Finn Hjort Christensen, DuPont N & H, DK

Finn Hjort Christensen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and Business Administration and a Master of Science degree in Chemistry. He has worked in various quality control and product development functions for Unilever in Denmark (with ice cream, margarine and dressings) before joining DuPont N&H in 1997 as Application Manager, (ice cream applications). Finn Hjort Christensen currently holds the title of Senior Main Applications Specialist and Group Manager of the Sweet Application Group in DuPont N & H, which includes Ice Cream, Dessert and Milk & Cream.

Minna Hakaoja, ProVeg

Minna Hakaoja works at ProVeg as a Business Developer. ProVeg is the world's first international nutrition organization to promote a plant-based lifestyle and aims to reduce global animal consumption by 50 percent by 2040. Minna Hakaoja supports companies in exploiting the growing vegetable food market. 

Her areas of expertise are :

• Sustainable food industry
• Corporate commitment - plant-based food markets: consumers, companies, products, ingredients, ingredients
• Investment promotion
• Service Design

Anna Martin, Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging 

Anna Martin received her Master of Science degree in Food Technology from the Technical University of Munich in 2016. She is currently conducting research in the areas of extrusion and process development at the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging. During the Freisinger Tage at the IVV, together with Jürgen Bez and Andreas Detzel, she provided information on process projects within the framework of EU measures on "Protein2Food" (www.protein2food.eu) for the promotion of high-quality food protein from seeds and legumes.

Uwe Möllhoff, Herbstreith & Fox KG 

1988-1993: Study of process engineering / biotechnology at the Food University "Moscow Technological Institute for Food Technology / Moscow State Academy for Food Production", Moscow, Soviet Union/ Russia

Uwe Möllhoff joined Herbstreith & Fox KG in October 1993 and is currently Area Manager Sales and Application Technology for Germany + Eastern Europe.

Heike Quendt, QFI Quendt Food Innovation KG

Heike Quendt and her husband Matthias are each 50% managing partners of QFI Quendt Food Innovation KG, a product development company founded in 2015, which supports food manufacturers in the development and market introduction of innovative products. She is responsible for product development, quality assurance and human resources.

Until 2014 she set up Dr. Quendt - Innoback in Dresden, the product development laboratory of Dr. Quendt KG, an industrial bakery products manufacturer and supported her husband for over 10 years in various management positions such as QS, Human Resources and Corporate Communications. 

QFI Quendt Food Innovation KG offers trend and market analysis, prototype development based on nutrient profiles and sociographic models, as well as support in market introduction and implementation of innovative products in industrial processes. As an ecotrophologist and Ayurvedic nutritionist (Qeveda), she has a profound knowledge of nutritional science, which she imparts to various public organizations.

Matthias Quendt, QFI Quendt Food Innovation KG

Matthias Quendt and his wife Heike are each 50% managing partners of QFI Quendt Food Innovation KG, a product development company founded in 2015, which supports food manufacturers in the development and market launch of innovative products. He is responsible for strategic marketing and sales. 
Until 2014, he spent 20 years - together with his father, mother and wife - building Dr. Quendt KG, an industrial bakery products manufacturer in Dresden.

As managing partner, he is responsible for sales, production and controlling. Medium-sized entrepreneurship and a future-oriented food industry are important pillars of our democratic society. That is why he is involved in various public institutions on a voluntary basis.

Robert Spiegel, Viridi Foods GmbH, DE

Robert Spiegel, Dipl.Ing. Food Technology, MBA, has 20 years of professional experience in the food industry, including the starch and protein industries. He founded Viridi Foods in 2016, a start-up company producing vegetable proteins and starches, mainly with a regional focus.

Natalia Tindborg, AAK

Natalia Tindborg holds a Master's degree in Business Administration and works at AAK as a global product and market manager for plant-based dairy substitutes.

With many years of experience in pharmaceutical and life science B2B sales, global strategy development and commercial optimization, Natalia brings a customer-focused approach.

Jos Vast, Bakery Academy

Born and grown in a bakery that was making the transition of medium sized to industrial bakery, Jos finished his MSc in Technical Business Sciences at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen in 2004. Via a long list of various operational and management functions became responsible for R&D and Quality, where the idea of founding a bakery academy sprouted.

He started with the Bakery Academy in 2009, connecting the dots between theory and practical applications in problem solving and product development. The Bakery academy has a serious track record on reformulation of products.