Business Leaders’ Forum: sponsors’ spotlight

In these video interviews, we probe sponsor’s motivations in more detail. Contributors include top managers from Agrantec, Tata and Intertek.  

We intersperse their comments with video clips of the discussions to give a feel of what it was like to take part in this year’s Business Leaders’ Forum, which took place at the office of event partner Stephenson Harwood in London last week (January 21).

Robin Burton​, head of marketing with Agrantec, said the event offered “an excellent forum”​ to explore how his firm’s traceability systems could add value to food by providing consumers with a full range of information about its provenance.

Following clips feature comments from John Giles, agrifood director of Promar International, about the involvement of organised crime in the  horsemeat crisis and Nick Douglas, md G’s Growers about how the scandal was handled.

Carl Jury​, Tata’s head of business development – consumer packaged goods, said the event offered an opportunity to engage with the leaders of potential clients’ firms, in order to design custom solutions to industry challenges.

Following clips showcase comments from John Poole, ceo Institute of Food Science & Technology, on the government’s attitude to sugar and fats. Jim Moseley, general manager General Mills, also speaks about government support for the food industry, while Geoff Eaton, former chief operating officer for Premier Foods, said the Confederation of British Industry underestimated the problem of red tape for small to medium-sized enterprises.

Chetan Parmar​, senior vice president food services Intertek, said the forum offered a valuable opportunity to explore the concerns of food and drink industry top executives, in order to help their businesses overcome challenges.

The Business Leaders’ Forum – chaired by Thorntons’ chairman Paul Wilkinson– was also sponsored by insurance firm Aon, Columbus IT and NSF International.