Sky is an experienced electrical engineer with over 25 years of experience ranging across numerous industries including telecommunications, appliances, petrochemical, and tobacco. As a Master Scientist within the Reynolds American Group, Sky supports regulatory submission activities through device product development, testing and reporting for Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) and Tobacco Heated Products (THP). Sky has supported several of Reynolds American’s Premarket Tobacco Product Applications (PMTA), including Vuse Solo, which received a Marketing Granted Order from the FDA in October of 2021. He also supports engineering design projects related to youth access prevention. Sky is a strong advocate of Tobacco Harm Reduction and potentially reduced risk products, and he is an expert on ENDS and THP devices.
Archives: Speakers
Peter Joza
Chief Scientific Adviser
As Labstat’s Chief Scientific Advisor (CSA), Mr. Joza monitors the development of new and emerging technologies, to adapt the testing services offered by Labstat to these products. Mr. Joza joined Labstat in 1990 and was actively involved in the growth of Labstat through the development and implementation of procedures used by both the food and tobacco characterization programs. Mr. Joza is highly experienced in the development, management and translation of testing information to a variety of audiences.
As Labstat’s Chief Technical Officer (CTO), he occupied a senior role in facilitating the company’s scientific research and analytical functions. He has been the presenter or co-author of more than 40 presentations at international research conferences or workshops, and has co-authored 10 peer-reviewed publications. As a Chartered Chemist with the Association of the Chemical Profession of Ontario, Mr. Joza is a recognized global expert in his field and is an active member of several CORESTA (Cooperation Centre for Scientific Research Relative to Tobacco) study groups involved with various types of product testing.
Peter is an active member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tobacco Laboratory Network (TobLabNet), as well as the International Standards Organization ISO TC126 (Tobacco Products), ISO TC126/WG3 (Vaping Products) and ISO TC126/WG22 (Heated Products). Mr. Joza attended McMaster University and received his B.Sc (Majors) Chemistry in 1988.
Shelly Blackwell
Senior Director for Dietary Supplement and Tobacco Services
Shelly Blackwell brings over 22 years of quality and compliance experience in highly regulated environments to the EAS Consulting Group. After starting her career as a Microbiologist, she gained expert knowledge of a variety of domestic and international regulations while holding senior leadership positions in the dietary supplement, pharmaceutical, and medical device industries. These positions include 7 years as the Quality Assurance Director for GNC / Nutra Manufacturing and most recently leading the Quality Systems and Compliance Team at Bausch and Lomb in Greenville, SC.
Shelly’s accomplishments while leading Quality teams include developing supplier qualification programs, sourcing and implementing electronic QMS systems, implementing inspection readiness programs resulting in improved regulatory standing, risk-based quality system development, data integrity program development, and numerous successful continuous improvement initiatives. She has lead FDA and other regulatory inspections throughout her career and is also a lead auditor herself, auditing raw material suppliers and finished product manufacturers all over the world. Shelly holds certifications from the American Society of Quality and the Institute of Food Technology and has a Biology degree from James Madison University.
Pete Lomas
- Over 25 years’ experience in electro-mechanical product development and consultancy, most notably with medical devices and Next Generation Nicotine Products (NGPs)
- A proven background in novel and innovative product development, with over 70 published patent applications for electronic vapor and heated tobacco products
Andrei Garbuz
Bio: Andriy Garbuz, Founder & CEO: After Graduating from SOAS and the University of Oxford in 2005, Andriy spent his next 7 years in investment management at JP Morgan, VTB Bank and Kinburn Investments in London, Kiev, and Moscow. In 2012, he decided to set up his own consumer health distribution company after acquiring rights for innovative health treatment that he introduced to Asian consumers. He made it into a best seller in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand before exiting and starting YAAR in 2018.
Sarah Bjerre Lindboe
Sarah Bjerre Lindboe is a highly accomplished civil engineer with over 20 years of experience in leadership, quality management, and development across various sectors, including public institutions, laboratory companies, and food industries. For the past four years, Sarah has been an integral part of the Dragsbæk Group, which owns renowned brands such as Bakkedal, AMA, and the plant-based brand NATURLI’.
Dragsbæk A/S operates four production sites in Denmark and has additional facilities abroad. The company is partially owned by the ORKLA Group. Throughout her tenure at Dragsbæk, Sarah has held multiple roles, focusing on quality and development. Currently, she serves as the QEHS and ESG Director, where she oversees quality, environmental health and safety, and sustainability initiatives.
Sarah’s extensive expertise and dedication to excellence have made her a key player in driving innovation and ensuring high standards within the organizations she has worked with. Her leadership and commitment to continuous improvement have significantly contributed to the success and growth of the companies she has been associated with.
Muhib Noor Rahman
Muhib is leading the category development for Dairy and Plant-Based beverages in Europe for SIG Combibloc. and working for the company for 6 years. He is a well experienced strategic marketer and brings with him more than 17 years of working experience in the fields of Brand Management, Strategic Marketing and Market Research, and has been working with British American Tobacco and Holcim Group before joining the SIG Combibloc.
Julia Trebels
Julia is responsible for SIG’s global Category & Consumer Insights Management. She joined SIG 9 years ago and has held different roles in SIG’s marketing department since then. In her last 9 years Julia has developed expertise in B2B marketing, with specific focus on packaging innovation and consumer insights in the dairy and plant-based categories.
Ted Kirby
Ted Kirby is currently the Head of Product and Brand Marketing at Saama. Prior to Saama, Ted served as Senior Director, Product Marketing at Medidata, where he oversaw product marketing for Medidata’s platform. He was previously Director of Account Management at Medable, where he oversaw commercial relationships with Medable’s key Pharmaceutical and CRO accounts. His previous experience also includes stints at AiCure, a VC-backed startup using visual artificial intelligence for medication adherence in clinical trials, Deloitte and IQVIA. Ted earned his undergraduate degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his MBA from Columbia Business School.
Ed Winfield
Edward Winfield is Director of Global Partnerships at Content Guru, a global leader in cloud contact centre and customer experience solutions. A veteran in the SaaS and technology space, Edward has over 25 years’ experience in the telecommunications space, which he leverages to create lasting partnerships, deliver cutting-edge solutions that anticipate evolving customer needs, and to help businesses to create outstanding customer experiences through seamless engagement and data-driven insights.