Archives: Speakers

Liliana Caimacan is the head of global innovation at Tata Global Beverages. An experienced, international business leader, Liliana has been leading transformational growth across brands and portfolios to drive step changes in business results for over 20 years. She is a leading expert on innovation, communication and business strategy within the FMCG and luxury industries, working with top blue-chip companies: Unilever, Tata, on world-class brands and portfolios. Her sector experience covers Consumer Goods, Personal Care, Home Care, Foods, Refreshments and Luxury, as well as driving disruptive innovations projects. She holds a Master’s in Marketing & Communications and an Executive MBA. Liliana is also a Marketing Professor at Hult International Business School.

With over 19 years experience in the retail industry, Beverley now works at Tesco and is responsible for central European events and promotions. Beverley has a strong understanding of the retail landscape and the customer role in getting products on and off the shelves.

Mirko is a transformational leader able to translate specific business challenges into clear strategy and execution roadmaps. Having worked in both large corporates and startups, he has had ample opportunity to act as a true “intrapreneur”. Currently part of the Ab InBev family, where there is definitely the right entrepreneurship mindset to make a difference and create change in brand growth and product development

As a previous drinks industry executive, Craig developed the strategy, built the structure, & implemented the RTM & brand plans for Pernod Ricard’s charge into Africa. Before that he was Strategy Director for Absolut, Malibu and Kahlua, driving the strategic plan & brand development strategy.

Since leaving the drinks world in 2015 he has been involved in business process outsourcing to Africa, setting up a values-based, people management web-platform, and consulting. He also presents on futurology; how our lives are going to change dramatically over the coming decades.

Early 2017, Craig (South African) and his wife Maria (Swedish) discovered a magical valley, home to many intriguing botanicals, in the Cederberg mountains, just north of Cape Town. The valley, which they now co-own, inspired them to distil rare Cape & classic gin botanicals, and then blend with pristine Swedish water. The result is CEDER’S, a distilled non-alcoholic alt-gin, your Everyday Escape.

Craig also launched CELTIC SOUL in July 2019, a distilled non-alcoholic dark spirit, and has a few more brands in the pipeline, including a non-alcoholic rum and a CBD Botanical Spirit. Watch this space.

Paul is Head of Technical & Quality for The SHS Group Drinks Division. He is accountable for leading the application of technical standards for the WKD, Merrydown, Shloer&Bottlegreen brands, driving and developing the Quality improvement plans and providing expertise to assist business growth and performance.

Previously he was Director Innovation & External Networks with the Nutrition category of GlaxoSmithKline, which covered the sourcing & contracting with key strategic partners for the Lucozade, Ribena, Horlicks and Maxinutrition brands.

Before GSK, Paul was Technical Director for The Virgin Drinks Group and accountabilities included global product & packaging development, innovation, quality & concentrate supply.

Prior to Virgin, Paul worked for Cott Beverages supporting the commercial team in the start-up and ongoing technical management (including NPD & quality activities) of the co-packing partners throughout Europe.

Paul started his career in soft drinks with Schweppes which became Coca-Cola & Schweppes Beverages (CCSB) and enjoyed various roles of increasing responsibility in R&D, Technical, Quality and Manufacturing over a total of 15 years.

Paul graduated with First Class Honours in Chemistry from the University of Birmingham and he gained a Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA) through a distance learning programme with Aston Business School.

He is a regular presenter and chair at external Food & Drink conferences, speaking on Quality, Food Safety, NPD, Technical and Innovation related topics.

A communication/marketing professional with several years experience working within retail and for a global brand company delivering internal/external communication projects and driving corporate branding.

Maria started her career in the drinks industry working with premium drink brands including Absolut, Malibu and Kahlua at The Absolut Company in Stockholm, Sweden.

Since leaving Pernod Ricard in 2015 she has worked with expansion communication and PR For IKEA and with several entrepreneurial projects.

Early 2017, Maria (Swedish) and her husband Craig (South African) discovered a magical valley, home to many intriguing botanicals, in the Cederberg mountains, just north of Cape Town. The valley, which they now co-own, inspired them to distil rare Cape & classic gin botanicals, and then blend with pristine Swedish water. The result is CEDER’S, a distilled non-alcoholic alt-gin, your Everyday Escape.

Greg Steltenpohl is co-founder and CEO of Califia Farms, a high growth California-based health & wellness company with the leading premium brand of plant-based beverages. Califia has a global mission to improve personal and planetary health by returning food to its original nourishing purpose. Steltenpohl also Co-Founded Odwalla in 1980,transforming a backyard fresh juice start-up into a publicly held corporation with a growth rate that exceeded 50 percent annually. His 39-year commitment to sustainability and innovation has earned him numerous leadership awards, including Specialty Foods’ Hall of Fame, BEVNET “Best New Product” Awards 2015, 2016, and 2018, and Goldman Sach’s100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs of 2017-2019