The Global Food Safety Initiative is Opening Applications to Join the GFSI Steering Committee

PARIS, 22 February 2024. The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) is pleased to announce that applications are now open to all those eligible to join the GFSI Steering Committee. This round of applications and elections comes as part of the new Governance Rules published in 2021 in line with GFSI’s move to a Coalition of Action of The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF). The governance rules stipulate that a short application window will open for nomination and election of eligible individuals to the GFSI Steering Committee.

The GFSI Steering Committee comprises senior food safety leaders from retailers and manufacturer members of the CGF Coalition of Action on Food Safety. Each member is nominated directly by their company’s CEO and commits to supporting the three strategic priorities of GFSI – harmonising and benchmarking food safety certification programmes, building food safety capabilities and fostering public-private partnerships. Current Steering Committee members are:

• Mark Fryling, General Mills
• Howard Popoola, The Kroger Co.
• Tom Wiester, Starbucks
• Vanessa Mattos, Loblaw
• Zoltan Syposs, The Coca-Cola Company
• Kazuaki Miyagishima, Aeon
• Michael McDonald, Mars, Incorporated
• Pierre de Ginestel, Auchan
• Tracy Burton, Unilever
• Ray Bowe, Musgrave
• Cindy Jenks, Pick n Pay
• Deann Atkins-Lewenthal
• Mary Gertz, Yum Brands
• Eduardo Martinez, RBI International
• Mahirwan Bhagia, PepsiCo
• Olivier Mignot, Nestlé
• Mark Beaumont, Danone

GFSI Director Erica Sheward said, “Without the dedication of the individuals on the GFSI Steering Committee – some of the greatest minds in food safety – GFSI would certainly not be where it is today. There is still much to do, and we need to ensure we have the most driven food safety leaders to take on the challenges ahead. It is a privilege and a pleasure to be able to broaden participation in the GFSI SteerCo by offering routine opportunities for new members to join us.”

If you wish to apply, please contact us to receive the necessary application forms. The closing date for GFSI to receive completed applications is 14 March 2024 at midnight CET. Please note the application process is rigorous and may take some time to complete.

About GFSI
The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI; the Coalition) is a CEO-led Coalition of Action from The Consumer Goods Forum, bringing together 43 retailers and manufacturers and an extended food safety community to help oversee food safety standards for businesses and help provide access to safe food for people everywhere. As one of the world’s largest networks to help achieve safe food, GFSI is committed to making food safety everyone’s business, and the Coalition members are addressing challenges facing food safety systems in their supply chains and the markets they operate in and are helping to raise the food safety bar globally. Its ambition is to strengthen and harmonize food safety systems to feed the growing global population and develop markets that can deliver food safely, no matter where the consumer is. To learn more, visit our website.