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public speaking Speaking about retailers, not for them. Food supply chains and global trends in risk management. Retailer and brand policy. Private standards. Marketing differentiation. Reputational issues. Trends in Responsible Purchasing.

Recent work:

  • The Better Cotton Fast Track Program: Working for IDH The Sustainable Trade Initiative, I facilitated the Investors Committee of the Program. Attendees included Walmart, IKEA, Marks & Spencer's, H&M, Adidas, Nike and the VF group. The event included a Roundtable for the Program’s Implementing Partners. Dubai, December 2012.
  • The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) "The opportunity for private sector engagement." A private presentation to the Board and senior team of CTA. January 2013.
  • REVERSE project: Understanding biodiversity and economic development “Working for the Aquitaine region (France) I moderated a discussion between a panel of experts, including the European Commission and the European Environment Agency.” Brussels, September 2012.
  • The Better Cotton Initiative: “Working for the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), facilitation of the third BCI Supply Chain Conference.” Shanghai, July 2012.
  • The Global Food Safety Initiative: “Strategic challenges for retailers and brand manufacturers as they develop their private brands using collaborative platforms for private label management.” Orlando, Florida, February 2012.
  • The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): “How do we move to more environmental, economic and social sustainability in the global food chain?” Panellist and presenter. Paris, September.
  • Sustainable Food Laboratory Leadership Summit: “The Big Picture: Global collaboration between companies for sustainability.” What are we learning about how to speed up the adoption of environmental and social standards and engage producers?” A Town Hall Meeting. Portland, Oregon June 2011.
  • Better Cotton Initiative. Supply Chain Conference I facilitated a number of meetings with BCI members and participants in the Fast Track Programme. I also moderated the conference and ran two Town Hall style meetings.
  • Food Marketing Institute and the Grocery Manufacturers Association. Joint Sustainability Summit “Three billion extra mouths - how are we going to feed them all. Panel for Plenary Session. Washington DC, December 2010
  • Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative. International Supply Management Congress. “Managing sustainability among sub-tier suppliers – An overview” Amsterdam, December 2010.
  • Institute of Development Studies, “Changing perceptions of business and development.” “A business view – What development means to the food retailers.” Brighton November 2010
  • European Pulses and Health Conference.Retailers and their consumers. How the battle for differentiation is driving sustainability into the heart of private label marketing. Amsterdam November 2010
  • Sustainable Food Laboratory Annual Conference: “The relationships between retailers and NGOs – how to influence in both directions” Costa Rica March 2010
  • Canadian Business for Social Responsibility: Seminar for CSR Directors on global retailer policies and the implications for business in Canada. Toronto February 2010
  • Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative: Workshop panel, presenting and discussing the future of sustainability Labelling . Rotterdam January 2010
  • Kent Business School, University of Kent: 'Sustainability and the food industry – The global search for the elusive harmony of people, planet and profit'. A seminar to the students doing an MSc in Value Chain Management. Canterbury, UK. October 2009.
  • Agentrics World 2009: 'Global retailers creating business value from sustainable policies - Towards controlled and sustainable growth'. A talk to retailers and their suppliers at Co-op Switzerland, Muttenz. September 2009
  • Canadian Special Crops Association 23rd Annual Convention: 'Give Peas a Chance' The case for more pulses in the field and on the plate. Winnipeg, July 2009
  • Growing a 21st Century Agricultural Revolution: ‘Navigating Unchartered Waters: What is the state of industry collaboration on social standards and what are the tensions?’ Virginia USA, March 2009
  • CIES: The Food Business Forum: International Food Safety Conference: ‘The Big Debate – Food Safety a Global Challenge’ Moderator. Barcelona, February 2009
  • Royal Geographical Society: Global Retailers, Global Responsibilities. GSCP ‘How business is building a joint approach to improve international labour standards in the supply chain’. London, January 2009
  • Gates Foundation, McGill University: Multi Sector Workshop. ‘From Crisis to a New Convergence of Agriculture, Agri-food and Health. Montreal, November 2008
  • Ethical Supply Chain Summit: The Global Social Compliance Programme ‘ How business is building a joint approach to improve international labour standards it the supply chain’. Berlin October 2008
  • Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation. (EU funded trade body): "Identifying an Aid for Trade agenda for the agricultural sector". Brussels, September 2008
  • CIES: The Food Business Forum: International Food Safety Conference:"Quality – The view from Space" Speaker. Amsterdam February2008
  • Danone: "Retailing today around the world"
  • Unilever: “Sustainability, standards and market differentiation"