Bob Cooper manages the Melbourne branch of CT Freight, an Australia-based international freight forwarding company. Bob joined CT Freight in March 2004 and is an industry veteran with over 35 years' experience in international perishable freight forwarding and logistics. He began his career in the 1970s with­­ CH Cargo Handling, before setting up and operating his own successful Melbourne-based forwarding and logistics business for 12 years. During his time in forwarding and logistics, Bob has been involved in all facets off the cold chain industry and looked after all manner of products, although produce has always been key to his success.

Dr David Deng is the assistant general manager of China Merchants Holdings. He was born in July 1967 and joined the company in July 2009. He graduated from Naijing University with a PhD in physical geography in 1994 and obtained a master's degree in marine management from Dalhousie University, Canada, in 2002. He has vast experience in port management and port operation. Prior to joining China Merchants Holdings, he worked in the administration bureau of the Hainan Yangpu economic development zone and was general manager of business development for China Nanshan Development and the deputy general manager of Chiwan Container Terminal.

Lawrence Dunnigan is the deputy director of business development and international marketing for the maritime division of the Port of Oakland, a post he has held since 2008. The port is the fifth busiest in the US and third largest on the West Coast. Lawrence is responsible for seeking strategic partnerships in foreign markets, formulating and implementing market-entry initiatives, and promoting trade and increased use of maritime facilities and assets at the port. Lawrence has extensive sales and marketing experience from various international transportation companies, including Hanjin Shipping, COSCO Container Lines Americas, Apex Maritime Company, and MOL Logistics. Lawrence received his BA in international business at Washington State University where he graduated with honors, summa cum laude. He also attended Kansai Gaikokugo University in Osaka, Japan.

Nick Reitmeier of Central Food Retail oversees import buying and own-brand and product development for the company that runs the Tops supermarket chain and Central Food Halls in Thailand. Bringing an expert perspective on high-end retailing, Nick boasts more than 20 years' experience in fine-food retailing, having held senior management positions with AS Watson and its GREAT food hall as well as Selfridges and Harrods in London.

Sukhdev Singh is managing director of FOOD Freshly AFC - Agriculture & Food Consulting. In 1994 he established the company in Germany and developed different freshness retainers, including an edible coating system, to help the fresh-food industry extend the shelf lives of fresh-cut fruit, vegetables and salads. He has also developed the 3-PPP concept of Pre-Sanitising, Preservation and Packaging for the fresh-food industry. As project manager he has worldwide responsibility for the implementation of the 3-PPP-based turnkey project.

Dennis Foo is the general manager of Chiquita China. He has a diverse background and over 20 years of corporate and professional experience, working in FMCG, health and beauty, manufacturing and retail in China, Hong Kong and Malaysia. He has been in China for more than 18 years, working for Fonterra, Nestle and Unilever before Chiquita, managing a total of more than 800 staff. Among his achievements, Dennis has successfully completed eight startups and carried out business remodelling, process improvements, business changes and corporate restructuring. He graduated with an MBA from the UK and has attended management programmes at colleges and universities across Asia and the US.

Jason Bosch is the managing director of Origin Direct Asia, an import-export produce company based in Shanghai, China. Coming from South Africa, Jason worked for a prominent fruit producer-exporter for eight years as the marketing manager for markets including Russia and the Middle East. He opened Origin Direct Asia in late 2007.

Jon Durham is the managing director of Apple & Pear Australia (APAL). He has been at the helm of an innovative value-adding business since his appointment in 1996 as CEO - and now managing director - of APAL. His development of the international Pink Lady trademark has revolutionised the way in which the production and marketing of a fresh fruit product can be managed. He has a life-long association with the pome fruit industry, managing family orchards, holding office on several industry bodies and subsequently becoming the managing director of the peak industry body.

Peter Beaven has been chief executive of Pipfruit NZ, the industry organisation for apples and pears, since 2005. He is also a member of the executive of the International Pink Lady Alliance and deputy chair of the World Apples and Pears Association. His main task for NZ growers and exporters has been to improve market access and production systems, and to represent them in a range of domestic and international forums.

