Our Partners

Tim Cook is a seasoned expert in the food manufacturing and automation space, with over 30 years of experience driving operational efficiency and workforce development. Tim is currently an Advisor for Coperion, and has served as the President and CEO of Linxis Group, Shick Esteve, as well as VP of Automation and VP of Sales, Marketing and Product Management at AMF Bakery Systems. With over 30 years of industry experience, Tim can help with practical solutions to  the challenges faced by today’s baking and snack producers.

Jonathan Hodges spent the last 14 years across Healthcare, Finance, Education, and Media verticals, building SaaS-based AI and data products and leveraging analytics to optimize internal business processes. This includes leading smaller to larger 100+ size teams of data professionals (data scientists, ML and data engineers, architects, analysts) and bringing value to organizations through AI and data monetization strategies and execution. Jonathan currently serves as Chief Evangelist – Data, Analytics & Generative AI for Accion Labs.

Kevin is President & CEO of LifeLine Foods, Inc., one of the nation’s largest corn processing and corn ingredient companies in the country.  Kevin has spent over 40 years in the food industry including positions with Fortune 500 companies Procter & Gamble and General Mills.  He was also one of the founding managers of Michael Foods, Inc., the world’s largest egg products company.  Prior to joining LifeLine Foods, Kevin owned his own company in the hand bindery/packaging segment in Minneapolis, MN.  

Erik Kurdelak has devoted over 10,000 days to studying, applying, and teaching the principles of food science. His studies at both Purdue University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences have helped him become adept with food science, food manufacturing equipment, food microbiology, and food law. Erik is the State of Indiana’s Subject Matter Expert for Food Protection Division, Special Processes. Erik regularly develops and delivers technical training and is also helping Wick’s Pies strengthen their family business. 

Lisa Miller is a seasoned Human Resources leader with over two decades in the food industry. She specializes in people strategy, talent development, total rewards, and culture transformation. Her experience also includes HR compliance, employee relations, investigations, and other critical HR areas. With extensive experience at Triumph Foods and Greater Omaha, she is currently the Director of HR and Talent Development at PPC Flexible Packaging, where she was an early adopter of WorkForge solutions.

Tim is a executive who specializes in culture and leadership development. He began his career at EY as a CPA, then realized the true potential of culture and leadership as the COO at a gourmet food manufacturer. He joined Barry-Wehmiller to pursue his passion for creating a better world through relationships. He founded TSP Edge, LLC to focus on that purpose, helping clients and individuals move to the next level of their journey through a combination of partnerships, data, and interactive leadership development experiences. 

Keith Sultana is an accomplished leader with over 34 years of experience. He served as the Senior Vice President of Global Integrated Supply Chain at Trane Technologies, where he successfully led all aspects of integrated supply chain and spearheaded internal sustainability initiatives. Before joining Trane, Keith held executive leadership positions at renowned companies such as General Electric. His expertise in driving operational excellence and implementing strategic initiatives has been instrumental in the success of these organizations.

Cliff started his career in the protein industry in 1975 working for Farmland Foods in Crete, Nebraska. He spent 20+ years in Crete learning the business by spending time in accounting, scheduling, first line supervision and middle management. He was promoted to Plant Manager with Farmland Foods at the Monmouth, Illinois facility in 1996 before taking a similar role with Food Brands (IBP, Tyson) in 2000. He stayed with Tyson until 2015 before taking a Complex Manager position with Cargill where he retired from in 2022.