Speakers

Jeff Bellairs is the director of open innovation at General Mills. He has been responsible for the creation of the General Mills Worldwide Innovation Network (G-WIN) a global effort to accelerate the pace of innovation at General Mills by leveraging externally sourced technologies, ingredients and products. During his 14 years at General Mills, Bellairs has led a number of R&D initiatives in the company’s meals, Big G cereal and innovation groups. Prior to joining General Mills, Bellairs worked in R&D for the Campbell Soup Co., ConAgra Foods and Mars Inc. Bellairs is a food scientist with a bachelor’s of science degree from Michigan State University and a master’s of science degree from the University of Florida.

Lori Colman is a founding partner and CEO of Colman Brohan Davis, a strategic branding and creative marketing firm in Chicago. Colman has been instrumental in developing brand strategies and marketing initiatives for companies in the food, dietary supplement and ingredients sectors. She is a frequent speaker at industry events, has written articles on brand positioning, product launches, channel management and planning, and has a particular passion for adding value to commodity-style products and markets. Colman is a firm believer in understanding consumer behavior and putting customers at the core of all marketing and communications decisions. Prior to forming her own branding and marketing firm in 1988, Colman was an executive with advertising agencies Cramer-Krasselt and Draft, now Draft FCB. Previously, she held a marketing management position at Colgate-Palmolive. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan’s School of Business. Colman Brohan Davis works with a diverse roster of domestic and global clients and is included on BtoB magazine’s U.S. list of "Top Agencies."

Tod Cooperman, M.D., president and founder of ConsumerLab.com, is a noted researcher, writer and speaker on consumer health care issues. He is the co-author of ConsumerLab.com’s Guide to Buying Vitamins & Supplements: What’s really in the bottle? Dr. Cooperman is the president and founder of PharmacyChecker.com, an evaluator of Internet pharmacies, and CareData Reports Inc., an independent evaluator of consumer satisfaction with managed care. Earlier in his career, Dr. Cooperman was involved in the assessment and development of products in the health care field, first as business analyst with Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., then as director of business development for the biotechnology company Synaptic Pharmaceuticals, and finally as a consultant with The Wilkerson Group. Dr. Cooperman received his combined medical degree and bachelor’s of art degree from the Boston University School of Medicine, with a major in medical sciences and a minor in economics.

Joan E. DaVanzo, Ph.D., M.S.W., is CEO of Dobson | DaVanzo. Before co-founding the firm, Dr. DaVanzo served as vice president at The Lewin Group for almost nine years. Early in her career, she was the sixth woman to hold a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, and was the first woman to run an independent floor brokerage firm. Dr. DaVanzo’s research interests include Medicare payment policy and the socio-medical aspects of normal aging. She has expertise in both qualitative and quantitative analyses, and brings a clinical perspective to her consulting work. Dr. DaVanzo has also studied (scored) the monetary impact of proposed legislation and/or changes in program coverage. Additionally, she has considerable expertise in designing, fielding and interpreting surveys. Dr. DaVanzo is a clinical social worker who spent 10 years as a psychotherapist in private practice. Prior to her work at The Lewin Group, Dr. DaVanzo served as associate director of the National Health Care Skill Standards Project at WestEd, a national nonprofit research and human services agency. Prior work also includes three years at the RAND Corp., where she worked on an evaluation of mental health services under the CHAMPUS program. She also worked for the New York State Office of Mental Health providing inpatient and outpatient psychotherapy. Dr. DaVanzo received a master of social work degree from the New York University School of Social Work, and a doctorate in public health from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she was a Pew fellow.

Lynn Dornblaser has more than 20 years of experience tracking and analyzing new product trends, and brings to the Global New Products Database (GNPD) and to Mintel International Group a unique perspective on the marketplace and future new product development. Based in Chicago as director of Mintel’s Custom Products Group Trend Insight, Dornblaser is responsible for answering clients’ needs for new product expert knowledge. She also is closely involved in the continued development of the GNPD. A trained journalist and experienced public speaker, Dornblaser has been quoted in numerous trade publications and by major U.S. news organizations, including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times and CNN. She also has spoken to a number of industry groups and at sales meetings and product ideation meetings for a variety of consumer packaged goods companies. Dornblaser’s experience analyzing new product trends means you can usually find her in the aisles of a supermarket somewhere in the world.

Steven French, managing partner at The Natural Marketing Institute, has more than 25 years of strategic marketing, business development and management experience. Complementing bachelor’s and master’s degrees in marketing, French has accumulated extensive insight and knowledge into health, wellness, environmentalism, sustainability and social responsibility across a multitude of products, services and industries. He has unparalleled experience across a wide range of corporate business functions and has pioneered a range of consumer research databases. He is a frequent speaker at industry events and conferences, a regular contributor to media sources, and the author of numerous published articles and research reports.

