EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
of CEO/Founder

International Consultancy

Vienna

Lebanon

Botswana

Ethiopia

Jordan

Millennium Round of WTO

Food Safety / Security

Project in Vienna

UNIDO Headquarters Vienna, Austria

Tasks: 

1. Review the format of the database and the information available and discuss with the staff of the food Unit how to upgrade/update it
2. Identify relevant databanks and websites and establish operational links
3. Assist the food team in issuing brochures, guides, etc. on food technology and safety/quality using the information collected in the database and its information linkages

Project in Lebanon

General task overview:

• Review the status of existing institutions, processes and general skills in the elaboration, promotion and enforcement of international standards. The experts will assess the factors hindering the development of testing, calibration, conformity assessment services:

Considering support in developing and accredited food testing laboratory as well as laboratories in sectors where important needs can be identified.

Support to existing laboratories in achieving accreditation according to internationally accepted standards of operations (ISO 17025).Strengthening the capacities of current laboratories through training programmes on Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) and on ISO 17025.

Assessment of quality assurance schemes in laboratories and the elaboration and implementation of quality manuals for laboratories. 

• They will review the government level of support in this field and the proposed development strategies. 
• Identify the necessary goals and objectives, which Lebanon should achieve to succeed if the rapid process of the internationalization of its economy. Particular emphasis will be placed on the support of agro-industries.
• Draft a comprehensive project proposal that will be based on international best practice on the “quality chain”. The proposal will consider assistance in the private sectors and with government institutions.

• Assess the opportunity and rationale in establishing a Lebanese food safety authority modeled on the European Food Safety Authority.
• Providing overall legal assistance to GoL in upgrading the legal and regulatory framework for standards and norms with the aim of working towards further harmonization of this framework.
• Strengthening official standards body (LIBNOR) and promote cooperation with accredited laboratories in the public sector (IRI, LARI) as well as private entities (Universities, private laboratories).
• Strengthening official standards body and MoA in the development and the enforcement of quality signs regarding products from Organic Farming (OF), Protected Geographical Indications (PGI), Protected Designations of Origin (PDO) and Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (TSG).
• Establishment of a suitable mechanism to identify, classify and certify specific products linked to a unique manufacturing process.
• Establishment of an accreditation for (jointly with the EU or through twinning arrangements

I have completed a mission as a part of a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) project in Botswana. My role within this mission is as an International Animal Health and Food Safety Expert with the following duties:

Implementation of: 

Regional Activity to Promote Integration through Dialogue and Policy Implementation (RAPID). The function of Rapid is to provide quick response short term technical services related to policy analysis, policy dialogue and support for implementation of policy changes under Regional Center for Southern Africa (RCSA) development assistance program for Southern Africa of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). 

RCSA strategic objectives are:

• assisting further integration of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) membercountries-Botswana, SouthAfrica, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Nambia, Malawi, Mauritius, Lesotho and Swaziland in the critical areas of regional market integration.

• to increase cooperation in the management of shared natural resources 

• to expand commercial markets for agricultural technologies and commodities.

• By enhancing the SADC national government capacity to analyze and address critical issues that impede implementation of the SADC Free Trade Area one of the components is the SPS/Food Safety program

By enhancing the SADC national government capacity to analyze and address critical issues that impede implementation of the SADC Free Trade Area one of the components is the SPS/Food Safety program.

The task of the International Animal Health and Food Safety Expert Dr. W.R. Marsman was preparation of materials to the writing of an SPS/Food Safety Annex to the SADC Trade Protocol, an extensive report has been written with the following components:

• Situation Analysis of the Livestock Sector 
• Livestock Census and Livestock Identification, Registration and Traceability
• Animal Feeds
• Animal Health Status (Contagious Bovine Pleuro Pneumonia/Foot and Mouth Disease/Rinderpest/New Castle Disease/African Swine fever/Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis/Ticks and Tick Borne Diseases/Rabies
• Registration of Veterinary Biological and Medicinal Products
• Information system management
• Quality assurance and standardization
• Import and export of animals and animal product
• Animal welfare
• Training in livestock
• The role of the private sector/livestock Service Sector
• Farm Animal Genetic Resources 

Also the Fish Sector has been incorporated.

Strategy and recommendations on each sector have been given and the way forward in Animal Health Sector (Good Emergency Management) and the Fish Sector. Extensive consultancy work done with Chief Veterinary Officers of all above mentioned countries. Also the establishment of a regional SADC Food Safety Authority in lay out and provisions has been put in the report and the specific country Food Safety Authorities and their function with the regional authority

I have completed a mission as a part of a UNIDO project in Ethiopia. My role within this mission is as an International Consultant In Food Processing Technology – Meat & Dairy Products with the following duties:

In the coming Millennium Round of WTO most developing countries are opposed to the new round of negotiations because they feel the developed countries have continued their protectionist approach.

