GCCA European Cold Chain Conference
Programme
The European Cold Chain Conference provides a unique stage to understand market developments and upcoming trends, to address leading cold chain issues and learn about latest innovations with industry captains and business experts.
Wednesday 26th March, 2025
15:00 – 16:00 General Session
Welcome
Julie Hanson, Director of Europe, and Ben Van Leeuwen, European Council Vice Chair, Global Cold Chain Alliance
Global Cold Chain Industry Outlook
Senior executives from leading cold chain logistics companies will share insights into the state of the market, the global trade context, the opportunities for digital innovation and the role of the GCCA network.
Moderator: Tim Ludwig, Chairman Global Cold Chain Alliance Warehouse Board and President, Bradner Cold Storage (Canada)
Panellists:
- Rob Haesakkers, Managing Director, Thermotraffic, part of the Nichirei Group
- Mathew Moore, VP Global Market Strategy – Americold
- Jonas Swarttouw, COO, NewCold
- Sean Vanderelzen, President Europe – Lineage
16:00 – 17:30 Cold Chain Café
The Cold Chain Café is a roundtable discussion component of the programme where attendees will participate in valuable dialogue with their peers. Participants will choose to engage in three rounds of fast-paced, 25-minute discussions and choose from six different topics.
Thursday 27th March, 2025
09:00-10:15 GENERAL SESSION
The State of The Alliance
- Sara Stickler – President and CEO, Global Cold Chain Alliance, Global Cold Chain Foundation and Controlled Environment Builders Association
Food Industry Insights Panel
Our expert panel will provide insight into the front-of-mind concerns of food-producing businesses from across a range of sectors. Covering the seafood, protein and bakery sectors, our panel will set out not only what is driving the decision-making of food businesses in Europe, from consumer demand to global trade policy, sustainability and technological innovations. A must-attend session for any company seeking to understand the drivers that will shape demand in the cold chain in the months ahead
- Lars Moksness, Consumer Analyst, Norwegian Seafood Council
- Ivor Queally, Managing Director, QK Meats (Ireland/South Africa)
- Frank Breitenstein Head of Global Supply Chain, Lantmännen Unibake (Sweden/Global)
- Lars Feldskou, Senior Vice President, Group Procurement & Logistics, Danish Crown (Denmark/Global)
11:00-12:15
Cold Chain And The Future Of The European Energy System
What is the challenge facing the European energy system, how is the policy agenda shifting from the ‘Green Deal’ of the first Von Der Leyen Commission to the new ‘Industrial Strategy’ approach of the second? What does this mean for businesses looking to set their strategy both in terms of their planned investments in renewables and efficiency, and how the overall direction of policy in Europe and globally impact on ESG strategy for logistics and food industry businesses.
- Giorgio Corbetta – Director Energy and Cleantech at Kellen
Panel Discussion
- Jonathan Gagg , Engineering and Procurement Director, Maganavale
- Boy Van Eesbeke, Business Unit Manager Logistics, GTS Group
13:30 – 14:45 (choice of two)
Focus Session 1
Changing Freezing Temperatures – Operational implications, risks & opportunities?
As more food businesses, logistics companies, researchers and regulators question whether the regulations and operational policies govern the holding temperature of frozen food, this session will dive into the practical opportunities and risks of the so-called Move to -15C.
- Shane Brennan, SVP Strategy, Partnerships and Policy, GCCA
- Morten Rene Baerentz, Reefer Tech & Engineering Manager, Maersk
- Mathew Moore, VP Global Market Strategy, Americold
- Natalia Fava, Head of Quality, Bofrost
Focus Session 2
Cold Chain Estate and Investments, Current Occupancy And Opportunities
Significant investment in the European cold chain infrastructure has changed the market over the last decade. Strategy advisory specialists will provide an overview of the prominent trends that will affect the cold storage market in the future. This includes perspectives on the market's supply-and-demand balance, trends and opportunities for growth, the competitive landscape, future M&A activity, and the role of automation.
- Casper Roex, Partner, OC&C Strategy Consultants
- Bram Kuijpers, Partner, OC&C Strategy Consultants
15:30 – 16:30 General Session
Keynote - 'Delivering Secure and Sustainable Shipping'
With global shipping facing significant disruption from global events, climate factors and disruptive technologies, Nina Porst will talk about how the Danish Shipping industry is stepping up to meet the challenges of delivering global trade more sustainably.
- Nina Porst – Executive Director for Climate, Environment and Security at Danish Shipping
Digital Transformation Masterclass
A panel discussion with expert suppliers of services to cold chain will discuss how the acceleration of AI and digital innovation is shaping the cold chain today and in the near future – IoT & Sensor Technologies, Cloud Computing & Big Data; Blockchain for Traceability; Automation & AI; Smart Contracts; cybersecurity best practices from End-to-End Encryption to Incident Response and Employee Training.
Moderator: Henry Pringle, Chief Operating Officer, Constellation Cold Logistics
- Karel Boone, Commercial Director, North West Europe and Rest of World, MOVU Robotics
- Jan Cornell von Eriks, Co-Owner & Commercial Director, Boltrics
- Jason Massey, Founder and CEO, Ndustrial
Friday 28th March, 2025
09:15 – 10:30
Focus Session 1
Sustainable building and technology innovation
Through real business cases, a panel of professionals will showcase what considerations are key for new building projects in terms of material efficiency, space optimisation, sustainability and operational excellence.
- Kris Verbruggen, Frigo Logistics, part of the Nicherei Group (Poland)
- Raymond Cohen, Building Infrastructure Lead Picnic (RBK)
Focus Session 2
Investing in Talent to Build the Future of Cold Chain
Talent recruitment and retention, and finding skilled labour is seen as one of the major challenges by cold chain businesses. In this session, HR specialists will look at trends with job seekers, ways to attract new talents and invest in existing people to build the people base for the future.
- YD Morris, Corporate Learning & Development Manager, NewCold
- Chris Green, Director of Talent Acquisition Europe, Lineage
11:15 – 12:15 GENERAL SESSION
Adaptive Supply Chain Strategies In A Changing World
The global supply of safe food and health products is ensured in large part by the cold chain. UNICEF Head of Cold Chain will share their approaches to delivering on ideal, sustainable supply chain models, and strategies to adapt to new challenges like environmental requirements and geopolitical conditions.
Thomas Sørensen, Head of Cold Chain Unit – UNICEF
Understanding The Implications of the Changing Trade Policy Landscape
What is the future direction of European trade policy? How will it impact food production, imports and exports across Europe and the world, and what does that all mean for cold chain businesses in Europe and the wider world? John Clarke will share unique frontline insights into what might happen now with international food trade policy and will help guide our discussion on the opportunities and threats for cold chain businesses.
John Clarke – Former Director International Affairs EU Commission & Head EU Delegation to the WTO and UN
Closing Comments
Julie Hanson, Director of Europe, and Ben Van Leeuwen, European Council Vice Chair, Global Cold Chain Alliance
13:30 – 17:00 FACILITY VISIT (Optional)
This function requires pre-registration (additional fee of €79)
Visit of Novonesis Hvidovre, a biosolutions factory and cold store with operations and storage for dairy cultures/enzymes down to -55°C. Read more
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