Petfood & Aquafeed Extrusion Conference 2024 Speakers

Petfood & Aquafeed Extrusion Conference is co-organised by VIV Worldwide, International Aquafeed, International Petfood and Dr Mian Riaz of Texas A&M University. Taking place on March 11, 2024, in BITEC, Bangkok, Thailand, this rendition of the conference will focus and specialise on the extrusion and related equipment for pet and aqua feeds. The one-day conference will feature a variety of industry expert speakers delivering innovative presentations on how users can make the best use of their extrusion machinery and aqua feed systems.

For more information on the speakers please look below:

Roger Gilbert

Mr Roger Gilbert was the Secretary General of the International Feed Industry Federation, which he co-founded in in 1987. In that time, he saw the federation rise from humble beginnings, to represent more than 85% of all compound feeds produced globally. He initiated the industry’s NGO representation with Codex Alimentarius and set up one of the first Memorandum of Understandings between an industry and the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation.

Today, Mr Gilbert is the publisher of International Aquafeed and Milling & Grain magazine: two international magazines translated into several languages to promote aqua and terrestrial protein production.

Dr Mian Riaz

Dr. Mian N. Riaz is Holder of the Professorship in Food Diversity Food Science and Technology Dept. at Texas A&M University, USA. He joined Texas A&M University 30 years ago after completing his Ph.D in Food Science from the University of Maine, USA.  His first academic appointment was in 1992 at Texas A&M University, Food Protein R&D Center, where he was put in charge of the Food and Feed Extrusion Program and went on to become the head of the Extrusion Program and a member of the Graduate Faculty in the Food Science and Technology Program. He served as Director of the Process Engineering R&D Center (formally Food Protein R&D Centre) from 2005 to March 31, 2020. He organises 5 courses every year in the area of extrusion. Three of these courses are in the area of petfood/feed and two of them are in the area of food extrusion. Currently, he is offering these courses through Professional & Continuing Education program, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, Extrusion Technology Program. He has published seven books (three of them are in the area of extrusion technology) 28 chapters and more than 143 papers on extrusion and other related topics.  

Dr. Sohail Nazari

Dr. Sohail Nazari currently serves as the Head of the Automation and Digitalisation Business Unit and Global Vice President of the Feed and Biofuel Division at ANDRITZ.

Since 2006, Sohail has been a dedicated advocate and facilitator for introducing advanced digital technologies into various industries, including Automotive, Oil & Gas, Pulp & Paper, Mining & Mineral Processing, and Feed & Biofuels. His primary focus is helping operations achieve higher efficiency and productivity through digital transformation while also reducing their carbon footprint by decreasing energy consumption. Along this journey, he has successfully launched and commercialised multiple digitalisation products and businesses, received numerous awards, been invited as a keynote speaker in various professional settings, and holds a patent.

Dr. Nazari earned his PhD from the University of Alberta, Canada, in the Department of Electrical andComputer Engineering in 2013.

Curtis Strahm

Curtis Strahm is the Regional Sales Director for Wenger Mfg. He is a graduate of Missouri Western State University holding Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Curtis has been with Wenger for 27 years and has served in various roles. He holds product patents and works closely with industry leaders implementing process solutions for commercial extrusion applications in the Companion Animal and Aquatic Feed Industries. His current role at Wenger oversees sales of process equipment. In doing so, he works closely with clients and Wenger sales engineers defining projects from concept to commercialisation. He has had the opportunity to visit many factories in 41 countries developing commercial solutions and personal friendships.

Hadrien Delemazure

Hadrien Delemazure holds a Masters degree of Food Engineering from Agro Paris Tech Massy. Over the last 10 years, he has worked for Clextral as a Process engineer. He is market manager for pet food and fish feed processing to sustain company growth and technology offer in that area.

