ADEM is a unique export promotion and development entity formed by individuals with extensive international commercial experience, with wide global presence and access to an ample network of business contacts across industries and government agencies.

Founding Directors

Gabriel E. Pascual, BSIE & MBA

Advisor and Consultant in the Dairy and Dairy Alternatives UHT/Aseptic beverages and Processed foods industries. An Industrial Engineer and International Business Master from the University of Miami with certificates in Management and M&A from Harvard and Stanford universities respectively. Has Developed dairy processing facilities, designed dairy sector diagnostics and implemented strategic programs for government agencies and multinational companies in over a dozen nations. As Vice-President of Pascual Dairy Inc., (the US affiliate of Grupo Leche Pascual of Spain) he was in charge of compliance of US-FDA regulations and of market development in the US and in Latin America. He is also an accredited FDA-IMS auditor and certifier and proven educator in multiple areas of the food sector and international trade. Thru his professional career has effectively established and managed numerous small and medium enterprises (SME’s) throughout Europe, the US and the Americas in the areas of shelf stable (UHT/Aseptic) dairy and plant-based beverages, commercial distribution and not for profit industry associations. His continuous entrepreneurial experience of more than 25 years in international trade and private sector development in over 40 countries has made him a proven multinational value chain advisor and in start-up ventures, mergers and acquisitions.

 

Leighton Ashley

A highly skilled marketing and trade development specialist with over 30 years of marketing management experience in a range of industries including fresh produce, processed foods, frozen foods, specialty coffee, handcraft, publishing, apparel and marketing communications. Having extensive business experience and expertise internationally in developed as well as developing environments both from a management and a consulting perspective, Mr. Ashley successfully executed export market development projects to benefit small, medium sized and large enterprises on behalf of governments and international development agencies. Mr. Ashley is Marketing & Management Consultant with ample experience in execution of market research and analysis. He is successful in planning and execution of international trade missions, in International trade show participation and provides business development services to companies seeking to build a commercial presence in the North American market.

 

 

Regional Advisors

Goran Janjic, BAB (Serbia)

Bachelor of Business Administration /1997/Institute Franco-Americain de Management – Paris. Accomplished project manager with comprehensive experience in the agribusiness and food industry sectors and in heading technical and multifunctional teams, recruiting staff members, consultants and preparing budgets for program implementation. Expert in value chain analysis and programming, trade promotion and competitiveness, building public private partnerships, strategy formulation, marketing linkages, institutional capacity building for business associations, job creation, impact assessment, and developing business services markets. Extensive track record in working effectively with local governments, EU-funded organizations, World Bank, EBRD, USAID, USDA, UNDP, FAO, GIZ, and foreign governments’ representative bodies in Serbia. A member of European Dairy Association (EDA) Trade and Economy Committee on behalf of Serbian Dairies Association/SEDA, Adviser to the Minister of Agriculture for International Cooperation and Executive Manager of SEDA. Mr. Janjic speaks English, French, Serbian.

 

Fernando R. Vila , BAB & MBA (China)

Mr. Vila is a Co-founding Partner of Prax Capital Management, Private Equity firm based in Shanghai managing China-focused growth capital and real estate funds. The Firm has raised 3 USD and 1 RMB denominated growth capital funds totaling US $520MM and 2 USD and 1 RMB real estate funds totaling US $300MM. From 2004 to 2014, the firm has made 22 growth capital investments, of which 5 have been fully realized and 2 partially realized. The real estate funds have made 7 investments in residential projects, all fully realized, comprising 20,000 residential units totaling 2MM sq. m. The current real estate funds have made 4 investments in logistics parks with Prax Capital acting as the developer and project manager. Mr. Vila acts as member of the Investment Committees of all the Funds under management. He is responsible for all aspects of fund organization and fund raising, including all legal, tax and accounting matters of the firm, its affiliates and the Funds under management. Mr. Vila also directs all matters related to deal negotiations and deal structures, due diligence procedures, investment analysis, target company valuations, monitoring of portfolio investments and fund valuation, and is responsible for fund reporting and investors relations.