Jorge Aranguri is a director and co-owner of Danper Trujillo. Trained in engineering and holding an MBA, he started the company with his partners in 1994 and grew the business from a single-product canning operation (white asparagus) into a world-class diversified agribusiness (white and green asparagus, artichokes, peppers, mangoes, papayas and speciality items) dealing with fresh, canned and frozen fine fruit and vegetables. Danper is vertically integrated as a grower, processor and exporter with a presence in five continents and a leading position in sustainability. Jorge is also on the board of directors of Danper Arequipa, a specialized artichoke canning processor, and La Mocherita, a dairy operator.

Jean-Paul Khaou is Tesco's food category manager for group food sourcing in China. Since taking the role in 2006 he has set up the supermarket chain's food sourcing team in Asia and bought imported produce in the area. Prior to joining Tesco he spent more than a decade as a food manager at French retailer Carrefour, covering the markets in China, Hong Kong and Thailand. Jean-Paul studied business sciences at the University of the New Sorbonne in France.

Keith Sunderlal, who has a Masters in Food and Resource Economics, from the University of Florida, USA, heads SCS Agribusiness Consultants Pvt. Ltd., a premier agribusiness consultancy firm in India.  Keith has over 19 years' experience in international agribusiness,  product marketing, trade and investment issues, perishable foods distribution, agri-project management and training. Keith has consulting experience with firms based in the US and presently manages his own consulting practice in New Delhi, India. His firm represents many US cooperator groups in the South Asian market, including the California Table Grape Commission, USA Pears and the Washington Apple Commission.

CK Lai is the director and founder of Fresh-Cut Produces, which operates Hong Kong's first fresh fruit processing plant. The factory conducts processes normally carried out in kitchens. Customers include airline caterers, hotels, schools and supermarkets. The factory is HACCP-accredited and meets the ISO22000 standard.  

CK joined the food industry in 1993, having held senior management positions with various multinational companies for 20 years. He holds an MBA degree and is a member of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Siebe van Wijk is the founder of two successful companies, Fresh Studio Innovations Asia and The Fruit Republic (TFR). He is a Dutch national who has been based in Vietnam for over seven years. Fresh Studio is the leading consulting firm in Asia for the sourcing and marketing of agriculture produce. TFR, which Siebe started with his business partners, is one of the first professional fruit-trade companies in Vietnam, aiming to help the world discover fantastic-tasting Vietnamese fruit and make Vietnamese consumers proud of their produce again. Within a short time, TFR has become one of Vietnam's largest fruit-trade firms and the only company in the world with a year-round GlobalGAP-certified honey pomelo and pink pomelo supply programme from its own contracted farmers. The company has also pioneered one of the first large-scale HACCP-certified fresh-cut pomelo programmes.

Steve Leung is the managing director of Alfa Fruit Packers and, since 1976, the East Asian agent of Canada's BC Tree Fruit. Steve set up a state-of-the-art computerised apple-packing facility in 2004 and Alfa Fruit Packers planted a modern high-density demonstration orchard to show Chinese farmers how to grow good-quality Fuji apples. The company has since obtained approval from EuroGAP, ChinaGAP and ISO 9000. It is also approved by Chinese Inspection and Quarantine to export fruits to the Americas. The company has been named one of the top ten exporters of Chinese apples by Agro Press of Switzerland and Steve Leung has become well known for providing good, consistent product all over the world.

Hiroaki 'Don' Okazoe is managing director of IPM Nishimoto. He attended a Japanese agricultural training programme in the US from 1979 to 1981, staying on in the States to work as an exporter for one year. Returning to Japan in 1983, he worked in Tokyo's famous Tsukiji wholesale market and studied the Japanese agricultural product distribution system. For the past 25 years Don has worked for respected importing companies, importing and distributing many fruit and vegetables from around the world. Working closely with growers and helping them understand Japanese market demands, Don has ensured the successful presentation of their products to the Japanese market.