- Not only custom duties are involved but also the SPS/TBT Agreement requirements and EU/US requirements in the entering to the markets of developed/industrialized countries.

- The symposium on issues confronting the world trading system addressed the concern of developing countries and especially on the 7th July 2001 the issues were discussed of food safety and SPS Agreement.

- It was clear that this was a follow up of the meeting on 14/15 March 2000 on the WTO committee on SPS where the three sisters (Codex Alimentarius, Office International des Epizooties or World Organisation for Animal Health and the International Plant Protection Convention) briefed members.

The information showed that developing countries are participating more but not necessarily in the most adequate manner and that developed countries and international organisations should listen more to developing countries.

Capacity building and technical assistance to developing countries is one of the top priority areas of work in food safety and WHO is promoting the leap forward approach.

Due to the potential of Regional food safety capacity building, communication and experience sharing this important public health issue could be strengthened by consultative approach.

I have completed a mission as a part of a UNIDO project in JORDAN. My role within this mission was as an International Consultant in Food Safety with the following duties:

1. Assess the food safety assurance system including food inspection, compliance and enforcement, verification, quality control, technical support institutions (training, laboratories etc.) and the food safety programmes at plant level. It was not only to assess but also to put effective recommendations down in food control legislation.

2. Prepare recommendations to make the food safety assurance system conform with the international (CODEX) requirements (food inspection, strengthening of the support institutions, etc.) as well for European standards and United States standards. Including the animal health standards and their surveillance to be in compliance with international standards.

3. Organize a seminar to strengthen the awareness of the different stake holders and to get their feed back on the recommendations and finalize the recommendations.

4. Identify pilot plants and prepare GMPs/HACCP programme adapted to the specific situation of each plant.

5. Conduct training workshops for staff from support institutions, Ministry's of Agriculture and Health and pilot enterprises in food safety assurance (GMPs and HACCP).

6. Prepare technical report

The training of 120 persons of different ministry's, industries etc in HACCP principles, SPS-TBT agreement, Codex Alimentarius Standard and their procedures development, good manufacturing practices and the EU/US standards has been successfully completed.  The follow up from this will be the training of Veterinarians, health inspectors and food handlers in their specific jobs including training in university and related institutions.

I had the opportunity of a lengthy trip overseas to visit and meet with senior officials of organisations involved in the food safety /security area, such as The World Health Organisation - Department Food safety and World Trade Organisation - Department SPS -TBT Agreement and Agriculture in Geneva and S.G.S International (ISO standards, classification standards); United Nations Offices in Vienna, Geneva and New York - discussions with Development Bureau Food safety, Food Security, Iraq Food Programme etc; FAO - Codex Alimentarius Commission, Secretariat in Rome; The World Bank - Food safety, Rural Development Section and several other related institutions in Washington D.C. who are involved in food safety related issues in the global market place.

I also had the opportunity to visit and meet with representatives of the U.S. Meat Export Federation in Denver and it became clear that new policies were being developed in many areas regarding food safety and the meetings I had gave me new and updated knowledge in these fields.

Also by downloading every web site relating to food safety and studying articles from eg. Ministries of Health and Agriculture all over the world, FAO, WHO, WHO European Centre, WTO, Europe.eu, OECD, Joint Institute for Food Safety Research / Food Safety Strategic Plan to ex President Clinton, US FSIS and USDA: University web pages (Food Safety Consortium) related to food safety, HACCP Alliance, National Centre for Food Safety and Technology and all related links has given me a more in depth knowledge of the latest developments.

Supervising Veterinarian
Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry's, New Zealand, 
M.A.F. Verification Agency

• Implementing Optimal Regulatory Model

• Involvement Food safety programme

• Risk management

• Performance Based Verification

Manager Total Quality Control, Barfuss GmbH, Germany

Barfuss Fleischwaren GmbH, largest private meat Company in Europe, responsible for the total quality control at plant (slaughter, boning, meat product incl. Production)
1800 employees

May '95 - April '96

Consultant, Germany Eurocontrol Breitsameter GmbH/Germany: I-QMS Department, referring to QM-systems / ISO norms / TQM

• Consultant / coordinator I-QMS project (integrated Quality Management system)

• Training of employees

• Responsible for development of QM manuals

• Acquisition of new clients

• introduction of I-QMS in production facilities, slaughterhouses etc.

• aiming at certification according to DIN EN ISO 9000 ff.

