2026 Speakers
From award-winning chefs & baristas to pioneering restaurateurs, the Food & Hospitality Week stage is set for hospitality’s brightest minds.
Full list of 2026 speakers from A-Z
Aaron Johnson
VP - Go to Market / Deputy
Abdullah Ramay
CEO / Pablo & Rusty
Ace Gorgievski
Head of Operations / ByteFederal Australia
Adam Baker
Managing Director / Otto AI
Adam Issa
Chief Marketing Officer / El Jannah
Adam Theobald
CEO / Ordermentum
Alek Trpkoski
CEO / ByteFederal Australia
Alexander Cohen
Founder / Scope&Go AI Agency
Alexandra Preece
General Manager / Gradi Group
Alice Ellis
Managing Editor / Time Out Sydney
Alicia Skurrie
Head of Foodservice / Lantmnnen Unibake
Amy Colli (Moderator)
/ Straight To The Source
Andre Sandison
Pastry Chef / Martini Professional
Andrew Briese
CEO/Founder / CTB & CO.
Angelica Iuliano
Pastry Chef / Queen Professional
Anna Pavoni
Chief Business Officer / Maestro Hospitality | Cibaria at Manly Pacific
Ansie Bekker
Group Hotel Services Manager / Infinite Aged Care
Asantha Wijeyeratne
Executive Director, CEO and Co-Founder / PaySauce
Ben Carroll
Co-Founder & Director / Applejack Hospitatlity
Ben Creek
Vice President Food & Beverage Asia & Pacific / Accor | Global Hospitality & Restaurants
Ben Dixon
CEO & Founder / Fonto
Ben Irvine
Trade Marketing Manager / Seven Miles
Ben Lipschitz
CEO & Co-Founder / FoodByUs
Bethany Garnett
Head of Reservations / Laundy Hotel Group
Bianca Dawson
Chief Training & Development Officer / Australian Venue Co and New Zealand Venue Co
Billy Gibney
Owner / Meat at Billy's
Bobby Kamal
Founder / Stanley Green Plant Shop Cafe & Bar
Brett Boyle
CEO / RiseUp
Brian Geraghty
Owner & Executive Chef / Berowra Waters Inn
Bryan Seeborun
National Food Safety /Catering Products & Innovation / Regis Aged Care
Callie van der Merwe
CEO / COOOP
Charlie Hachem
Co-Founder / Piccolo Me
Charlton Hoing
Industry Director / End Food Waste
Chris Jordan
First Nations Chef / Three Little Birds
Chris Ridd
Exective Director / Paysauce (Moderator)
Chris Tate
Operations Manager / Pablo & Rusty's Coffee Roasters
Christopher Thé
Founder & Chef / Hearthe
Claire Van Vuuren
Head chef / Owner / Bloodwood
Corina Black
CMO / Wendy's
Daniel Cooper
Executive Head Chef / Opera Bar & House Canteen
Daniel Drakopoulos
Managing Director / SRG Hospitality
Daniel Pasquali
/ Bake Lab
Daniel Semrani
/ Gigi's Pizzeria
Daniel Sorridimi
Co-Founder / Blackwood
Darren Meachem
Business Development Manager / Naked Syrups
Daryl McCormack
CEO / Zambrero
Dave Hwang
Owner & Chef / AfterGlow Eatery
David Martin
Hotel Service Manager & Executive Chef Manager / St Vincents Care
David Meeve
National Key Accounts Manager / Mission Foods
Davide Civitello
/ Basile Imports
Dinesh Subramani
Head of Hotel Services / Mecwacare
Domenic Sozzi
General Manager / Real Dairy Australia
Dr Nici Sweaney (Moderator)
CEO / AI Her Way
Dwane Goodman
COO / GEMA Group
Dylan Pike
AU Field Sales Lead / Square
Elias Rikos
Marketing Director / Pink Pickle Marketing
Elke Travers
Commercial Development Chef / Nestlé Professional
Fran Harper
Head of Sales & Marketing Global / Paramount 21 Ltd
Gabriele Franco
Founder and Managing Director / La Botte D’Oro
Garry Nash
Chief Commercial Officer / Cookers Bulk Oil System
George Redmond
Co-founder / Stanley House Studios
Gianluca Lonati
Executive Chef / Aambra
Giovanni Pilu
Chef / Flaminia at Pullman Quay Grand Sydney Harbour
Giuseppe Minoia
/ VANNELLA
Hamish Watts
Co-Founder & Director / Applejack Hospitatlity
Hannah Evans
General Manager / RSL LifeCare
Hector Valles Fernandez
Hospitality Entrepreneur and Co-founder / Radio Taco
Ingrid Roche
Senior Project Officer / National Allergy Council
Ivan Brewer
Hospitality Profitability Strategist / Rethink Hospitality
Jack Basoff
Chef de cuisine / The William Inglis Hotel
James Dunbar
QLD State Manager & National Project Development Manager / Paradox Coffee Roasters
James O'Connell
Founder/CEO / The Hospitality Company
Jamie Gannon
Culinary Director / Feros Group
Jay Ooi
Social and Content Lead - Australia / Square
Jeremy Regan
Head Of Coffee / Foodco Group
Jessica Zilujko
Accredited Practising Dietitian and Director / Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission's Food, Nutrition and Dining Unit
Jimmy Hurlston
Founder & CEO / Easeys
Jo Steuart
Director of Marketing & Partnerships / Applejack
Joel Chrystal
Culinary and Hospitality Consultant / Imagine Collective