Jesica Larovere is the exports and marketing manager of El Pedregal, the leading table grape-exporting company in Peru. Jesica joined El Pedregal in 2005. Since then she has been focused on achieving the company's mission: to deliver fresh and unique fruit to customers worldwide. Jesica has helped in the diversification of markets and the positioning of the company's brands Red Dragon, NovoMundo and TerraSur. El Pedregal is exporting to more than 35 countries all over the world and expects to keep growing and diversifying the products available to consumers.

Shawn Harris is managing director of Nature's Pride, which imports, ripens, packs and distributes exotic fruit, vegetables, berries and off-season fruit for the European market. Shawn moved to the Netherlands from the US in 1989. Her modern entrepreneurship delivered the title Dutch agribusiness person of the year 2008 and she was runner-up in the entrepreneur of the year award for the Netherlands.

Juan Colombo, Exportadora Subsole (Chile), started with Subsole in 1997 as production manager in the company's southern growing area. In 2000 Juan took over as commercial manager of Subsole's table grape programme, which handles exports of over 5m boxes of the fruit worldwide. Subsole is Chile's third-largest exporter of table grapes by volume. Juan Colombo is also an agronomist graduate from the Universidad de Chile.

Shane Bourk is the head of fresh foods for Wellcome Supermarkets, a leading retailer in Hong Kong. Shane is a butcher by trade and has been in the fresh food retail business all his working life. Shane has strong retail experience in New Zealand and Asia, spending 15 years with Progressive Enterprises in New Zealand and assuming the role of business manager for retail meat before coming to Asia. In 2005 he took up the position of head of fresh foods for Cold Storage Supermarkets in Singapore, then moved to Hong Kong in 2008. Shane also sits on the global advisory committee for the Produce Marketing Association.

Kingson Chan, Elite Fruit Marketing (Philippines) joined Elite Fruit Marketing in 2003 after finishing his MBA and international business degree from Southern New Hampshire University (US). As purchasing manager for the company, he introduced the first Zespri Gold kiwifruit into the Philippines. Kingson plays a key role in expanding the international supply network of the company and introducing new fresh fruit varieties for distribution around the Philippines.

Thomas W Vadeboncoeur, Goodheart Resource (US), founded Goodheart Resource, a global management consulting company specialising in food retail and customer relationship strategy, in 1999 following a 35-year career with The Coca-Cola Co. While serving as director of The Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council Asia, Tom focused on fresh food retailing and has been instrumental in publishing recent studies on fresh food safety and marketing. Tom is a regular speaker at international conferences and is a member of the Consumer Goods Forum.

Kafi Kurnia, Calfornia Table Grape Commission (Indonesia), marketing consultant for the California Table Grape Commission, has worked on numerous projects in the retail and agriculture industries. Kafi's expertise encompasses research, in-store promotions, retail technology and retail marketing. Having founded Peka Consult in 1990, Kafi is also a radio host and guest lecturer working largely in Indonesia and the surrounding region.

Tng Ah Yiam, ECR Singapore (Singapore), board member and chairman of ECR Singapore and co-chairperson of the Singapore Cold Chain Centre, has more than 25 years' experience in the retail industry. A masters graduate from Golden Gate University and Harvard business school, Mr Tng is managing director of group purchasing, merchandising and international trading at NTUC Fairprice, Singapore's largest supermarket retailer.?During his career with FairPrice, Mr Tng has held management positions in key functions such as store operations, purchasing and supply chain management. He has also served as general manager of Cheers Holdings.

Kelvin Bezuidenhout, Zespri International (China), is the Asia regional marketing manager for leading global kiwifruit marketer Zespri International. Kelvin joined Zespri almost 12 years ago, and has been based in Asia with the company for the last eight years. Now based in China, Kelvin's current focus is on executing Zespri's growth plans. Kelvin also oversees marketing campaigns in Zespri's key markets of Japan, Korea, Taiwan and South East Asia.

