Leadership in Food Safety
with Professor Lucia Anelich and Lee Griessel
📍Dubai, UAE | 17-18 February, 2027
Strong food safety systems need strong food safety leadership
Food Safety Leadership Starts With You
Because technical requirements alone cannot deliver safe food.
Food safety is an interconnected system. Technical controls depend on leadership, competence, communication, decision-making, organisational culture and, ultimately, human behaviour.
At the centre of that system is leadership.
Leadership determines how people respond to risk, mistakes and uncomfortable information. It shapes whether teams learn or blame, whether problems are raised or hidden, and whether technical food safety systems are given the environment they need to perform effectively.
Leadership in Food Safety is a highly interactive two-day workshop designed to help food safety leaders examine these human and organisational factors and translate them into practical action.
This Is Not a Lecture
Participants will work individually and in groups through facilitated discussions, practical exercises, case studies, reflection activities and team challenges.
The objective is not simply to provide more information.
It is to encourage participants to examine how they think, communicate, lead and respond — and how those behaviours affect the food safety system around them.
What You Will Take Away
By the end of the workshop, participants will have:
- A stronger understanding of food safety as an interconnected system
- Greater awareness of how leadership and mindset influence food safety performance
- An understanding of fixed and growth mindsets
- Practical insight into psychological safety and speaking up
- Greater awareness of the relationship between leadership, behaviour and food safety culture
- Practical approaches for creating an environment in which technical food safety systems can perform effectively
- A clearer understanding of the importance of elevating food safety to Board level
- Practical ideas for communicating food safety to senior leadership
- Personal actions to take back into their organisations
Overview
Lucia Anelich (PhD)
Anelich Consulting
Professor Lucia Anelich is an internationally recognised food safety expert, consultant and speaker with extensive academic and industry experience. She is an Adjunct Professor, Visiting Professor at Wits Business School, a member of the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF), and a technical expert and consultant for FAO and UNIDO. She founded Anelich Consulting in 2011 and has authored and contributed to numerous food safety publications.
Lee Griessel
Vyanzo
Lee Griessel is an accredited COMENSA Master Coach, internationally accredited Executive Coach, NLP Practitioner and experienced facilitator specialising in developmental and transformational coaching. With more than 25 years of corporate and small-business experience and her own coaching practice since 2007, Lee works with leaders and teams to create meaningful change through mindset, beliefs and personal discovery.
Who should attend?
This workshop is designed for professionals who influence food safety performance, people, culture and decision-making within their organisations.
It is particularly relevant for:
- Food safety and quality leaders
- QA and QC managers
- Food safety managers
- Operations and production leaders
- Plant and site managers
- Technical managers
- Senior managers and executives
- Professionals responsible for developing food safety culture and leadership
Workshop Agenda
Registration & Welcome Coffee
Introduction & Icebreaker
Coffee break
Systems Thinking in Food Safety
Systemic Coaching approach Growth vs. Fixed Mindsets
Language and Self talk
Lunch
Beliefs
Foundation Building and Strengthening theWeakest Link
Coffee break
Team Culture & Psychological Safety
Clear Communication & Elimination Cognitive Distortions. PART 1
Reflection & Key Takeaways
VIP Dinner
Morning Coffee & Day 1 Recap
Clear Communication & Elimination Cognitive Distortions. PART 2
Ownership & Responsibility
Coffee break
Ownership & Responsibilities
Communication in Food Safety Space
Self-reflection. Feedback
Lunch
Building Trust Across Teams
Handling Food Safety Issues with Confidence. Group Learning
Closing Reflection & Next Steps
Secure your spot
Spaces are limited to ensure a high-quality, interactive experience.
- Regular tickets
- VIP tickets
AED 2,975.00
Early bird, valid until January 15th
This two-day workshop provides full access to all core sessions led by Professor Lucia Anelich and Lee Griessel.
Participants will gain a clear understanding of the current food safety risk landscape, including regulatory expectations, leadership accountability, and practical approaches to strengthening food safety culture across complex operations.
- Full access to both workshop days
- Networking coffee breaks and lunches
- Welcome goodie bag
- Optional networking dinner available at an additional cost
AED 12,643.75
Early bird, valid until January 15th
Attend as a team and benefit from reduced rates while aligning your organisation around food safety leadership and innovation. We offer reduced rate for a group of 5 people.
AED 4,505.00
The VIP experience offers everything included in the Regular ticket, plus enhanced opportunities for direct interaction with Professor Lucia Anelich and Lee Griessel. This premium format allows for deeper discussion around leadership accountability, culture transformation, and real-world implementation challenges.
- Full access to both workshop days
- Networking coffee breaks
- Private lunch and private dinner with Professor Lucia Anelich and Lee Griessel,
- Welcome goodie bag
- A special guest gift