Jordan Niegsch

As Process Implementation Specialist at  Extru-Tech, Inc., Jordan Niegsch brings 10+ years of extrusion processing experience to his current position. A graduate of Pittsburg State University, Niegsch has spent his years working in the petfood industry, where much of his focus was on single screw extrusion, high-meat-inclusion diets and overall plant operations.  Niegsch has worked for Triple T Foods, Day Six Pet Nutrition, CJ Foods, Inc., and most recently Alphia. Niegsch’s primary role is to provide all aspects of product and process development. This includes assisting the Innovation Group to develop and deploy new technology to clients; process improvement; training to benefit from new technology, and strategic planning and evaluation to expand and enhance Extru-Tech’s product line within the company’s world markets. 

Extru-Tech, Inc., headquartered in Sabetha, Kansas, currently produces and markets one of the industry’s most complete lines of extrusion processing systems, along with a full line of ancillary equipment and customised equipment solutions for specialised processes. Since 1985, Extru-Tech has installed extrusion systems worldwide, designed for the production of human food, pet food, aquatic feed and animal feed products.

Phil Erickson

Mr. Phil Erickson is currently the International Application Engineer forReynolds Engineering & Equipment, INC. Phil received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota in Analytical Chemistry. Employed at Honeywell’s sensor and signal processing research and development centre after graduation. He has worked in the Bulk Dry Powder Processing industry for the last 30 some years focusing on ultra fine size reduction and classification of inorganic and organic materials. During his year in the industry he has been involved in production of shrimp and larval aqua feeds throughout the world. Working with most major aqua feed facilities in the production of specialty feeds which require ultra fine input materials. In addition, he is well versed in the evolving developments and requirements associated with natural and organic production of foods and feeds.

Danny Chang

Danny Chang holds a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from University of Southern California. After graduating in 2011, Danny started his career with IDAH, which joined CPM’s family of brands in 2023. Danny was named general manager in 2013 as his background and years of experience in the industry helped him develop strong production knowledge and market insights in aquafeed and other protein products. Under Danny’s guidance and IDAH’s nearly 50 years of experience in food, feed and biofuel, the brand has become a leader in shrimp feed solutions in Asia.

Dr. Enzhi Michael Cheng

Michael Cheng’s twenty-five-year career in both academia and industry has made him globally recognised in pet food and aquafeed world. Equipped with a master’s degree in Agricultural Machinery from Northeast Agricultural University and a Doctoral degree in Grain Science and Industry from Kansas State University, he started his career as a Research Scientist at Kansas State University Extrusion Center for five years before joining Extru-Tech, INC, where he served as the Director of Sales Asia. Over his ten-year tenure, he became not only an expert in extrusion techniques and their diverse applications, but also in international trade and global sales. At Bühler Group, Michael over saw global business development in the pet and aqua industry, and he was instrumental in building relationships with large pet food and aquafeed manufacturers at the global theatre. Currently serving as Global Solutions Director of Famsun-USA Design and Engineering, Michael Cheng continues to build strategic partnerships in the pet and aqua industry globally.

Dr. Jay Bernard

Dr.Bernard is currently serving as Global Product manager for Kemin Aqua science handling the portfolios of Antioxidants, Feed Mill efficiency programs and Enzymes worldwide. He is an Animal Nutritionist having knowledge in feed formulations of different species and Feed manufacturing technology. He has several years of practical experience in feed mills and rendering technology and he is presently leading the projects of antioxidants to feed mills and Rendering process globally for Kemin AquaScience. Apart from these he is also handling the products for microbial control as well as products for improving Aquafeed Mill efficiency.

Khun Tanakorn Lothaka

Mr. Tanakorn Lothaka earned his Master of Fisheries Science from Kasetsart University in 2020 and participated in the Asian International Mobility Student(AIMS) program at Hiroshima University in 2016, focusing on seaweed farming. For over two years as a research assistant at the Aquaculture Business Research Center(ABRC), Kasetsart University, he specialised in experimental design, laboratory work, and data analysis. Post-graduation, Tanakorn became an IPRS demonstration manager at U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) in November 2020. During a year with a cooperator farm, he improved the In-Pond Raceway System (IPRS) and developed a Standard Operation Procedure Manual (SOPM) for effective system operation. In 2021, he transitioned to the role of Local Technical Specialist (Aquaculture), dedicated to advancing IPRS technology in Thailand and highlighting its industrial potential.

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