Speakers 2026
Prof. Bizhan Pourkomailian, Global Food Safety Director at McDonald's
It was a real pleasure to welcome Prof. Bizhan Pourkomailian back to chair this year's Culture Excellence Seminar. With his wealth of experience, thoughtful insights and trademark good humour, Bizhan helped create an open and engaging atmosphere that carried through the whole day.
He opened with a memorable statement: "There is no such thing as food safety culture." His message was that organisations don't have separate cultures for food safety, quality, sustainability or wellbeing. Instead, they have one organisational culture, with each of these areas shaped by the same underlying values, behaviours and ways of working.
It was the perfect introduction to the morning's discussions on collaboration and coordination, encouraging everyone to think beyond individual departments and recognise that great cultures are built by people working together.
Bizhan has been part of the Culture Excellence journey since our very first seminar in 2014, and is a highly valued member of the Culture Excellence Industry Leadership Forum.
Bertrand Emond, Membership Ambassador - Culture Excellence Lead at Campden BRI
It was wonderful to have our host Bertrand Emond from Campden BRI once again sharing his annual overview of the latest developments in food safety culture. Bertrand has a unique ability to connect the dots across the food industry, bringing together insights from global guidance, conferences, industry forums and his work with organisations such as GFSI and IAFP. By combining emerging research, practical experience and examples of best practice from around the world, he gave delegates a valuable overview of where food safety culture is heading and the key developments shaping the industry.
Our partnership with Campden BRI spans more than a decade, and it has been a privilege to work together to help organisations build stronger food safety cultures. We are grateful for Bertrand's ongoing support and for Campden BRI's continued commitment to sharing the Culture Excellence programme with its members and the wider food industry.
Patrick McGee, Senior Manager, QSE at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners
We were delighted to welcome Patrick McGee from Coca-Cola Europacific Partners to this year's Culture Excellence Seminar, where he shared a practical and inspiring account of how the East Kilbride team is strengthening its food safety culture.
His presentation perfectly complemented the morning's theme of Coordination and Consistency, two of our Culture Dimensions from the Process Category. Rather than treating food safety as the responsibility of one department, Patrick demonstrated how cross-functional collaboration helps create consistent ways of working across the site. The "Performance Cell", bringing together colleagues from operations, engineering and quality, was an excellent example of how coordinated teams can work towards shared goals and drive continuous improvement.
Patrick also highlighted the importance of empowering frontline colleagues to make the right decisions every day. By ensuring everyone understands their role in protecting consumers, and by recognising great behaviours, organisations can build a culture where doing the right thing becomes second nature. As Patrick put it, integrity means "always doing the right thing." His presentation was a powerful reminder that strong food safety cultures are built through clear expectations, coordinated teamwork, empowered people and a shared commitment to continuous improvement.
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners has been part of the Culture Excellence programme since 2023, and it has been a privilege to see their continued commitment to developing food safety culture and sharing practical experiences with the wider industry.
Teresa Serrano, Group Supply Base Auditor, New England Seafood International
It was a pleasure to welcome Teresa Serrano from New England Seafood International to this year's Culture Excellence Seminar, where she gave an inspiring account of the organisation's journey to embed quality and food safety culture across the business.
Her presentation perfectly complemented the morning's theme of Coordination and Consistency, two of our Culture Dimensions within the Process category. Teresa demonstrated how responsibility for culture evolved from being owned by the Technical team to becoming part of the way the whole organisation works. Through leadership engagement, improved communication, workforce empowerment and cross-functional collaboration, New England Seafood has built a culture that is owned by everyone.
One of Teresa's strongest messages was that lasting culture change comes when quality and food safety become part of everyday business rather than a separate programme. Technical teams provide guidance and expertise, but real success comes when leaders champion the culture, operational teams take ownership, and everyone understands their role. As Teresa concluded, roles, routines and behaviours are the key to creating a stable, predictable process.
New England Seafood International has been part of the Culture Excellence programme since 2019 and we are grateful to Teresa for sharing the lessons, challenges and successes from their journey to help others strengthen their own cultures.
More presentation summaries to follow soon…
