The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), a global collaborative platform and business-driven initiative to ensure confidence in the delivery of safe food to consumers worldwide, is supporting its global expansion through the appointment of Karil Kochenderfer as its representative in North America.

Based in Washington, D.C., Kochenderfer will be working to enhance awareness of GFSI recognized programs and expand knowledge of GFSI’s work streams among food industry executives in North America. She also will closely monitor developments in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Latin America, particularly at a regulatory level.

Kochenderfer is well-known within the U.S. food industry from her many years with the Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA), where she drove the creation of GMA’s international program as well as led GMA’s high-profile and multifaceted efforts on biotechnology in both the U.S. and abroad. She is a member of the U.S. Department of Commerce Advisory Committee on Supply-chain Competitiveness and regularly participates in Foreign Service Institute embassy training programs.

“Karil’s appointment in North America is an important step in reinforcing GFSI’s presence in the region,” says Yves Rey, chair of the GFSI board and corporate quality general manager at Paris-based Danone. “She will be a key point of contact for the initiative and will strengthen GFSI’s link to the numerous regulatory developments that are taking place. We look forward to working with her as she integrates the GFSI team.”