a horse racing enthusiast, enjoys spending time with family, especially his grandkids, and an occasional round of golf. He also enjoys a healthy debate with open minded people.

Matt Heres

President & CEO

Revelry Agency

Matt Heres is President and CEO of Revelry Agency, a marketing agency and event producer dedicated to the food, beverage, and hospitality industries. Revelry is known for helping brands strengthen their positioning and customer connections through insight driven marketing strategy, as well as for producing industry leading exchange experiences, including the FoodOvation Exchange series. Over the course of his career, Matt has led marketing strategy, agency operations, and industry collaboration efforts, partnering with manufacturers, operators, distributors, and industry organizations across the food away from home ecosystem. His work focuses on aligning brand, customer experience, and marketing execution to support sustainable growth.

Formerly at:

President

MK Wagner and Associates Inc.

Mary K. Wagner is a recognized executive leader and board director with a reputation for creating innovative products, managing risks, handling corporate crises, and managing food quality and safety. She is a strategist, an operational leader, and a team builder who has been an executive in branded global retail and consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies. During her career she led global product innovation and quality for companies such as Starbucks, Mars (Botanical), Gallo, Taco Bell (YUM) and Gorton's (General Mills). She now is an independent board member for Premium Brands Holdings, Griffith Foods and Jones Dairy.

Patty Weber

Director of the Online Food Safety Program

Michigan State University

Dr. Patty Sue D. Weber is Director of the Online Food Safety Program and Assistant Professor at Michigan State University. She leads a fully online professional M.S. program serving food safety professionals across industry, government, and academia. With a scientific background in animal health and immunology, her work focuses on graduate education and program leadership to prepare professionals to address complex food safety challenges. Through strategic academic leadership, she advances workforce development in food safety.

Anna Kitchens

VP Food Safety and Quality Assurance

The Honey Baked Ham Company

Anna Kitchens has over 25 years of experience leading food safety and quality programs from manufacturing to multi-unit retail foodservice operations. As Vice President of Food Safety and Quality at The Honey Baked Ham Company, she provides strategic leadership for enterprise food safety, regulatory compliance, and quality systems that drive product integrity, innovation, and consumer trust. Anna holds a B.S. of Animal Science from Auburn University and also serves on the Board of Directors for the North American Meat Institute.

Dan Kish

Smart Batch