Tag Archives: Matrix Sciences

FSC C-Suite Panel 2022

Communicating to the C-Suite

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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FSC C-Suite Panel 2022

Food safety and quality assurance leaders are competing for a finite number of dollars within their respective organizations. Securing support or funding for new equipment, training or personnel can be challenging. Understanding the competing pressures and needs of corporate leaders can help FSQA professionals get their message across and ensure a commitment to food safety.

At the 2022 Food Safety Consortium in October, Deb Coviello, CEO, founder and business advisor at The Drop In CEO, moderated a panel discussion “Communicating to the C-Suite.” Panelists Peter Begg, senior vice president of quality and food safety at Hearthside Food Solutions, Melanie Neumann, JD, executive vice president and general counsel of Matrix Sciences International, and Ann Marie McNamara, vice president of food safety and quality for supply chain, manufacturing and commercialization at U.S. Foods, shared their tips and best practices for getting your message across in the board room.

When approaching the C-suite with updates and asks for financial support, you want to be both confident and concise. “If you can’t explain in five to seven slides what you need and why, you will lose them,” said Begg. “And it is very likely that you yourself do not understand the issue or are unclear of the implications and what the C-suite needs to know.”

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McNamara tries to keep it to one slide and encourages FSQA professionals to: know your audience, stick to the facts, and communicate like an executive by using their terms and focusing on goals and metrics.

“You have to take off your FSQA hat and put on your business hat,” she said. “You can’t just be a technical expert, you need to be a translator and communicate the technical into business terms.”

Equate Risk to Dollar Amounts

If your consumers are at risk due to poor training, difficult-to-clean equipment or other concerns, you need to quickly equate the risk to a dollar amount when communicating with the C-suite. “You can use baseline data to quantify your risks,” said Neumann. For example, if you have a problematic piece equipment, look at the frequency and likelihood of inspection and the potential findings, and share this information as part of your presentation.

She follows a “go back to kindergarten” strategy to help develop a compelling presentation: learn and share the basic math, follow your ABCs by using clear, concise language and “do some show and tell,” said Neumann. In one instance, she brought a joint with multiple weld points from the floor to the board room to illustrate why this particular piece of equipment was so difficult to sanitize and had become a site of contamination. The leadership agreed to replace it.

“You need to be specific, and pick your battles,” said Neumann. “For example, if you need more ‘help,’ what does that look like—do you need more people, more training, a new system?”

Building Your Confidence

Standing in front of a group of executives to fight for your department can be intimidating. If public speaking is not your forte, practice speaking in front of a group. “Share your presentation with your team and ask what questions they would have to get feedback and input,” said McNamara.

Doing regular check-ins with the CFO regarding future resource needs, rather than waiting for a quarterly or annual presentation opportunity, can help you get a headstart on coming asks. In fact, developing relationships with all C-suite leaders is key to keeping food safety needs top of mind. “Introduce yourself to new leaders and understand how they want to be communicated with (i.e., text, email, phone),” said Begg. “Do regular check-ins with leadership and recommend quarterly presentations to keep them up to date.”

While all three panelists encouraged FSQA professionals to avoid getting emotional and focus on the facts as well as dollars and cents, you do want to remind executives of the impact of failure to act on food safety concerns. “Explain the financial risks and speak in terms of the impact to them, ‘What we want everyone in the company to understand is your loved ones are eating this food,’” said Begg.

 

 

 

 

 

Matrix Sciences and Savour Food Safety International

Matrix Sciences Acquires Savour Food Safety International and Savor Safe Food

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Matrix Sciences and Savour Food Safety International
Gina Kramer
Gina (Nicholson) Kramer, executive director of Savour Food Safety International

Matrix Sciences International, Inc. has announced the acquisition of Savour Food Safety International and Savor Safe Food, organizations that provide consulting, auditing and training services in food safety and quality, and product development.

“Gina and her teams have built two strong companies with outstanding reputations that come from providing a unique level of service to their customers,” said Robert Wiebe, CEO of Matrix Sciences, in a company press release. “This strategic investment adds to the scope and depth of our Advisory business and has real linkage to our other services. ” Gina (Nicholson) Kramer is the executive director of Savour Food Safety International and also a member of Food Safety Tech’s Editorial Advisory Board. She will continue to serve in the same role and said the acquisition will not change how Savour Food Safety does business. However, the deal will give the firm access to new services, including laboratory testing, process validation, environmental monitoring program assessments, and R&D and sensory testing. “Matrix Sciences is creating an unparalleled team of expert services to provide customers with resources of a large company while maintaining a very focused, personalized approach to service for every client,” said Kramer.

Matrix Sciences has operations nationwide to address the needs of food and beverage industries and has grown through acquisitions of Richter International and Neumann Risk Services as well.

Gina (Nicholson) Kramer will be moderating Salmonella Detection & Control Sanitation Workshop at the 2019 Food Safety Consortium Conference & Expo.

Matrix Sciences

Matrix Sciences Acquires Neumann Risk Services

Matrix Sciences

Matrix Sciences recently announced the acquisition of Neumann Risk Services, LLC (NRS), led by Melanie Neumann, J.D., M.S., according to a press release. Neumann’s venture, NRS, combines a consulting business with a legal practice, focusing in the areas of food safety, food science, food defense, recall & crisis management.

Adding NRS to the Matrix Sciences portfolio allows them to further grow their consulting capabilities, working with Neumann to expand their set of services. She will be building a suite of services targeted at helping companies reap the benefits of their investments in food safety risk management, according to the press release.

In addition to taking the role of Executive Vice President and General Counsel for Matrix, Melanie Neumann will also maintain Neumann Legal Services, a separate but allied legal practice. “I made the decision to join Matrix Sciences because our vision for meeting the changing and unmet needs of the food industry align very well,” says Neumann. “But more than that, our value in how we need to meet those needs make for a great fit.”

Neumann received her law degree from Mitchell Hamline Law School and a Master of Science in Food Science from Michigan State University. Neumann has worked as an attorney in a number of capacities at major food companies throughout the world, building herself a reputation as a prominent consultant, thought leader and adviser in the world of food safety.

Robert Wiebe, chief executive officer of Matrix Sciences, says this acquisition is an important step in their growth strategy. “Melanie and NRS are critical to building a true full-service solution provider,” says Wiebe. “Building on the capabilities and capacity from our acquisitions of Richter International and Northland Laboratories, our portfolio of companies represents a growing and unique partner for our customers in addressing the challenges and opportunities in bringing safe food to market.”