Antony Butler, Newfresh Asia (China/South Africa), managing director of Hydix Limited, trading as Newfresh Asia, started out in the fruit industry in South Africa in 1996. Hydix, partly owned by Karsten Holdings, is a major fruit producer in South Africa. Newfresh Asia, based in China, is responsible for the development of the Chinese market for many of the premium fruit brands from South Africa, Egypt and South America.

Francisco X Lorenzo, Lapanday Foods Corporation (Philippines) is the head of sales and foreign trade for Lapanday Foods Corporation (LFC). Francisco has been in the banana export industry for over 24 years and also worked for the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters as export programme officer. Francisco is responsible for developing Lapanday's marketing and sales strategies programmes in order to strengthen and expand LFC's positions in the markets.

John Pandol started at Pandol Brothers after university in 1983, primarily working in sourcing and sales to and from Latin America. As director of special projects since 2004, he is a corporate ambassador and media spokesman. His areas of activity include category management, government relations, marketing, Mexican grape sourcing, research analysis, retail auditing and trade shows. John frequently - and sometimes controversially - comments on the produce trade in print and online.

Elizabeth Darragh, Sensitech (US), is director of strategic marketing for the food division at Sensitech Inc, a subsidiary of The Carrier Corporation. Elizabeth?joined Sensitech in 2004, after spending over 15 years in high-tech strategic marketing and business development roles. At Sensitech,?Elizabeth?works closely with food industry leaders to stay abreast of market trends and regulatory requirements. Elizabeth provides leadership for product innovation and marketing outreach, and actively participates in several global food technology, safety and quality organisations including the Global Cold Chain Alliance, the Produce Marketing Association, United Fresh, the International Association for Food Protection and the Institute for Food Technologists.

John Wang, Lantao (China), founder of Lantao Shanghai Great Harvest, an importer of premium fruits from around the world to China, has been in the fresh produce business for over 27 years. A graduate of Henan Agriculture University, John formed Lantao in 2008 and has since helped the company grow its network to five distribution offices located in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shenyang and Zhengzou.?

Luciano Frederick Puyod III, Philippine Fresh Fruits Corp (Philippines), is general manager of Philippine Fresh Fruits Corp. Luciano's work is focused on growing, packing and marketing fresh bananas and pineapples. A fourth-generation member of the Puyod family engaged in farming, Luciano holds a bachelor's degree in agribusiness management from the University of the Philippines and an executive MBA from the Asian Institute of Management. Luciano is also a member of the Mindanao Banana Farmers/Exporters Association and currently serves as president of the Durian City chapter of Junior Chamber International.

Thue Barfod, Maersk Line (Hong Kong), is reefer business development manager for Maersk Line in the Asia Pacific, South Asia and the Middle East. He began his career in 1993 at the AP Moller group, graduating in 1997 with a master mariner degree from the Danish Merchant Marine Academy in Svendborg. Prior to managing Maersk's Asian operations, Thue worked with the group in Chile and became part of the regional reefer management team for Latin America in Sao Paulo.?

David Cope, Purfresh (US), president and chief executive officer of Purfresh, joined the company in 2004. Under his leadership, the company has accelerated its focus on developing innovative and differentiated clean solutions that improve the quality and safety of food and water products without the use of harmful chemicals. David has featured in business and produce industry publications and is frequently a guest speaker at conferences around the world.

Jim Provost, Lantao (China), founded the company?I Love Produce, a leader in the global sourcing and marketing of garlic and ginger products, in Pennsylvania, US. Partnering with John Wang of Lantao, Jim has facilitated bilateral trade between China and the US.?In addition to importing garlic and ginger, Jim and John have teamed up to ship a variety of premium fruits, such as grapes, cherries, apples and citrus, from the US to China.

