Upcoming IFPA education sessions offer business insights

The International Fresh Produce Association will offer education sessions with business-building global thought leaders on consumer, tech and talent trends at The Global Produce & Floral Show, Oct. 19-21 in Anaheim, Calif.  

“Our commitment to helping members respond to the consumer marketplace, adopt new technology and innovation, and put people first is reflected in the global show’s CEO Panel,” session moderator Patrick Vizzone, managing director and head of Agri-Food and Impact Investment, Franklin Templeton, Global Private Equity, said in a news release. “No longer is a great product or service enough to ensure great business outcomes. We present these notable changemakers at the global show as part of the association’s year-round commitment to offering members the latest on these trends. I'm excited to moderate this session as it will offer a unique perspective to global show attendees." 

Besides Vizzone, the Thursday, Oct. 19, panel also will feature Andrea Albright, executive vice president of sourcing for Walmart; Elliott Grant, CEO of Mineral, an Alphabet company; and Johnny C. Taylor, president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management.

“IFPA members and global show attendees are highly tuned into the need for insights into consumer behavior, technology and innovation, and the best ways to support our most important assets, our people,” Vizzone said in the release. “In addition to offering resources on these topics year-round — both online and at our events, I'm especially pleased the global show expo floor features the Innovation Hub, a one-stop shop for produce companies looking for solutions to their operational challenges.”

Exhibitors in the Innovation Hub offer solutions, including robotics, sustainability, precision technologies, data intelligence and management (including software and info systems), food safety, labeling and packaging, transportation, traceability and more, the release said. 

For more information, visit The Global Produce & Floral Show website: freshproduce.com/events/the-global-produce-and-floral-show.

More about the panelists

• Andrea Albright, executive vice president of sourcing for Walmart, will speak on retail and consumer trends. Since joining Walmart in 2005, Albright has held positions of increasing responsibility, driving innovation and transformation across the Walmart U.S. Merchandising and People organizations and earning a reputation as a dynamic, solutions-oriented leader, according to the release. Most recently, Albright served as senior vice president and general merchandising manager for the Snacks, Beverages, Candy, Front-End and Convenience business for Walmart. In this role, she orchestrated a rapid turnaround boosting top-line sales with less inventory, spurred reinvigorated partnerships and innovations, and raised customer experience scores via reimagined alcohol and checkout merchandising experiences, the release said.
   
• Elliott Grant, CEO of Mineral, an Alphabet company, will address technological innovation in agriculture. He applies the latest breakthroughs in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and perception technology to make agriculture more sustainable, according to the release. He brings more than 15 years of innovation and company-building in agriculture and food supply chains to Mineral's mission to drive a deeper understanding of plant-kind and help meet the world’s growing demand for food, according to the release.  Grant was previously the CEO of ShopWell and founding CEO of HarvestMark. He has shared his expertise by serving as an industry association volunteer, the release said. Grant earned his Ph.D. in engineering from Cambridge University and has authored more than 36 U.S. patents (and invented the PTI VoiceCode that he open-sourced in 2010), according to the release. 
   
• Johnny C. Taylor, president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management, will reveal talent trends, including diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) insights. His national bestseller, “Reset: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval,” delivers a candid and forward-thinking vision for leaders to reimagine their company cultures in a time of global upheaval and presents data-driven strategies to make the necessary foundational reset of all things work, according to the release. SHRM is the largest human resources trade association in the world (300,000 members in 165 countries), impacting the lives of 115 million workers every day, the release said. As a global leader on the future of employment, culture and leadership, Taylor is a sought-after voice on all matters affecting work, workers and the workplace, and he is frequently asked to testify before the Congress on critical workforce issues and has served as an adviser to a variety of organizations, according to the release. His career spans more than 20 years as a lawyer, human resources executive and CEO in both the not-for-profit and for-profit spaces. He has held senior and chief executive roles at IAC/Interactive Corp., Viacom's Paramount Pictures, Blockbuster Entertainment Group, the McGuireWoods law firm, and Compass Group USA. Most recently, Taylor was president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.