Paulette Gaynor, Ph.D., is a supervisory consumer safety officer in the Office of Food Additive Safety at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). She joined FDA in 1997. Her expertise includes the regulation of substances generally recognized as safe (GRAS) in food. Dr. Gaynor also serves as a contact for the GRAS notification program. Prior to joining FDA, Dr. Gaynor conducted postdoctoral research on aspects of lipid metabolism at the University of Michigan and then at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Gaynor received her undergraduate degree in biological sciences, with a concentration in biochemistry, from Cornell University and her doctorate in food science from Rutgers University.

Ewa Hudson is research manager for the global health and wellness industry at Euromonitor International. In her role, Hudson is focused on helping Euromonitor's key clients make informed strategic decisions by providing insights into consumer trends, new product developments and retail channel developments in the health and wellness industry worldwide.

Byron J. Johnson is the nutrition industry relations director, technical regulatory affairs department, in Access Business Group/Nutrilite, a subsidiary of Alticor Inc. and Amway Global. He is responsible for nutrition regulatory laws, regulations and corporate compliance matters, as well as industry relationships and trade association participation pertaining to food and dietary supplement policy matters. Prior to joining Access Business Group, Johnson was an attorney for four years in private practice. Most recently, he was vice president and general counsel of the Nutrilite Division, manufacturer of Nutrilite brand dietary supplements. Johnson received a bachelor’s of science degree in biology and chemistry from Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Mich., and his juris doctorate from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Mich. He was admitted to the Michigan Bar in 1977 and the U.S. District Court in 1979. Johnson has served as an adjunct law professor at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich., Davenport Business University and Muskegon Community College in Grand Rapids and Muskegon, Mich. Currently, Johnson is a member of the State Bar of Michigan; chairman of the International Alliance of Food/Dietary Supplement Associations (IADSA) located in Brussels, Belgium and a member of its company council; past chairman and current member of the Board of Directors of the U.S. Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) located in Washington, D.C.

Doug Logan is CEO of USA Track & Field, the national governing body for track and field, long distance running and race walking. As CEO, Logan is charged with overseeing all aspects of the sport in the United States, including developing, marketing and growing the sport; honing its business plan; negotiating contracts; attracting sponsors; growing track and field’s television and new media presence; fighting drugs in sport; and serving USATF’s nearly 100,000 constituent members. Previously employed in heavy construction, geotechnical engineering and entertainment, he was named the first commissioner of Major League Soccer, serving in that capacity from the inauguration of the league in 1995 to 1999. Logan then formed Empresario LLC in 1999, serving diverse clients in North America, Central America, South America and Spain. In 2001, he was brought in as a consultant in the creation of a professional National Rugby League, much in the same vein as MLS, structuring the new league as a "single entity" system. Logan also serves as chairman and CEO of Face_iT Technologies Inc., a company devoted to exploiting innovative facial animation technologies for the film and gaming industries. He is a former vice president of the US Soccer Federation and a former district vice president of the International Association of Assembly Managers (IAAM). In July, 2008, the IAAM honored Logan with its Presidential Citation, which recognizes the extraordinary contributions of individuals who have brought great distinction to that industry.

Christopher Shanahan is a research analyst with the Frost & Sullivan North America Chemicals, Materials and Foods Practice. He focuses on monitoring and analyzing emerging trends, technologies and market dynamics in the Food Ingredient, Personal Care and Specialty Chemical industries in North America. Since joining Frost & Sullivan, Shanahan has specialized in the Food Ingredient and Specialty Chemical industries. Recent studies include an in-depth look at rising food prices and its impact on ingredient suppliers and processors, a market study on functional beverages, and several studies exploring specialty chemical ingredients in personal care products. Prior to joining Frost & Sullivan, Shanahan was a research and teaching associate in Agribusiness Marketing at the Ohio State University. He brings with him econometric-based market analysis; the analysis of production and consumption behavior; mathematical programming; and statistical benefit-cost analysis. He has direct experience in hedonic pricing models, modeling product innovation diffusion and technology adoption. He has been cited by the Associated Press, Bloomberg, Fox Business News and Food and Beverage Packaging. Shanahan has a masters of science in agricultural economics and a bachelor’s of science in agriculture, with a concentration in agricultural economics and business management.

Kantha Shelke, Ph.D., is a principal at Corvus Blue LLC, a Chicago-based food science and research firm specializing in the competitive intelligence, expert witness services and new product/technology commercialization of ingredients for foods, beverages, dietary supplements and cosmetics. The firm is retained by Fortune 100 food companies, investors, professional and trade organizations for its expertise in the development, regulatory clearance, commercialization and market realization of ingredients, nutraceuticals, functional foods, dietary supplements and cosmetics largely in the health and wellness arena. Dr. Shelke has a doctorate in cereal chemistry and technology and master’s of science degrees in food science and clinical nutrition, and organic chemistry of natural products.