John Cafferatta
Head of Coffee / The Roasting Club
John Casey
Director / The Culinary Studio
Johnny Di Francesco
Head Judge / Gradi Group | AVPN
Joshua Green
Group General Manager / East Coast Collective
Joshua Hillary
Food & Beverage Director / Solotel
Judy McMahon
Director / Catalina
Julian Cincotta
Co-Founder / COO / Executive Chef / Butter Sydney
Julie Cichero
Speech Pathologist & Co-Founder / IDDSI Global
Julie Dundon
Accredited Practising Dietitian / Nutrition Professionals Australia
Jun Lee
Executive Director and Co-Founder / Gami Chicken & Beer
Justin Newton
Director / President / House Made Hospitality / UpTown District Sydney
Karel "Papi" Reyes
Brand Ambassador / Monin Australia
Karl Schlothauer
Vice President / YCK Laneways
Kelly Steele
Head of Growth / Innavi
Kristie Booker
FMCG Director / Imagine Collective
Kylie Radburn
Aged Care Governance and Care Governance Advisor / Apollo Care
Laetitia Loefti
Owner/Operator / Sunday's Bondi
Laszlo Csernatony
Business Unit Manager / Testo (Moderator)
Laura Goldberg
Chief Operating Officer / Hurricane's Grill
Lindsey O'Grady
Catering Operations Specialist / RiseUp Group
Lisa Massara
Account Specialist / Nestlé Health Science
Lorenzo Tron
Owner / SHOP225
Lorraine Lock
Precinct Manager / Eastside Sydney
Lucy Ruff
Partnerships Lead for NSW & WA / Too Good To Go
Luke Leyson
Captain / Australian Butcher Team
Luke Mangan
Chef & Restaurateur / Luke's Kitchen at Kimpton Margot Sydney
Marco Caverni
Chef / Martini Professional
Mareon Labuschagne
National Key Account Manager / Nestlé Health Science
Mark Shaw
Business Success Leadership Coach/Consultant / Shaw Thing
Markus Werner
Culinary Director / Delaware North
Michelle McCracken
Culinary Nutritionist and Accredited Practising Dietitian / Nestlé Professional
Miko Aspiras
Pâtissièr / Euca Gelato
Natalie Latimore
Head of Marketing / Milklab
Natalie Sharpe
CEO / Oliver's
Nerida McPherson Conway
/ Pav Queen
Nicholas Kalogeropoulos (Moderator)
/ Global Hospitality
Nick Duggan
Head of Key Accounts / Too Good To Go
Nik Hill
/ Bocuse d'Or | Porcine
Nitin Kumar
Executive Assistant Manager - Food and Beverage Operations / Hyatt Regency Sydney
Paddy McCrory
CRO / Now Book It
Paul Ayyash
Hospitality Service Consultant / Hospo Dojo
Paul Rifkin
Hospitality Consultant & Chef Coach / chefpaulrifkin consulting
Paul Wilson
Co-Founder / Chomp
Phil Boss
COO / RiseUp Group
Phil Keelan
Head of Operations / Five Guys
Po Yen (Kevin) Choo
Gelato Professional & Regional Instructor / Majors Group
Rachel Korbel
Chief Marketing Officer / Pappa Flock
Rachel Meryment
Certification Manager / HACCP Australia
Rachelle Yilmaz
CEO & Founder / Visumé
Raihaan Esat
General Manager / International Coffee Traders
Ramon Castillo
CEO / Zeus Street Greek
Ravi Nahappan
Co-Founder / Rolo Robotics
Rebecca Jarvie-Gibbs
COO & Co-Founder / Example
Rebecca Yazbek
Founder & CEO / Edition Hospitality
Richard Goodman
CEO / Foodco
Richard Mcleod
CEO / Loaded Hub
Rigan Wallis
Account Executive / Fishbowl
Robert Lechowicz
Executive Head Chef and Owner / Blackwood
Robert Smithson
Head of Culinary / Dnata
Rod Fowler
Director / Food Industry Foresight
Rodger Graf
Managing Director / Nutritious Cuisine
Roger Gregg
Director / House Made Hospitality
Sam Taylor
Head of Coffee / Soul Origin
Samantha Manney
National Business Development Manager / Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Australia
Sarah Franklyn
Head of Partnerships / Impact Data
Scott Sanderson
General Manager of Wholesale / The Grounds
Sean Cunnington
Key Account Manager / UNOX
Sebastien Syidalza
/ Sebastien Sans Gluten
Shane Flanagan
Head of Partnerships / me&u
Shane Richardson
Joint Director / Laundy Hotel Group / Watsons Bay Hotel
Simon Sandall
Owner & Chef / Boronia Kitchen
Stacey Lyons
Loyalty Director / Loyalty & Reward Co
Stephen Lakey (Moderator)
Board Chair of the Australasian Supply Chain & Logistics Association (ASCLA) /
Steve Sidd
Group Managing Director / Catering HQ
Tawnya Bahr
Co-Founder / Straight To The Source
Tawnya Bahr (Moderator)
Director & Chef / Straight To The Source
Tess Myers
Managing Director / me&u
Tim Kummerfeld
Founder & Head Business Coach / Foodie Coaches
Tim Noye
Founder / Clever Cafe
Travin De Hoedt
Executive Pastry Chef / Capella Hotels and Resorts
Venessa Barnes
Co-Founder / FoodLogic
Warren Jones
Director Foodservice Sales AU / Mission Foods
Wes Lambert
CEO / ARCA