Minority shareholder 49% and Consultant

to majority investor / shareholder of ROWI Meat Packers Inc.
Lac La Hache, British Columbia, Canada, establishing slaughterhouse operation with a capacity of approximately 130 head of cattle per day

• Owner / minority shareholder 49%

• Consultant to majority shareholder of new slaughterhouse

• Operation from reconstruction to start-up of slaughtering

• Purchase of cattle

• Sale of products

• Advice on federal / provincial / international laws / guidelines

• 'Halal' approval

• Training employees

• Total quality control (HACCP, procedural manuals, hygiene, safety)

• Negotiating export contracts

• Preparation/ implementation of Canadian federal approval and EC requirements

• General accounting

• General administration

Consultant L&O International / L&O Fleischwaren GmbH&Co. (McDonalds) Guenzburg / Germany

• Largest, exclusive European producer of meat products for the Mcdonalds Chain (offices in Sweden, Spain, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany)

• Development of manuals for quality control

• Inspections of direct and indirect suppliers (slaughterhouses / boning facilities)

• Training of employees

• Assistant to the chief purchaser of meat products in Germany, France, Spain, Italy

• Consulting new and old L&O suppliers in Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden on product specifications and Improvements on handling procedures as well as product presentation

• Management training in product handling

• HACCP programme development

• revenue upgrading of by-products

• advisory visits on many packing plants

Consultant, Rocky Mountain Gourmet Game Packers Inc.,Lac La Hache, British Columbia, Canada

• Consultant to the two owners of new slaughterhouse operation from construction phase to start-up of slaughtering

• Purchase of cattle

• Sale of products

• Advise on federal / provincial / international / Guidelines

• Obtaining 'Halal' approval

• Training employees

• Total quality control (procedural manuals, hygiene, safety) negotiating export contracts

• Preparation / implementation of Canadian federal approval / requirements

• General administration

Consultant to: Blue Mountain Packers Inc. Salmon Arm, British Columbia, Canada

• Purchase of bankrupt slaughterhouse for Dutch investor, Start-up of operation

• Advice on reconstruction

• New additions of beef line and other facilities e.g.. Waste water, pens

• Feasibility studies

• General organization

• Sale of plant to major meat products company in Vancouver

Vanhoornweder, Torhout, Belgium

• Reconstruction of the entire packing plant to conform with European requirements

• Training of staff (job descriptions, safety requirements and hygiene development)

• Redesign of the emergency slaughter section

Foodimpex, Gavere, Belgium

• Advice regarding meat importation laws of European Community

• Developing guidelines for export to Romania

Velda B.V., Zele, Belgium

• Reconstruction of two packing plants in the USA and Development of procedures manuals and better Product flow

• Redesign of the slaughter line in one of the packing plants pursuant to US and EU requirements

Kroes Import Export, Rotterdam, Netherlands

• Advice on purchase of packing plant in Canada

• Development of international sales strategy in overseas countries

Van Wijnsberghe, Belgium

• Advice on a variety of construction projects of slaughter line in western and eastern Europe

• Development of international sales strategy in overseas countries

Director, Quality Control, Gausepohl Unternehmensgruppe, Dissen, Germany

• Second largest private meat packing industry in Germany consisting of various slaughterhouses, boning plants and meat production.

• Tasks:

* Development of total quality control procedures (HACCP procedure)
* Manuals, product descriptions, pre operational inspection procedures)
* Training of all staff in every packing plant, including management
* Responsible for reconstruction of different slaughter lines and for EC approval in one of the
  packing plants of the GDR (East Germany)
* Waste water disposal systems development  

1988 - 1990

Third Agricultural Attache, Delegation of the Commission of European Communities,
Washington, D.C., USA, Veterinary Inspector

* Resident veterinary inspector / representative for European Community
* Inspection of US meat industry facilities, feed lots, veal barns, Slaughterhouses, cutting plants, cold storage facilities
* Liaison/consultant between/for US meat industry wishing to export to EC countries following new Export Agreement applicable US-EC Hormone issue. Facilities visited included all packing plant and advice to management staff re EC requirements
* Consulting to improve Trade with EC countries. Liaison between exporters, importers, brokers, owners (e.g. American Meat Export Federation, American Meat Institute and US Veterinary Service)
* Attendance at USDA training center re: US inspections laws
* Development of procedure manuals, job descriptions, hygiene, Safety aspects

1984 - 1988

Veterinary Inspector, European Community, Brussels, Belgium

* Inspection of slaughterhouses, cutting plants and cold storage Facilities in Eastern Europe (CSSR, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Yugoslavia and Bulgaria) and Western Europe
Canada, United States and South America to ensure Compliance with third Country Directive
* Reports of inspection were presented to and discussed by representatives of the veterinary services of Member States
* advice on development of European Veterinarian Law, Fresh Meat, Meat Products and Game Directives.  

1983 - 1984

Instructor of Meat Inspectors, Ministry of Agriculture, Netherlands

Municipal Veterinary Inspector, Ministry of Agriculture, Netherlands (different locations)

Owner/Operator of private Small Animal Veterinary Practice, Bunschoten, Netherlands

Veterinary Bacteriologist, Municipal Government of The Hague, Netherlands

Veterinarian, Employee of a small Veterinary Clinic in Amsterdam, Netherlands