Guillaume is a skilled marketer with a Ph.D. in food science and over 12 years of experience in the food and beverage industry. He possesses extensive knowledge of the science behind food products and knows how to effectively market them to consumers. Guillaume has a proven track record of creating successful marketing campaigns for various culinary food products including plant-based offerings, utilizing his expertise in consumer behavior and market trends. He excels in developing and executing data-driven marketing strategies and plans that consistently produce strong results. As the Culinary Marketing Lead for Europe at IFF, he leads a cross-functional team in developing and implementing successful marketing strategies while managing budgets and analyzing results. He is recognized for his excellent collaboration and communication skills, which enable him to effectively lead and work with teams. In his free time, Guillaume enjoys exploring the latest food trends and experimenting with new recipes.

Panel description 

This panel discussion will focus on:

1. What is your overall impression of the plant-based food industry’s health today? We hear it’s struggling from the media and the stock market, but what are your perspectives based on your personal interactions with customers, manufacturers, and retailers throughout the supply chain?

2. In the last 3 to 5 years, what has been the largest positive turning point for plant-based foods, that has enabled entry into the mainstream, and what is the largest impediment for growth that exists today?

3. What can the industry do better or differently to cultivate the next stage of category adopters? Is it product quality? Is it messaging? Is it retailer support? Is product assortment too narrow and commoditized? Or are there others elements that are relevant?

4. Are there cultural considerations across the world that need to be addressed in how the plant-based market is developed? Meat substitutes vs. seafood substitutes? Are there learnings from plant foods’ success in Europe that can be applied to develop the markets in the U.S. and Asia?

5. What is your expectation as to how current ingredients and processing technologies can be improved, to enhance taste and/or texture? How close is the industry to commercializing next generation approaches and what do you believe will be the most impactful innovation?