Business Conference 2026

Emily Miles is the Director General for Food, Farming and Biosecurity at Defra, a role she started in September 2024. Prior to that she was Chief Executive of the Food Standards Agency (FSA). Over her twenty-four years as a civil servant, Emily Miles has worked in Defra, the Home Office, Cabinet Office and Downing Street on immigration, policing, home affairs, business compliance and EU exit, largely in policy roles but with some stints in operational delivery and programme management.

With a background in the foodservice industry for his whole career, initially as an operator, then as a strategic marketer, Simon has been developing market intelligence and now, future foresights, for the last 18 years.

I lead Circana's Wholesale CPG Insight team, partnering with clients across foodservice and retail convenience. With experience in retail, manufacturing, and agency roles, I've supported major UK food and drink brands through actionable insights and strategic consultancy - helping drive growth via data-led decision-making, thought leadership, and collaborative client partnerships.

Having spent over 11 years to date at Worldpanel by Numerator (formerly Kantar Worldpanel), I have regularly advised clients as to what actions they should take based off latest consumer trends. Having worked with branded and frozen suppliers across a variety of markets, I currently head up the Frozen & Chilled Convenience business unit at Worldpanel

Chris Schatynski is Head of UK Sales at Vypr, a leading product intelligence business helping some of the world’s biggest global brands, retailers and food manufacturers build better products through real-time consumer insight. With nearly 25 years of sales experience, Chris brings a strong commercial perspective on how insight enables smarter decisions, sharper product strategies and meaningful connection with consumer demand.
Over almost five years at Vypr, he has partnered with major industry players to improve product success in market and respond more effectively to changing consumer expectations. In this session, Chris will share insights on Freezer to Foresight—exploring how frozen food brands and retailers can create better products, strengthen their propositions, and engage the consumers and markets driving future growth.

Mitch Lee is Head of Sales at PACKD, the UK's fastest growing frozen organic fruit & vegetable brand. We are preimmunising the frozen category with high quality produce, available in Sainsburys, Tesco, Ocado, Whole Foods & more. Mitch is on a mission to drive awareness around the benefits of frozen food and the role it plays for sustainability. Well known as a respected figure in the FMCG space, Mitch regularly features on industry panels and writes in publications. Alongside his role at PACK'D Mitch hosts “The Unfounders” podcast, unwrapping fantastic employee stories in the startup world.

Whitby Seafoods was founded by her Father, Graham Whittle, The Godfather of scampi in 1985. Laura Whittle joined Whitby Seafoods as a graduate in 1997, when Whitby had a £4m turnover, all brand, all foodservice. After some years of proving her mettle Laura has headed up sales at Whitby for nearly thirty years, moving eventually from Sales Director to Managing Director. Whitby Seafoods turnover in 2025 will be £77m. More important than the stellar growth is that she still speaks to her Father and both her brothers who also work in the business.

A supply specialist within this sector with more than 36 years operating with businesses that are aligned to cruise sector supply.

Bertrand Emond is Membership Ambassador, Culture Excellence & Professional Development Lead at Campden BRI, the world’s largest independent provider of practical scientific, technical, regulatory, training, and information support to the food, drink, and allied industries.

Campden BRI currently serves over 4000 member companies, ranging from large international businesses to small individual operations, in 90 countries worldwide. Founded in 1919, it now offers a wide range of analysis and testing services as well as operational support underpinned by a vigorous programme of research and innovation and disseminated through extensive knowledge management activities – including training and publishing leading industry guidance. Many of its activities are independently accredited.

Craig is a Chartered Scientist, Food Technologist and seasoned food industry professional with over 30 years of experience spanning technical innovation, applied research, and strategic leadership. He is Chief Executive of the Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST) and an Honorary Professor at the University of Nottingham.

Jacob is an international water expert with an academic background in hydrology and hydrogeology; he has over 35 years experience in the water sector. He is a founder and Chief Technology Officer of The Water Retail Company and has direct experience of regulation and delivering water and wastewater services worldwide. He is co-founder of The European Water Technology Accelerator working with innovative start-up and scale-up water and wastewater technology companies and also acts as a mentor to PhD students developing spin-out companies. He is a visiting Prof at Exeter University and has an OBE for services to water.

Amriene has dedicated her career to the field of Sustainability for the past eight years. She holds a master’s degree in Environmental Impact Assessment and Management, along with a Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Science. Since 2021, she has worked for the Tesco Group, currently in the role as Climate Change Manager. In this role, she leads on operational decarbonisation efforts for Tesco and provides support to suppliers in reducing their energy and industrial emissions. Amriene is passionate about the environment and committed to making a significant impact in the fight against climate change.