HOUSTON, Oct 15, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- DNV today announces that Kathy Wybourn joins the organization as Director of Food Safety Solutions. Kathy Wybourn, a 24-year veteran of the US food industry, will run day to day operations and help lead the expansion of DNV's food safety certification and training services.
"Kathy has the experience and the strategic vision to help us take a leadership position in US food safety services," says Richard Stolk, president of DNV Industry North America.
Kathy Wybourn assumes operational leadership of DNV's food safety certification business at a crucial time. The rising number of food contamination events is driving demand for wider adoption of food safety standards. Earlier this year, Wal-Mart became the first nationwide US grocery chain to require suppliers to have their facilities certified to one of the internationally recognized Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) standards.
DNV is one of the first organizations to offer US-based food companies the entire suite of standards certifications -- BRC, IFS, SQF and Dutch HACCP -- that comprise GFSI, and to deliver those services with local resources across the country.
"This is the next step I've been looking for," says Kathy Wybourn. "DNV is a stellar organization and already has a strong footprint in food safety. I'll have tremendous resources at my disposal, including a network of local auditors and a growing portfolio of industry partnerships."
"The big challenge right now," adds Kathy Wybourn, "is helping food producers organize around a consistent set of standards that are recognized and shared throughout the supply chain. The market is moving so fast, and the issues so complex, that we'll be spending a lot of time helping customers decide which standards are right for them and how to implement them cost effectively."
Kathy Wybourn started her food career at GD Searle/Monsanto, where for 18 years she held technical and managerial positions across the organization. She received Monsanto's President Award for implementing HACCP using safety principles and earned the Monsanto Star Performance Award for building quality assurance into contract manufacturers.
In 2005 Kathy joined the Food Products Association where she was director of SAFE Operations and managed the FPA-SAFE program. Before joining DNV, Kathy was the Director of Auditing Services for RQA, Inc. Manufacturing Services unit.
Kathy Wybourn earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from Northern Illinois University and an MBA from Loyola University of Chicago.
About DNV
DNV is an independent and autonomous foundation working to safeguard life, property and the environment. DNV is recognized as one of the leading and most respected management systems certification bodies in the US, and has issued more than 80,000 certificates worldwide. DNV has over 8,000 employees in more than 100 countries, and is represented in the US with over 700 employees spread over more than 12 offices. DNV helps its customers to safely and responsibly improve their business performance. For more information visit
http://www.dnv.com.
SOURCE DNV
http://www.dnv.com
Kathy Wybourn Joins DNV to Spearhead U.S. Food Safety Business
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