Food Manufacture’s next Business Leaders’ Forum will take place on 12 February 2026 at the Hyatt Regency London Blackfriars, chaired by the esteemed independent food industry advisor, Helen Sisson.
About the event
The Forum offers a unique alternative to the traditional industry seminar or conference.
The chair steers the discussion and offers their thoughts throughout, but the event is built around the delegates and interactivity.
Held under Chatham House Rules, attendees can debate, share their views and help shape the conversation in an inviting and safe environment.
And while we have a set agenda of topics, the event is also flexible enough that it provides guests with the chance to raise the subjects most important to them. It’s an opportunity for honest peer-to-peer feedback and even those invaluable moments of recognition where you realise ‘I’m not alone in this’.
Overall, the Forum has been designed to spark ideas, allow for easier networking, and a place to forge new partnerships.
What’s on the agenda?
The Forum is known for tackling pressing industry topics - and 2026 is no different.
The 2026 agenda:
- The trends business leaders can’t afford to ignore
An exploration of the seismic shifts reshaping food and drink – from the rise of the healthy consumer to the demand for radical transparency and sustainability. Discover where the trends that really matter and the investments that will futureproof your business.
- Health trends, regulation and ROI: Rethinking product strategy for today’s market
Skinny jabs, shifting health narratives, and tightening HFSS regulations are rewriting the product playbook. This session unpacks the regulatory horizon and evolving consumer expectations for manufacturers who want to stay ahead and stay profitable.
- Risk, resilience & strategic investment in a volatile world
The threats are real, the response must be bold. From food fraud and mislabelling to climate disruption, biosecurity and geopolitical instability, the risks facing the sector are multiplying. We’ll spotlight the most urgent threats – and the strategic investments that can turn vulnerability into competitive advantage.
Meet the chair
Helen Sisson has been in the industry more than 35 years where she has held diverse technical roles encompassing food safety and quality, sustainability, health and safety, and agriculture.
Her most recent role was technical director of 2 Sisters Food Group, before setting up her own independent food industry advisor service in the summer.
She is known for building high performing teams, developing and empowering them, whilst providing the strategic leadership, direction and importantly the support, resulting in the delivery of functional excellence recognised by a range of stakeholders, from customers to insurers.
Sisson also provides considerable support to the development of the industry, through representation on a number of advisory boards and was the first women to chair the Chilled Food Association.
She was involved in the establishment of the Food Industry Intelligence Network (FIIN), of which she was director and co-chair. FIIN now has over 65 members and was unique when set up in bringing the industry together to collaborate and share intelligence. Today, FINN not only shares with its members but also with the regulators and will shortly provide a means to support smaller businesses on food integrity through an SME hub.
Sisson also contributes to government activities , having been part of the independent review into labour shortages in the food supply chain and sits on the Defra lead Market Monitoring group.
She a trustee for FareShare Midlands, having previously served as a trustee for FareShare UK and as a non-executive director of Campden BRI.
Can I attend?
Whether you’re the founder of a food business or a departmental head within a F&B manufacturing company – across any division, from technical to logistics to R&D, and of any size – from start-up to conglomerate – we want you to attend.
You can register here - as soon long as you meet the criteria, you’ll become part of the community, meaning you’ll receive an invite to future events and a special newsletter with exclusive content 6x a year.
You’ll need to grab your ticket for the event once your registration is completed and accepted.
