IGD Technical Leaders Conference 2025
19 September 2025Join us in Moorgate, London for IGD’s first Technical Leaders Conference on 19 November (PM), a free event bringing together technical colleagues from across the supply chain.
Whether you're a retailer, supplier, manufacturer or foodservice operator, this is your opportunity to connect, develop and shape the focus of future industry leading projects and insight.
Our ambition is to engage, empower and grow the IGD Technical Leaders Network.
Engaging our technical colleagues through a series of virtual and in person events, empowering our teams through new projects and insight and growing the network to capture a broader representation of industry.
Programme:
Hear the latest insights and ideas from industry leaders and forward-thinking academics. Exploring subjects including:
Civil food resilience and UK preparedness for food system shocks
Professor Tim Lang will share his perspective on raising the profile of food in the resilience framework. Building on existing thinking and projects to maintain food security.
Allergen risk management
The project team will share an update on a cross industry workstream focussed on creating a safer, more reliable landscape for allergy sufferers through a consistent approach to allergen risk assessment.
Climate change and its impacts on fresh produce
A panel of experts will explore the existing work and new opportunities to improve food safety in fresh produce through a changing climate
Appetite suppressants and the future of food
The IGD team will present their findings on the quickly evolving topic of weight loss drugs. Exploring how GLP-1 medication is impacting shopper behaviour, factors shaping the trend’s future growth, and response strategies for the food and grocery industry.
The programme also offers opportunity to workshop future projects and insight and make new connections with your colleagues across industry through a networking lunch (12:00-13:00) and drinks after the event at The Telegraph, Moorgate.
Event speakers include
Tim Lang
Professor Emeritus of Food Policy,
Centre for Food Policy, School of Health Sciences, City St George's, University of London
Tim Lang is Professor Emeritus of Food Policy at City St George’s, University of London. After hill farming in Lancashire in the 1970s, he worked on food policy across health, environment, politics and culture. He set up and directed the Centre for Food Policy in 1994, a prime source of research and education on food system dynamics. Since Brexit, his focus has been the UK, writing Feeding Britain (Pelican 2021). His current attention is on the state of civil food resilience. His Just in Case report was published by the UK’s National Preparedness Commission in February 2025.
Ross Dennison
Technical Director,
Bakkavor (Technical Leaders Forum co-chair)
Technical Director at Bakkavor - a leading fresh-chilled food manufacturer suppling into the major retailers. With over 20 years’ experience across multiple disciplines within the food industry with the majority of career in senior commercial and customer relationship roles. Has been co-chair of the IGD Technical Leaders Forum since January 2025.
Emmanuelle Lerges
Technical & Quality Director
Tesco (Technical Leaders Forum co-chair)
Technical Director at Tesco – with over 25 years’ experience in retail and manufacturing, across the breadth of the agenda including food safety, quality, agriculture,, sustainability and human rights agenda. Co-chair and Board member of the Food Industry Intelligence Network (FIIN). Has been co-chair of the IGD Technical Leaders Forum since January 2025.
Matt Stoughton-Harris
Head of Resilience,
IGD
Matt is focused on building strategic resilience across the UK food system, supporting organisations and government to respond to disruption including climate risk and geopolitical shifts.
Kate Reynolds
Senior Manager - Resilience Programme,
IGD
Kate leads a series of projects focused on food safety and security. Connecting key stakeholders and experts to build strategic resilience across the food system.
Laura Jacobson
Retail Futures Senior Partner
IGD
Laura helps retailers and manufacturers anticipate and plan for the evolution of global trends. Her focus is the future of health. Laura joined IGD from Tesco's insight and online teams, after beginning her career in the fresh produce industry.
Keston Williams
Chief Operating Officer
Barfoots
Keston Williams has worked in Agriculture and the Fresh Produce industry for 30 years and is Chief Operating Officer of Barfoots. Keston heads up the Operational and Technical teams, with additional responsibility for Glasshouse Production, R&D, Innovation, Sustainability and International Operations. Having completed a degree in Biological Sciences and Masters in Crop Protection, Keston has held senior board level positions in Agronomy, Operations and Technical. Barfoots, owned by Peter Barfoot, is based near Chichester and farms, procures, processes and packs speciality vegetables for its retail customers. Barfoots farms over 10,000 acres on the south coast of the UK, whilst also having its own farming operations and long-established growing partnerships in 28 other countries around the world. Keston is also involved with a number of food and horticultural industry organisations, including being a board member and Co-Chair of FIIN (Food Industry Intelligence Network) and Campden BRI Advisory Board.