Ronald Bown, Chilean Exporters Association (Chile), is chairman of the Chilean Exporters' Association (ASOEX), a private entity representing the interests of the Chilean fresh fruit export industry worldwide. Ronald started his career in the manufacturing industry, moving very quickly into marketing and later the pharmaceutical industry. Ronald has previously worked for Schering-Plough and Laboratorio Chile, the largest pharmaceutical company in the country, becoming its executive vice-president. Ronald is also director of the Asia-Pacific Foundation and a member of the Executive Committee of the Country Image Program - a joint government/private venture for export promotion.

Chris Groot, Enza Zaden (The Netherlands), is marketing project manager at global seed supplier Enza Zaden. Chris is responsible for the development, coordination and support of chain projects for innovative products developed by Enza Zaden.

Yongky Susilo, AC Nielsen Indonesia (Indonesia), is director of retail services at Nielsen. Yongky joined Nielsen in 1993, becoming Nielsen's retail and consumer behaviour expert in Indonesia. Helping manufacturers and retailers develop category management collaboration with the grocery industry, Yongky is a regular speaker at retail industry conferences, seminars, workshops and lectures at leading national universities. Yongky is also a member of the Board of Expert Retail Indonesia Management Association.

Felipe Juillerat, Vital Berry Marketing (Chile), is sales manager of Chilean blueberry grower and exporter Vital Berry Marketing SA, a position he has held since 1993. He is also the current president of the Chilean Blueberry Committee, part of the Chilean Exporters Association (ASOEX), which is Chile's representative in the campaign Blueberries from the South - a collaboration between growers and exporters in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay that are keen to export and promote blueberries from the region.

Karen Lee, Wellcome Supermarkets (Hong Kong), is group category manager of Wellcome Supermarkets, a subsidiary of the Dairy Farm Company, and has been working in produce?procurement at Wellcome for over 10 years. Managing?fruit and vegetable?merchandising for Wellcome, Market Place by Jason's, Threesixty and Oliver's, Karen also focuses on the produce supply chain, category management, product?sourcing, produce marketing and inventory control. Karen graduated in food and nutritional science at the University of Hong Kong and is also involved in the food safety and quality departments at Wellcome.

Chris White is managing director of Market Intelligence (UK), the publisher of Eurofruit, Asiafruit and Americafruit Magazines. Chris joined Market Intelligence Ltd in 1988, becoming Eurofruit Magazine editor in 1992. He helped to launch Asiafruit Magazine in 1996 and Americafruit Magazine in 2000. Chris is a regular speaker at fresh produce industry conferences worldwide and is a member of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists.

John Hey, Asiafruit Magazine (Australia), is editor of Asiafruit Magazine, the international marketing magazine for the fresh fruit and vegetable business in Asia. Since joining Asiafruit Magazine in 1999, John has travelled extensively to markets across Asia as well as visiting several key supplying countries to the region. John has spoken at a number of industry conferences on the Asian and Australasian fresh fruit and vegetable business.

Eric Eng is vice-president of global reefer trade for APL, with responsibility for overseeing the company's global activities and long-term growth in the refrigerated business. He is based at APL's global headquarters in Singapore, leading a team of reefer specialists offering cost-efficient and advanced technologies that help maintain temperature in a refrigerated shipping container - thereby ensuring product integrity. Eric joined APL in 1981 and has more than 25 years' experience in the shipping and transportation industry.

Martin Kneebone is the director of Freshlogic. He has a detailed understanding of the Australian fruit and vegetable market as a result of working in all sectors of the supply chain, including ten years in corporate retail. Freshlogic is based in Melbourne and provides market analysis and consulting services to fresh food supply chains. It owns and operates Mealpulse, Australia's largest dedicated food consumer panel. Martin draws on technical qualifications in horticulture and a deep working knowledge of the sharp end of the supply chain, earning a reputation for his ability to draw out workable commercial insights from his reviews and analysis.

John Glover is the regional head of offer management and customer management for Metro Cash and Carry International in Asia, with responsibility for procurement and customer-marketing activities in Asia. He has worked in Asia for 18 years, covering international retail and trade in the retail and wholesale sectors. Earlier in his 38-year career, he spent 15 years with Woolworths Australia.