Emerging Trends and Insights

Charlie Arnot is recognized as a thought leader in food and agriculture. He is highly regarded as both a writer and sought-after speaker who engages audiences across the globe. Charlie has more than 25 years of experience working in communications, public relations and issues management within the food system. He serves as CEO of the Center for Food Integrity, a international non-profit organization dedicated to building consumer trust and confidence in today’s food system.

Lauri Baker is an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication at the University of Florida with a research appointment with the Center for Public Issues Education. Her research interests range from new-media technologies to communication preferences and marketing on the local level.

Dr. Ernest Baskin is an associate professor of Food, Pharma and Healthcare and the chair of the Food, Pharma and Healthcare Department at Saint Joseph’s University. Ernest is an expert in consumer behavior and marketing research. His research focuses on consumer judgment and decision making with a particular interest in consumption decisions as well as consumer biases and context effects using experimental methodology and survey design.

Vincenzina Caputo is Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics at Michigan State University. Her research uses cutting-edge methods to better understand how people make food choices and how these choices impact the food system, supply chains, and policy.

Nicholas Fereday is executive director in Rabobank’s research department in New York, specializing in food and consumer trends. His global background includes a variety of economist and consultancy roles.

Sherry Frey brings more than two decades of industry experience to her role as Vice President, Total Wellness at NielsenIQ. With a background in market research, innovation and consulting, she has elevated clients across the fresh, CPG and wellness industries, providing forward-thinking insights, combined with practical strategies.

In addition to leading NielsenIQ’s Total Wellness team and industry engagement, Sherry has been a featured speaker at many national and international industry events and is often sought as a media and analyst resource on topics related to consumer health, wellness and environmental issues.

David Hughes is Emeritus Professor of Food Marketing at Imperial College London, and Visiting Professor at the Royal Agricultural University, U.K. As “Dr. Food”, he speaks at international conferences and seminars on global food industry issues, particularly consumer and retail trends.

Steve Markenson leads FMI’s research & insights practice. Markenson is a market research executive with 30 years of progressive experience in his field – from research assistant to president of a full-service national market research firm – and his diverse experience includes research design, information/data collection and analysis and strategic planning.

In his role at FMI, Markenson oversees the research & insights practice at FMI, specifically the study design, survey fielding and efforts with outside knowledge partners and FMI subject matter experts. He leads the discovery process on the latest industry trends and operational insights that champion FMI as a credible voice of the food retail industry.

Kevin Ryan is Founder of Malachite Strategy and Research. His background includes leading innovation and strategy at companies such as General Mills and Amazon with a focus on food science and food anthropology.

Susan is an insights expert with 25 years of experience, most recently as the founder of Mangaso Consulting. Formerly, she served as President of Circana’s Food & Beverage Practice, where she helped North American CPG clients turn insights into actionable strategies. A founding member of The Center for Food Integrity’s Trust Insights Council, Susan is a frequent speaker on consumer trends and co-creator of influential consumption behavior studies. She is a University of Michigan graduate with a passion for the food and beverage industry.

Diana is a seasoned market research, sales, and business strategy executive with over 20 years of experience spanning corporate, consulting, and management roles and is the founder of PDG Insights.
Her expertise includes consumer and shopper segmentation, assortment and pricing optimization, market structure, and need-state analysis. Diana is highly skilled in both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, leveraging syndicated data sources such as Nielsen, IRI, Mintel, and Claritas to uncover critical market trends and opportunities. Her industry experience spans consumer packaged goods, financial services, and insurance.