Ms Sara Girardello heads up the Starch, Grains and Sweeteners Research Team of LMC International Ltd (part of GlobalData Plc). Sara gained an MSc in Applied Statistics from the University of Oxford, UK and an MA (Hons) in Economics from the University of Verona, Italy, before joining LMC’s Sugar and Sweeteners research team. A thorough and intuitive research economist who is bilingual in English and Italian, she has acted as project leader across a broad range of consultancy projects on agricultural raw materials, such as cereals and oilseeds, and food ingredients such as caloric and low-calorie sweeteners, and proteins. While working for LMC, Ms Girardello took a career break to study for an MSc in Horticulture at the University of Reading.

Gordon Denny has had a 44-year long career in the soybean processing and grain industries, working half his career in the trading and commercial management side of the soy industry, combined with the other half of his career in the plant management / industrial side of the soybean processing business. His previous experiences have allowed him to interact with seed / fertilizer companies, farmers, truckers, railroads, exporters, futures traders, engineers, processors, livestock growers, and various trade organizations on a detailed and highly involved level. He has completed executive level management training in agricultural economics and international management at Purdue University, Washington University, and INSEAD in France. A former board member of the National Grain and Feed Association, he advises US organizations, the National Oilseed Processors Association, and the United Soybean Board, as well as seed technology companies.

Dr Alla Silkina is an algal biotechnologist with 20 years of international experience, and she has worked in the UK, France, Malaysia, Ukraine and Thailand. Her main expertise is in academic business interaction related to algal biotechnology, mass scale algal cultivation and algal physiology, algal biofouling, algal pigments and products development from algal biomass. She has published more than 22 papers in international peer review journals. She has an Honours Degree in Phycology & Biology from V.Z. Kharazin National Kharkov University in Ukraine (2002), Alla holds a PhD in Marine Biology from the University of Southern Brittany, France (2007), a postdoctoral fellow from the Institute of Marine Biotechnology at University Malaysia Terengganu, Malaysia (2008-2010). Swansea University is a research-led university established in 1920. Our algal research group studies microalgae, cyanobacteria and macroalgae. Fundamental research overlaps with applied research which focusses on development of new products within circular economy.

Jane has more than 20 years of experience as a journalist on news titles and trade press. She now writes about the international feed industry, including innovation, start-ups, regulation, and anything else that bites.