Next Bite 2025 Speakers
Explore the tracks below to discover the speakers featured in each session.
Discover the thought leaders, experts, and inspiring voices who will take the stage at this year’s Next Bite. Each speaker brings unique insights and experiences to share, offering fresh perspectives, practical knowledge, and meaningful dialogue. Explore their profiles to learn more about their backgrounds, expertise, and session topics.
Richard Zaltzman – Next Bite 2025 Opening Session | Plenary Session
Chief Executive, EIT Food
Richard Zaltzman is Chief Executive of EIT Food, Europe’s largest food innovation community, leading efforts to tackle environmental and societal challenges in the global food system. With extensive experience in business transformation and innovation, he has worked across technology and sustainability, including a decade at Microsoft and senior roles in the European innovation ecosystem. Richard also mentors startups, has run his own business, and serves on the board of Sussex University.
Gijs Schilthuis – Next Bite 2025 Opening Session | Plenary Session
Director of Directorate B - Sustainability (AGRI.B) in DG AGRI
Gijs Schilthuis is Director ‘Sustainability’ at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development since December 2024. Since 2008, he has worked in different capacities on agricultural policy reform in this Directorate-General, including as head of unit for Policy Perspectives from 2019-2024. He first joined the European Commission in 2005 at the Directorate-General for Health and Consumers. Prior to joining the Commission, he worked at the European Parliament as a parliamentary assistant. He earned a master’s degree in agricultural economics from Wageningen University in 2000.
Michiel Scheffer – Next Bite 2025 Opening Session | Plenary Session
President, the European Innovation Council (EIC) Board
Michiel Scheffer is President of the European Innovation Council (EIC) Board and a Dutch national with over 30 years of experience in business, academia, and public policy. He served as regional minister for economy, education, and Europe in Gelderland (2015–2019) and as a member of the European Committee of the Regions. With a PhD in geography, Michiel has worked extensively across research and innovation, focusing on breakthrough technologies, disruptive innovation, and impact investment. He has been involved in founding nearly ten companies and maintains strong ties with leading universities including Utrecht, Wageningen, and Hochschule Rhein-Waal.
Alessandra Zampieri – Next Bite 2025 Opening Session | Plenary Session
Director for Sustainable Resources, Joint Research Centre
Christian Holzleitner – Keynote Speaker | Plenary Session
Head of Unit, DG Climate
Viktoria de Bourbon de Parme – Closing Session | Plenary Session
CPO, EIT Food
Jessica Sansom – Closing Session | Plenary Session
CIO, EIT Food
Jack Bobo – In the Age of Outrage, the Best Story Wins
Executive Director, UCLA Rothman Family Institute for Food Studies
Jack Bobo is Executive Director of the UCLA Rothman Family Institute for Food Studies and a leading voice on global food systems. He has held senior roles at the University of Nottingham, The Nature Conservancy, Futurity, and the U.S. Department of State. Author of Why Smart People Make Bad Food Choices, Jack is a sought-after speaker who has delivered 500+ keynotes in 50 countries on food security, sustainability, and innovation. With degrees in law, environmental science, biology, psychology, and chemistry, he brings a uniquely interdisciplinary perspective to reshaping food policy.
Dr Maarten van der Kamp – Bringing Regenerative Agriculture to Life: Official Launch of the Future Farm Lab
Director of Education, EIT Food
Dr. Maarten van der Kamp leads Education at EIT Food, working with 280+ partners to deliver innovative programmes that transform the food system workforce. He developed the sector’s leading Competency Framework for agrifood innovation skills and advises policymakers in Europe and the MENA region on skills development. Maarten is also President of Ecotrophelia Europe, the continent’s largest and longest-running food innovation competition.
Stefan Dobrev – Next Bite 2025 Closing Session | Plenary Session
Chairman of the Governing Board, EIT
Stefan brings extensive experience at the intersection of strategy and technology, notably innovation management, establishing open innovation ecosystems and maximising the impact of R&D and investment. This builds on a 25-year career in business, venture finance and consulting, focused on helping business leverage science and technology for commercial success.He was previously Vice President of the Board of MassChallenge Switzerland, which he co-founded, Global Head of Innovation Partnerships for the Nestlé Group, Head of Group Strategy and Business Development at Theo Müller Group and Director at L.E.K. Consulting. As an entrepreneur, he was founder and managing director of Plantopia and advisor and board member for a number of other start-ups. Stefan currently serves as a Global Head of Plant-Based for the Emmi Group. Born in Sofia, Stefan holds a degree in economics from the University of Oxford.
Kerstin Rosenow – Innovation and the future of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP)
Head of Unit for ‘Economic sustainability’ in the Directorate Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Commission
Kerstin Rosenow is Head of Unit for the Economic Sustainability Unit at DG AGRI. She also serves as Deputy to Director Gijs Schilthuis (Directorate B. Sustainability). Ms. Rosenow recently took up this position after serving for years as the Head of Unit for the R&I Unit in DG AGRI. As Head of Unit for DG AGRI’s Economic Sustainability Unit, she oversees policies related to income support for farmers and market interventions to support European agriculture under the CAP and related policies
Michiel de Ruiter – Innovation and the future of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP)
Chairperson Supervisory Board, EIT Food