Click on each mentor to find out more about them
Clive has held the role of Group Food Safety and Quality Manager at Dunbia and Dawn Meats UK for the past 13 years, during this time the number of sites in the group has more than doubled adding to the complexity of the role.
After completing a degree in Plant Biology at Newcastle University he started working in a microbiology laboratory at an abattoir. Clive found the processes involved in the meat industry fascinating and moved from the analytical work of the lab to the more hands-on management of food safety and quality in the factory. Due to his deep-rooted interest in the subject, he later competed a Postgraduate Diploma in Meat Science and Technology at Bristol University.
With over 25 years’ experience in the meat industry specialising in the delivery of food safety, quality management and factory standards, Clive is committed to supporting and empowering his site teams in order to consistently deliver objectives.
I have a BSc in Agricultural Science and an MSc in Food Quality Management. I have built my career in the UK food industry, specialising in FMCG and ready meals. I’ve spent the past decade leading technical teams to deliver day-to-day compliance, supplier assurance, robust hygiene standards, and the smooth upscale of new products from concept to launch. As Head of Technical, I am most passionate about empowering people and building great teams. My dream day outside of work finds me skiing down a mountain, alternatively playing squash, or planning my next travel adventure.
I hold a Food Science & Nutrition degree from Northumbria University and completed a product development placement at Dr. Oetker as part of the sandwich course. I spent five years as an NPD Technologist before joining Arla in 2015 as a Specifications & Artwork Coordinator. Post-Brexit, I took on greater responsibility in UK food compliance and regulatory affairs. In 2023, I became Chair of the Dairy UK Labelling and Composition Committee.
I now work in Arla’s Global Trade Policy and Regulatory Affairs team, supporting global Milk-Based Beverages, UK-specific compliance, and trade-related activities for UK imports and exports.
After completing a degree my BSC Hons in Agriculture at Harper Adams University, I’ve spent a year working on commercial broiler farms at Avara Foods, before moving on the graduate scheme into a Technical role at the businesses cutting plant in Telford. I spent 4 years in technical with Avara Foods in a variety of shop floor and systems-based roles before joining Montgomery Waters as Technical Manager in 2022. Here I gained experience of an entirely new category and as the business was small and family run, I also had responsibility for hygiene and NPD in my role.
I joined Oscar Mayer in December 2024 as Group Technical Services Manager and I oversee KPI reporting, audit management and finished product specifications for the group, with a team of 7 to support. Since joining Oscar Mayer I have launched a monthly round-table debate - Chew on This - which we record and release to the world as a podcast episode. I’m passionate about bringing all parts of the supply chain together, sparking conversations and giving people the opportunity and the platform to have their voices heard, especially on the topics that are shaping our industry.
Before joining Arla, I studied an integrated Master’s in Chemical Engineering at the University of Birmingham. Whilst I was there, I undertook an industrial placement year at GSK as a Production Engineer in a toothpaste factory; it was there that I learned I loved the pace and variety of the FMCG world!
After graduating, I was lucky enough to join Arla’s 2-year production management programme which has seen me work at our Lockerbie, Oswestry, Settle and Jönköping (Sweden) production sites across various roles. In the 3 years since, I have been the Logistics & Planning Manager at our UHT and lactoFREE milk site looking after a department of 30 people as well as having the opportunity to deputise for the Site Director. In September this year, I’ve moved across to our most complex UK site, Stourton Dairy, as Operational Support manager looking after CAPEX, CI, Sustainably and our site performance program.
Throughout my career it has always amazed me how many people are involved in putting products on the shelves of the nation’s supermarkets and I’ve been fortunate to work with so many from our inbound logistics and production teams, right through to branding and marketing!
A recent food science graduate. After studying for a intergrated MSci at the Univeristy of Leeds I now find myself starting afresh in the world of retail. Starting as a junior product developer role at ASDA I find myself at the beginning of my career in the world of product development. I'm excited to experience all the new things within this role.
I’ve worked in the food industry for over 13 years, starting out at Sykes Seafood in Liverpool. I originally planned to stay for just a year before heading to university, however I quickly found myself drawn to the fast-paced nature of the manufacturing world and before I knew it nearly 5 years had passed. I gained experience across multiple areas of the business but was always drawn to the complexities of food safety.
In 2017, I joined Princes at their head office as part of their Customer Technical Team. This was my first opportunity to work directly with UK retailers, where I progressed from Technical Executive to Technical Account Manager. I was also fortunate enough to complete a degree in Food Science and Technology during my time there. The role took me around the world, helped me build strong relationships with retailers, and truly cemented my passion for food safety and quality.
In April this year, I joined Arla as a Key Customer Quality Account Manager to broaden my experience in the dairy and chilled food sector. I love that the food industry never stops evolving, there’s always something new to learn and I’m excited to keep growing alongside a great team.
I began my food industry journey studying Food Science at the University of Nottingham and completed a placement year as a technical intern at Charlie Bigham's. After graduating, I worked as a process technologist at a food to go manufacturing site. I loved the fast-paced nature of manufacturing and wanted to expand my understanding of different product categories, which led me into moving on to retail, where I am now a quality technologist at Asda. I currently look after product quality in the bakery category. I love the variety and problem-solving aspects to the role, and the continuous expansion of technical skills and manufacturing knowledge.
