April 28-30, 2025

All Speakers

Dog and cat food research experts who will present at Petfood Forum & Petfood Essentials

Karen Jones

Vice President of Learning and Partner Solutions

NextUp

Karen Jones leads the learning and development at NextUp, a nonprofit organization that works to empower women in the workplace through leadership development, programming and inspiring events. Her team manages the design and delivery of the leadership development programs and assessment processes for partner organizations. Jones has more than 15 years of experience in organizational effectiveness, leadership development, talent management, inclusion strategy design and execution, change leadership and organizational process improvement. She has served as an executive in Fortune 500 companies including American Express, Sara Lee Corporation, U.S. Cellular and Ulta Beauty. Jones has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Grambling State University and a master of arts in organization leadership from Gonzaga University.

Date/Time	Title
Tue Apr 29 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM	Career development: Panel discussion: Women in pet food share their leadership experiences 2103A-B Powered by Women in Petfood Leadership. (Open to all Petfood Forum participants.) Join executives from the pet food industry as they discuss their experiences in leading people and businesses— and come prepared with your questions! Panelists include: Shelly Hein, vice president operations, Petcurean Laura Moran, CEO, LPM Innovate Melissa Weber, Ph.D., director of technical services, pet, Wilbur-Ellis Session moderated by Betty McPhee, discussion/Q&A moderated by Karen Jones. Women in Petfood Leadership program is sponsored by ADM, AFB International, Camlin Fine Sciences, Ecolab, Extru-Tech Inc., Kemin Nutrisurance, Kerry, the Peterson Co., Simmons Foods, TC Transcontinental, Trouw Nutrition, Zinpro Corp.
Tue Apr 29 1:30 PM - 2:35 PM	Career development: Connectivity and leadership 2103A-B Powered by Women in Petfood Leadership. (Open to all Petfood Forum participants.) Karen Jones, vice president of learning and partner solutions for NextUp, provides insights on how making connections with your fellow pet food professionals, and others, can help you grow as a leader, particularly in a hybrid environment. Post-COVID, challenges persist in finding one’s voice, making meaningful connections and leading teams effectively. Women in Petfood Leadership program is sponsored by ADM, AFB International, Camlin Fine Sciences, Ecolab, Extru-Tech Inc., Kemin Nutrisurance, Kerry, the Peterson Co., Simmons Foods, TC Transcontinental, Trouw Nutrition, Zinpro Corp.