Pete Hooper
Packing Site Director and Digital Lead
Wyke Farms Wincanton
Coming from a background in programming and with over 25 years of food production and digital experience coupled with numerous successful high-level projects and digital system implementation initiatives to his name, Pete Hooper has a rare and much sought-after ability to utilise his skills to develop systems with a depth of understanding both on a practical level and achieve bottom line results for the business. His mix of digital experience combined with real world, practical knowledge has transformed the efficiency and primary yields at the 20,000 tonnes per year packing plant at Wyke Farms.
Carolyn Newsham
Financing partner
Siemens Digital Industries
Siemens is a vast global industrial organization. As part of the group, Siemens Financial Services also operates across the globe offering outstanding service to every customer by providing the right funding solution. I specifically support our Siemens Digital Industry business financing Siemens Products and Solutions - providing our customers with an integrated 'One Siemens' finance solution that enables business success for both Siemens, our partners and customers.
Keith Thornhill
Head of food and beverage
Siemens
Keith Thornhill started his career completing an apprenticeship with British Rail Engineering Ltd in Crewe and entered the automation industry in 1986 as an internal sales engineer. After key account management and business manager roles, Keith joined Siemens in 2001 as a business development manager and now heads up the Food and Beverage business for Siemens UK and Ireland
Keith’s career has mainly been focused on encouraging innovation for UK packaging machinery manufactures and latterly is identifying the operational efficiency and production flexibility benefits that Integrated automation technology and Digitalisation will deliver to food and beverage manufacturers.
Keith was previously Chairman of the Industry Advisory Board for the National Centre of Excellence for Food Engineering at Sheffield Hallam University and is a member of the IMechE Food and Drink committee.
Richard Morris
Production Director
The Bury Black Pudding Company
Richard is production director and joint owner of The Bury Black Pudding Company. In 2002 his business partner, Debbie Pierce established the business with the vision of becoming the number one brand in English black pudding. Richard joined in 2003, transferring his existing business and six-tonne weekly production. The manufacturer now makes 100 tonnes weekly, boasts a turnover of more than £9m and employs 112 staff. Richard’s grandfather’s recipe is still used today.
Rod Addy
Editor
FoodManufacture
Rod is responsible for all Food Manufacture’s content for the web, face-to-face conferences and its annual Food Manufacture Excellence Awards. He has worked for William Reed Publishing for 20 years, starting off at The Grocer, where he was one of the two journalists launching its website. He has reported on issues ranging from the Foot & Mouth disease outbreak of the early noughties to the horsemeat scandal, Brexit and COVID-19.