Bill Sipper, senior partner, Cascadia Consulting Group LLC, has held senior-level sales and marketing positions at some of the top beverage marketers in the world. He has gained valuable experience and knowledge, most notably in the entrepreneurial beverage arena. Previously, Sipper has acted as senior vice president of marketing at the Ultimate Juice Co. where he was responsible for national and regional marketing for this $150 million super premium refrigerated juice company. Prior to serving at Ultimate Juice, Sipper was president and chief operating officer of Tear of the Clouds / Keeper Springs; vice president of Fresh Samantha Inc.; director of national sales for Nantucket Nectars; vice president of sales and marketing for the Chatham Beverage Co.; and senior vice president of sales and marketing for Mootch & Muck. Sipper started his beverage career as district / regional sales manager for Great Brands of Europe, where he expanded sales of Evian and Saratoga Mineral Water. During his time as a beverage executive, Sipper has created relationships with many of the top retail and distribution groups in the United States, such as Whole Foods, Fresh Fields, Bread & Circus, Wild Oats, Starbucks, Brueggers Bagels, Einstein's/Noah's Bagels, Barnes & Nobles, Borders Bookstores, Southland 7-11, Circle K, Safeway, Albertson's, Publix, BJ's, Sam's, Costco and others.

A. Elizabeth Sloan, Ph.D., is the president of Sloan Trends & Solutions, Inc., an Escondido, CA-based consulting firm that offers trend-tracking and predictions, strategic counsel and business-building ideas for food, supplement and food service/restaurant marketers. Dr. Sloan was formerly editor-in-chief of McCall’s magazine; director of the Good Housekeeping Institute where she managed the review of consumer products for the Good Housekeeping Seal and served as assistant editor-in-chief of Good Housekeeping magazine; senior vice president and international director of food and nutrition for Hill and Knowlton Public Relations; the first scientific director of the American Association of Cereal Chemists; and director of nutrition communications and technical services for General Mills. Dr. Sloan’s editorial positions include editor-in-chief of Cereal Foods World and Cereal Chemistry, and marketing columnist for Food Business, Food Engineering, Processed Prepared Foods, Food Product Development and Flavor & The Menu. She has written more than 150 articles, co-authored two college text books on nutrition and has appeared on numerous radio and television programs, including The Today Show, Good Morning America, and CBS and NBC newscasts. Dr. Sloan holds a doctorate in food science and nutrition with a minor in mass communications from the University of Minnesota, and a bachelor’s degree in food technology from Rutgers University.

David Sprinkle worked for a dozen years as an analyst and editor for consumer packaged goods market reports by Packaged Facts, a division of the Market Research Group (Rockville, MD), before assuming his current role as research director. Sprinkle has an MBA with a concentration in marketing from Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business, where he also taught courses in business communications.

David Thibodeau is the managing director in Canaccord Adams Investment Banking Group, and head of the firm’s Consumer Health, Wellness and Lifestyle business, which specifically focuses on mergers and acquisitions as well as public and private financings in North America and Europe. Thibodeau’s operating experience and finance background offers clients a unique combination of industry and corporate finance skills. Prior to joining Canaccord Adams, Thibodeau worked for Wellfleet Capital Partners, providing companies with mergers and acquisitions and private placement advisory services. Thibodeau has more than 20 years of corporate development, finance and operating experience with particular expertise in the food and beverage industry.

Tom Vierhile is the director of Datamonitor’s Productscan Online database, the world’s largest online database of new products. He has more than 20 years of experience in consumer packaged goods reporting and analysis. Vierhile is an internationally recognized expert on new product marketing, and has made television and/or radio appearances on CNN, PBS, the BBC and Fox News Channel. He has authored numerous articles on new products for a variety of trade publications. In addition, publications including USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Financial Times, Newsweek and The Washington Post frequently call upon Vierhile for his views on new product introductions and packaged goods industry trends. He holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from St. Bonaventure University, and a master’s of business administration from the State University of New York at Buffalo, with a concentration in finance.

David Williams has developed an international reputation for helping retailers increase their sales and profits by intelligently leveraging their own Point-of-Sale (POS) data. Over his career, Williams has applied his creativity and technological expertise to revolutionize retail analytics through unprecedented real-time visibility and analysis of consumer POS data throughout the supply chain. Consumer packaged goods clients include Revlon, Unilever, Pfizer, Bayer, Bristol-Myers, Wyeth Healthcare and American Greetings. Retail clients include CVS / Pharmacy, Eckerd, Walgreens, Duane Reade, L.L. Bean and Toys R Us.

* Speakers subject to change without notice.