2013 Conference speakers – profiles

A strong line-up of speakers will address SAMW’s annual conference in Glasgow on April 20, each bringing a valuable depth of knowledge and experience to this year’s theme of ‘Building for the Future’.

The keynote conference speech will be given by the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment. Since his appointment as Cabinet Secretary in 2007, Richard Lochhead has constantly demonstrated his affinity with, and support for, the rural sector, agriculture and our industry.

Our second speaker is Charles Milne, Director of the Food Standards Agency in Scotland since June 2009. He is currently at the centre of the development of the proposed new Scottish food body and has been instrumental in recent changes to the administration of meat hygiene in Scottish meat plants.

Mark Thomson, Business Unit Director at Kantar Worldpanel, returns to our conference platform after an ‘interesting’ trading start to the year for the meat sector.  Looking after clients in Scotland and Ireland, he has worked with all of the main retailers, as well as their customers, within the UK meat and poultry sector.

Finally, Javier Dominguez is a most welcome newcomer to our conference platform in his role as Deputy Veterinary Director and Head of Strategy in Hygiene and Microbiology at the Food Standards Agency (UK).  Currently heavily involved in the EU’s development of a new method of meat inspection, he is ideally placed to comment on the latest legislative progress in Brussels.

Full conference and dinner dance details

Date/Venue – April 20^th – Marriott Hotel, Glasgow

Conference – 9.45am to lunch

Annual dinner& dance – starting at 7pm

Booking forms have been issued but anyone who hasn’t already received the necessary details should contact Ian Anderson, Executive Manager by email on ianranderson@btinternet.com