Laura Ryan is the QEHS Director for Arla Foods, with over 23 years of experience in the food industry. This role leads strategic initiatives across Quality, Environment, Health, and Safety.
Laura began her career with Kerry Foods followed by Pilgrim’s Europe, where she developed a strong foundation in food production and food safety systems. Over the years, she has built a reputation for driving excellence in compliance, risk management, and continuous improvement across complex supply chains.
Laura’s expertise spans regulatory affairs, HACCP, BRCGS standards, and sustainability practices, with a passion for developing talent and supporting early career opportunities within the food industry.
Nick Galicia graduated from Leeds Beckett University in 2016 and began his career in a variety of operational roles before specialising in Learning & Development and Early Careers in 2022. He has worked across several industries including vehicle leasing, where he led an award-winning apprenticeship programme—engineering/services, and banking. He now works in the food industry with Greencore. Passionate about nurturing emerging talent, Nick is also a member of the Yorkshire and Humber Apprenticeship Ambassadors Network, and firmly believes that with the right support, anyone has the potential to achieve great things.
As a nutrition graduate from the University of Leeds, I have started my professional career as a Product Quality Technologist at Valeo Foods UK. My role in the central technical team for confectionary and snacks focuses on product quality initiatives. In my projects ranging from consumer panels and food safety culture, I am excited to continue learning and developing as I begin my career in the Food Industry.
Stavroula Karampa is now Senior Operations Manager at the Stourton dairy, following a series of progressive roles within Arla Foods over the last 4 years, including Head of UK Customer for QEHS, QEHS manager and Technical team leader. She is passionate about continuous learning, quality, innovation, and the power of teamwork, and enjoys sharing insights while supporting others as they grow in their careers.
Her academic background includes a Master’s in Organic Agriculture and Food Systems from the University of Hohenheim, where she researched consumer trends in organic markets, and a Business Administration degree from the University of Ioannina, specializing in food and agricultural enterprises. Stavroula has also pursued professional training in lead auditing, health and safety, innovation, and entrepreneurship, and is fluent in English and Greek, with strong German skills.
With over a decade of experience in the food and agriculture sector, Stavroula has specialized in quality management, food safety, and team leadership. At Arla Foods, she has led teams at both national and site levels, driving improvements in quality, safety, and operational standards, as well as championing digital transformation and crisis management
I started my journey in the food industry studying Food and Technology at Manchester Metropolitan University. As part of this course, I completed a placement year at Northern Foods at one of their Ready Meal factories in Sheffield producing ready meals for Marks & Spencer. After I graduated I returned to Northern Foods on their Graduate programme and spent 9 years working at various manufacturing sites in Process Development from Bakery to Sandwiches and Sushi to Ready Meals all for Marks & Spencers, starting as a Process Technologist, Senior Technologist then onto Process Development Manager covering a range of sites. This time in manufacturing I found crucial and an excellent base to learn and understand the food industry which really help set me up for my later years in retail.
In 2010 I joined Asda as a Product Development Manager to gain experience of the retail side of the industry and to gain more experience in Product Development. I have been in Asda now 15 years and have worked my way across the Fresh areas from Pies to Olives and Antipasti, Bakery, Frozen, FTG, Pizza and Ready Meals. I am now Senior Product Devleopment Manager covering the Fresh area with a large team of Product Managers and also head up Innovation within Asda. My role is a great mix of strategy and innovation, working closely with our Commercial and Marketing teams and our Supplier Partners. I love seeking out the next food trend and bringing this to life for our customers and love working on our seasonal ranges setting the strategy and creating the next innovation within these areas. Over the years my role has led me to travel visitng food factories across the globe and some very inspirational food tours from New York, California to Japan and South Korea to name but a few. I love all forms of food and love creating new food ideas to inspire our customers, I still get a buzz visiting our factories, seeing our new products run down the line.
I graduated from the University of Nottingham with a degree in Food Science and Nutrition, where I developed an interest in the science behind food and it’s impact on health. During my year in industry, I gained valuable hands-on experience that deepened my understanding of how products are developed and brought to market. I’m now a Graduate Trainee at Cranswick on a rotational scheme, building a broad foundation across different areas of the business and developing the skills to drive innovation and quality within the food industry!
Zoe Shuttlewood is a food safety professional with over 20 years of experience in factory quality assurance, food safety management systems and supplier quality, she has been working for McCormick since 2011. Zoe obtained her Masters’ degree in Food safety Management from the University of Central Lancashire and is a registered food safety manager (RFoodSM) with the Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST).
Working as a subject matter expert within McCormick’s Global Scientific and Regulatory Affairs team focusing on risk sciences, Zoe is accountable for raw material & allergen control program governance. Activities within these programs include evolving raw material risk assessments using the latest scientific and historical data. Participation in horizon scanning activities and working with key trade association on areas of emerging risk with a focus on contaminants and allergens.
I first discovered my passion for food quality during my university studies in Agricultural university of Athens. After graduating, I moved to the UK with the aim of joining the food industry and gaining hands-on experience in compliance and food safety. My journey began in Arla’s lab team, which gave me a great foundation in technical work. From there, I progressed to a Technical Team Leader role, where I learned how to manage people, lead projects, and drive continuous improvement. In that role, I gained valuable experience in compliance, food safety, and coordinating teams across the site. Today, as a QEHS Professional – Specification & Artwork at Arla Foods, I’m focused on deepening my knowledge of legislation and standards to support product integrity and compliance.