Keynote speakers and panellists
At the City Food & Drink Lecture 2026
Our keynote speaker and panel lineup:
Keynote
Professor Susan Jebb, OBE
emeritus professor
Can Britain’s food and drink industry make the next 25 years healthier than the last?
In the City Food and Drink Lecture’s 25th lecture, Professor Susan Jebb OBE will look at the health of the nation and the impact that what we eat and drink has on our health. What should the sector consider doing differently to better serve consumers of the future? Or will new medical advances solve the problems? Can we reconcile health and growth for the food industry?
Professor Susan Jebb OBE is a leading British nutrition scientist specialising in diet, obesity, and public health policy. As Professor of Diet and Population Health at the University of Oxfordand a Senior Research Fellow at Jesus College, she leads research on
how changes in diet at both individual and population levels impact health, particularly the prevention and treatment of obesity and cardiometabolic disease.
She led the UK Government Foresight report on obesity and chaired the Expert Advisory Group on Obesity. She subsequently led the ʻResponsibility Deal’ Food Network, driving voluntary commitments to support healthier food. In June 2021 she was appointed Chair of the Food Standards Agency, tasked with upholding high food standards and advancing public trust in food. Awarded an OBE in 2008 for services to public health, she is also a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and the Royal College of Physicians. Her work combines rigorous scientific research, policy engagement and public communication, driving action on healthier and more sustainable diets for individuals and society.
Our Panellists
To celebrate the 25th Anniversay of the City Food & Drink Lecture we are delighted to invite a selection of our past keynote and panellists to further debate the 2026 title as well as look back at what has changed (or not) since they last took to the Guildhall stage
Panellist
Prof. Dr. Louise O. Fresco
Emeritus professor
Prof. Dr. Louise O. Fresco emeritus professor and former president of Wageningen University is a leading scholar and policy advisor in global food security and sustainable agriculture. Holding a PhD cum laude in Tropical Crop Science from Wageningen University, she has combined academic research with leadership in international development. She spent 16 years at the UN FAO, where she led the Agriculture Department and helped establish the treaty on plant genetic resources, and later served as President of Wageningen University & Research (2014–2022).
A member of several national academies and recipient of multiple honorary doctorates and international awards, she currently serves on the board of Syngenta and the Dutch National Opera & Ballet, and previously held independent board positions with Rabobank and Unilever. Author of ten books, including Hamburgers in Paradise, Dr Fresco bridges science, policy, and culture in her lifelong commitment to sustainable global food systems.
Lousie was our highly acclaimed keynote speaker at the City Food & Drink Lecture in 2020 , her chosen title being ‘Fish nor Flesh or Both? Foods for the future’.
Panellist
Mr Ash Amirahmadi, OBE
CEO, Sofina Foods Europe
Ash Amirahmadi OBE is one of the most high-profile leaders in the UK food sector.
He was appointed CEO of Sofina Foods Europe in 2023, a large multi-protein food manufacturer operating across the UK, Ireland, Germany, and France and employing approximately 9,000 people.
After graduating from the University of Nottingham with a Mechanical Engineering degree, Ash started his career at Unilever, before spending 20 years at Arla Foods UK, one of Britain’s largest food and beverage companies.
Ash was appointed to the Government’s Food Resilience Industry Forum and was part of high-profile discussions around food security and the role of the sector in delivering the UK’s sustainability goals.
Ash was awarded an OBE for services to the dairy industry in 2023 and was also awarded the Princess Royal Award by The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) in 2024, recognising his outstanding contribution to the sector.
Ash was a popular choice as the City Food & Drink Lecture keynote speaker in 2022 delivering ‘Food’s Defining Decade: Finding a way to feed the world while protecting the planet’
Panellist
Mr Ian Wright, CBE
Senior Management Advisor
Mr Ian Wright CBE is a highly respected figure in the UK food and drink industry, with over four decades of leadership experience across business, policy, and communications. From 2015 to 2022, he served as Chief Executive of the Food and Drink Federation, steering the sector through the challenges of Brexit and the pandemic, and transforming its reach and influence.
Earlier, Ian held senior roles at Boots The Chemist and Diageo, where he led global corporate affairs and championed responsible drinking. He later chaired the UK Food and Drink Export Council (2022–2024) and continues to advise widely across industry and government. Today he is a board chair, NED and adviser and a regular columnist for The Grocer and frequent commentator. Ian was appointed CBE in 2015 for political and public service.
Having brought energy and insight to the debate as a panellist also at the 2020 City Food & Drink Lecture, we are delighted to welcome him back.
Panel chair:
Charlotte Smith
Journalist
Our Panel Chair, Charlotte Smith is a freelance journalist and broadcaster specialising in food, farming and rural affairs. She is a presenter on BBC One’s Countryfile and BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today. We are delighted to welcome Charlotte to chair her 6th City Food & Drink panel.
AUDIENCE QUESTIONS
We will, as always, be encouraging questions from our audience during the Q&A session. If you have a question you would like to send to us in advance, please e-mail fiona@cityfooddrinklecture.com
