Meet our WEO Warsaw Speakers

Ben Dellaert

WEO AI Global Expert Group & AVINED, Netherlands

Ben Dellaert is the Director of AVINED, which represents the complete production chain for the production of poultry meat and eggs in the Netherlands. He has been a member of the WEO since 1999 and served as Chairman between 2015 and 2017. Ben chairs the WEO Avian Influenza Global Expert Group, a combination of top experts and scientists from across the globe that have been brought together to propose practical solutions to avian influenza in the short, medium and long term.

Bryce McCory

Rose Acre Farms, United States

Bryce McCory is one of several third-generation family members working at Rose Acre Farms in Indiana, US. He joined the family farm after graduating with a degree in animal science from Purdue University. He is currently on the Emerging Leaders Program at Rose Acres, as well as an alumni WEO Young Egg Leader (YEL) from the 2022-23 cohort. At WEO Warsaw, he will be sharing recent experiences with HPAI from the producer perspective, shedding light on the realities of outbreaks, learnings, and preventative steps they are taking today.

Edyta Janeczek

Oldar Group, Poland

Edyta Janeczek is General Director and commercial proxy at Oldar Group, responsible for business strategy, commercial negotiations, and overall development. Since 2018, she has driven the company’s expansion, including growing the ready-to-eat segment and launching new products. Edyta is a member of the Arbitration Committee of the National Chamber of Poultry and Feed Producers.

Jordi Mas

Managing Director, Álvarez Camacho, Spain

Jordi is the Managing Director of Álvarez Camacho, the largest producer of eggs and egg products in the south of Spain. His academic background includes degrees in Economics and in Biological Sciences.

Julian Mellentin

New Nutrition Business, United Kingdom

Julian Mellentin is the founder of New Nutrition Business, a specialist consultancy focused on the business of food, nutrition and health. With more than 20 years of experience, he provides strategic, marketing and technical insight to companies across the global food and health sectors, and will share expert analysis on the continued growth in consumer demand for protein, exploring the drivers behind this shift and what it means for innovation, positioning and future opportunities within the egg industry.

Karen Campbell

Glenrath Farms, United Kingdom

Karen Campbell works within her family’s egg producing and packing business, Glenrath Farms, which manages almost one million free-range hens. She is actively involved across the wider industry, serving as a member of the National Farmers Union of Scotland (NFUS), a Director of the Central Egg Agency (CEA), and a member of both the British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) and the Northern Egg Marketing Association Limited (NEMAL). Karen is also a member of the Poultry Club of Scotland and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Nuffield Poultry Group.

Dr Lieske van Eck

Cargill Animal Nutrition and Health, Netherlands

Dr Lieske van Eck is a Senior Research Scientist within the global research and development team at Cargill Animal Nutrition and Health. With more than a decade of experience leading research on laying hen and broiler breeder nutrition, her work explores areas such as laying persistency, egg and eggshell quality, and mineral nutrition. Dr van Eck has authored and co-authored numerous scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals and, together with her colleagues, received an Edison Innovation Award for the development of REVEAL Layers, a handheld near-infrared device designed to assess body composition in laying hens.

Dr Magdalena Kowalewska

BNP Paribas Bank Polska, Poland

Dr Magdalena Kowalewska is a Food & Agri sector expert at Bank BNP Paribas Poland. She is the author or co-author of numerous scientific publications, commentaries, market analyses, and expert opinions. She reports on agri-food economics and sector management, bringing deep expertise to the global egg industry.

Marie Laborde

Interprofessional Committee for Foie Gras Ducks and Geese (CIFOG), France

Marie Laborde, Deputy Director of Interprofessional Committee for Foie Gras Ducks and Geese (CIFOG), is closely involved in steering and implementing France’s strategy for vaccinating ducks against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). In her role, she coordinates the work carried out with public authorities and industry stakeholders to support the implementation and monitoring of the vaccination campaign, as well as its adaptation to health, economic, and commercial challenges.

Margaret Hudson

Burnbrae Farms, Canada

Margaret Hudson, President and CEO of Burnbrae Farms, leads one of Canada’s largest egg businesses across five provinces. A fourth-generation industry leader, she drives strategy, innovation, and sustainability, while championing transparency in farming. Under her leadership, Burnbrae Farms has advanced environmental initiatives and community programs, and she serves on key industry boards.

Dr Mickey Rubin

American Egg Board, United States

Mickey Rubin is Vice President of Public Affairs at the American Egg Board (AEB), where he leads scientific initiatives focused on nutrition, sustainability, food safety, and animal health. He has also supported efforts toward HPAI vaccination for the US egg industry, including convening a panel of veterinary experts to help develop a national vaccination strategy, and oversees research aimed at helping egg farmers reduce outbreak risks.

Nan-Dirk Mulder

Rabobank, Netherlands

Nan-Dirk Mulder is Senior Global Specialist in Animal Protein at Rabobank, providing strategic insights on the global livestock, meat, and egg industries. With a background in agricultural economics from Wageningen University, he has advised on key industry issues across all continents. A sought-after speaker at international conferences, Nan-Dirk offers deep analysis of market trends, trade dynamics, and sustainability.

Dr Olivier Espeisse

WEO & IABS, France

Dr. Olivier Espeisse is a veterinary leader with over 30 years in global pharmaceutical Public Affairs. After graduating from Maisons-Alfort Veterinary School in 1981, he began in dairy medicine before transitioning to international industry roles. Now retired, he consults on Public Affairs and serves as Chairman of the International Alliance for Biological Standardization (IABS), a non-profit whose mission is to improve access to vaccines and biological medicines. Olivier also provides HPAI expertise and advice to WEO on a consultancy basis.

Dr Ovsanna Mikhaylovskaya

Independent Poultry Consultant, Latvia

Dr Ovsanna Mikhaylovskaya is an independent poultry consultant and internationally recognised industry expert with over 25 years of global experience. She advises producers and integrators on production strategy, flock optimisation, welfare-driven system design, and cage-free transitions, delivering practical, implementable solutions. She has held senior roles, leading technical services, business development, and modern poultry management across Europe and Central Asia.

Toms Auškāps

Balticovo, Latvia

Toms Auškāps is the Head of Communications and Strategic Development at Balticovo, Latvia. Balticovo is currently the largest producer of eggs and egg products in Northern Europe. The company is responsible for a variety of innovative products, such as ice-cream and pasta, that has helped evolve how consumers perceive and enjoy eggs.

Vitor Arantes

Hy-Line International, United States

Vitor Arantes is the Global Technical Service and Product Manager at Hy-Line International, supporting customers worldwide and managing the nutrition of Pure Lines and Grandparent breeding flocks. He oversees the lifecycle of Hy-Line’s genetic products, working with R&D, sales, marketing, and technical teams to align performance with market needs. Previously, Vitor was Technical Services Director at Hy-Line Brasil and has held roles in commercial egg production and the laying hen division of a Brazilian premix company.