FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
IFAMA Appoints 7 New Board Members to Advance Sustainable Solutions for Global Food and Agriculture

CORVALLIS, OREGON USA – October 16, 2023
Contact: Kathryn White, Executive Director, IFAMA
Email: mkwhite@ifama.org  Phone: (541) 368-5545

The International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA) is pleased to announce the appointment of seven highly regarded global food industry and academic experts to its Board of Directors. These new members bring a wealth of experience, expertise, and diverse perspectives that will further contribute to organization's strategic mandate.

Joining IFAMA's Board of Directors are:

1.  Jack Bobo, Director of the Food Systems Institute, University of Nottingham and CEO of Futurity (USA). Jack Bobo advises companies, foundations and governments on emerging food trends and consumer attitudes and behaviors related to the future of food. Jack is a global thought leader who has delivered more than 500 speeches in 50 countries. In 2015, Jack was named as Scientific American's 100 Most Influential People in Biotechnology. He also serves as the Director of Global Food and Water Policy at The Nature Conservancy and is author of “Why smart people make bad food choices.”  

2. Sylvain Charlebois, Senior Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University (Canada). With a background food distribution, food security and safety, Sylvain Charlebois has authored five books on the global food system and over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles. Google scholar ranks him as one of the most cited scholars on food supply chain management, food value chains, and traceability.  

3. Catherine Keogh, Chief Corporate Affairs, Brand Officer for the Kerry Group (Ireland). Catherine Keogh is responsible for Public Affairs, Sustainability, Brand Strategy, and Communications, where she has a proven track record of delivering in strategic marketing leadership, B2B brand building, integrated communications and developing innovative strategies to fuel rapid business growth. Kerry has more than 22,000 employees in 80 countries. The company’s mission to position itself as a world leader in sustainable nutrition aligns with IFAMA mission as an advocate of producing healthy food while addressing food insecurity.

4. Yoav Levsky, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board, VYLA (Israel), is working with the world’s leading and forward-thinking dairy companies — Nestle, Land O’Lakes and Lely Group —to improve supply chain efficiency in the dairy industry through shared data technology and transparency. Data technologies are critical to maximizing the production of efficient and sustainable food production in the future with fewer resources.

5. Jayson Lusk, Vice President and Dean of Agricultural Programs, Oklahoma State University (USA). Jayson Lusk leads the Ferguson College of Agriculture and two state agencies: OSU Extension and OSU Ag Research. He has published more than 270 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and written and co-authored six books. His expertise  in food policy, emerging food issues, consumer behavior, and livestock, meat technology make him a sought-after speaker and expert media source, both nationally and internationally.

6. Damien McLoughlin, Anthony C. Cunningham Professor of Marketing and Marketing Subject Area Head at UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School (Ireland). Damien McLoughlin specializes in agribusiness strategy and B2B marketing, teaching, and research. He has consulted and led executive programs in Europe, North America, Asia, Australasia, and Africa, while working with some of the worlds’ leading organizations such as Alltech, Agricultural Bank of China, Allianz, Bobst, Bord Bia (The Irish Food Board), Bunge, FAO, Google, Hewlett-Packard, and ICON. Damien's work in domestic and international markets have earned him several recognitions, distinctions, and teaching awards. He is a notable media authority and commentator in Ireland.

7. Bernardo Piazzardi, Executive Director of the MBA program in Agribusiness, Universidad of Austral (Argentina). Bernardo Piazzardi is also an international consultant in South America and Africa. He specializes in business strategy and value chain analysis and promotes the use of teaching case studies as a problem-solving tool within organizations and classrooms, aligning with IFAMA's focus on teaching cases.

"We are delighted to welcome these exceptional individuals to our Board of Directors," said Aidan Connolly, President of IFAMA.  Their extensive networks and strategic insights will undoubtedly contribute to driving positive change on a global and regional scale.”

About IFAMA

The International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA) is a nonprofit established 34 years ago as a bridge between the agribusiness industry, academia, government, consumer groups, non-governmental sectors and students to stimulate strategic thinking across the full spectrum of the global food system. It is volunteer driven. IFAMA's mission is to convene current and future stakeholders to improve the focus, transparency, sustainability, and responsiveness of the global food and agribusiness system. The organization accomplishes this through hosting annual world conferences, supporting capacity-building projects, providing professional development, and publishing a quarterly academic journal in agribusiness. IFAMA is hosting the 2024 World Conference in Almeria, Spain. The theme is Food Security through Innovation and Sustainability. Learn more.

Importance of this news:
Increasing global political unrest, climate change, and a growing population are rapidly reshaping the future of agriculture, food, and escalating food insecurity. The solutions require cross-disciplinary participation and informed debate which is grounded in science. The infusion of new board members ensures IFAMA remains on the forefront of its mission.

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