2023 Food Waste Solutions Summit
May 16-18, 2023 | St.Louis, MO
Suzanne Long
Chief Sustainability and Transformation Officer
Albertsons Companies
Bio:
Suzanne began her career at Accenture consulting for Fortune 100 companies. She joined Albertsons in 2001, leading the company’s Lean Six Sigma program – this first of its kind in the food and drug industry. In 2008 she became the Retail Practice Leader for the consulting firm SSA & Company, directing engagements with clients such as Kroger, Harris Teeter, Staples and Office Depot.
Suzanne joined the “new” Albertsons Companies in 2012, leading five major acquisitions/integrations that grew the company to the nation’s second largest food and drug retailer. In 2017 she was additionally given the assignment of delivering $500M in cost savings over a three-year timeframe. Suzanne became Group Vice President, Strategic Sourcing and ESG/Sustainability in 2020. She now serves as the company’s first Chief Sustainability and Transformation Officer, responsible for driving both the company’s ESG strategy and a variety of enterprise-wide strategic initiatives.
Suzanne graduated from Duke with honors. She serves on three non-profit boards is on the Advisory Boards for the EDGE program at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business and The NEST Climate Campus.
Schedule
Wednesday, May 17th
9:00am - 10:30am
Mainstage Session | Food Waste: The Past, Present, and Future
Bold action to tackle food waste reduction is more urgent than ever. From rising food prices and ongoing labor shortages, to supply chain disruptions and the surging carbon footprint of discarded food — there is a unique opportunity to influence behavior around proper food management and the food system is rising up to meet this moment. We have come far in just the last three years, but a 50% reduction goal is still a long way off. Featuring a 20-minute introduction from Dana Gunders, followed by a three 15min series of keynotes, this session will showcase different perspectives on food waste — where we’ve come, where we are now, and what needs to happen to get to 2030.
Wednesday, May 17th
11:00am - 12:00pm
Innovate to Elevate: The Latest and Greatest in Food Recovery
Breakout Session (Running Concurrently)
Salvaging surplus food and redistributing it can ensure that food ultimately goes towards serving its highest purpose of feeding people. However, just 3% of surplus food ends up being donated, and most food donations are of processed, shelf-stable items that are easier to transport and store. As a result, many food relief agencies end up purchasing fruits, vegetables, and other perishables rather than rely on donations. What solutions can help further the rescue of high-quality, nutritious food and increase the capacity of food relief agencies to get it to the people who need it most, and in a dignified manner? Through a series of Pecha Kucha presentations, this session will highlight the latest and greatest happenings and resources in food recovery.