 

Viktor Andrievski (Ukraine)

Dr. Andrievski provides policy advice on agricultural sector development, regulatory reform agenda, food security parameters harmonization to international requirements and anti -corruption measures to the governments of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. He has participated in development of the Black Sea basin agro industrial markets focusing on commodity management, financing trade and investment issues, E-trade platforms development and integration and implementation of the Quality Control Systems. He participates in development of standards harmonized to EC for grain, livestock, data bases, e-registers, legislation drafting for bio-energy implementation in Ukraine, as well as in development of electronic registers, pre and post-harvest Financing Systems development for SMEs. He also participates in the new policy and legislation drafting in Ukraine in the area of agriculture and rural development, including sustainable land, water and ecosystem management issues in the view of the EU pre-accession requirements.

 

 

Sector Specialists

Ken Anderson, BSB

Served for over 12 years at the Illinois Department of Public Health, as the director of Grade A Dairy Inspection Division. He has been the CEO of the auditing firm Harold Wainess & Associates since 2005, were he maintains a full audit schedule of companies worldwide in the areas of PMO/Grade A certifications, including extended shelf life and UHT/Aseptic food processors and dairy packaging manufacturers. He currently serves on several committees of the NCIMS, such as the Executive Board, Technical Engineering Review Committee and Single Service Container and Closure Committee. Ken is also a Third Party Validator (TPV) for the 3A Sanitary Standards of food processing equipment design and acts as a member of the 3A  Sanitary Standards Board of Directors

 

Alexandra Calle, BSB, MS & Ph D.

Dr. Calle graduated with a BS in Biology from the Universidad del Valle. She has a Masters Degree in Food Science with an emphasis in Food Microbiology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Ph.D. in Animal Science with an emphasis in Food Microbiology from the Texas Tech University. Dr. Calle has over 15 years of experience in food safety activities, implementation and verification of HACCP and GMP’s plans in food processing plants and dairy products’ packaging manufacturing facilities in Colombia, Panama, Nicaragua and Mexico. She also participated in the USAID MIDAS program in Colombia as a leader in food safety component for the dairy sector. Other professional experience also includes research on intervention measures for reducing food borne pathogens such as Salmonella spp., E. coli, Listeria monocytogens and Clostridium perfringens, and methods for detecting food pathogens..

 

Stephen Spinak, BS & MS

Aseptic processing and packaging expert, a thermal process engineer. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Food Science from the University of Maryland. He worked in the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) performing functions, among others, of project manager for FDA’s International Cannery Inspection Program and for Filing and Evaluation of Thermal Processes for Acidified and Low-Acid Canned Foods (LACF) where he reviewed new preservation technologies utilized by the food industry including aseptic processing and packaging and extension of shelf-life of refrigerated packaged foods. He participated in the development of FDA’s Basic Canning Course, Advanced Canning Course and Aseptic Processing and Packaging Course during his time with FDA. Currently, he assists multiple processing plants worldwide and performs plant audits and training courses for the canned food industry including assistance on thermal processes filing with FDA. At USDA, he served as the National Field Coordinator for its HACCP development project. He has taught Better Process Control Schools various US universities including LSU, NC State and Cornell. Mr. Spinak has also participated as an official of the U.S. Delegation to the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene and was the chairman of the Codex Aseptic Processing and Packaging Work Group.

 

Program Coordinators

 

Natalia Pascual, BSC, MSCE

Natalia is a Chemical Engineer graduated from Stanford University whom also graduated  No. 2 in the state of Florida from the Marine and Atmospheric Science and Technology (MAST) Preparatory Academy of Miami, Florida. During her career, she has assisted in ongoing research of the physical properties of E.Coli biofilms for the Fuller Research Group and in collaboration with the Cegelski Research Group at Stanford University, as well as in research on the effect of global warming on cloud formation in the Namibian region for the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science at the University of Miami. She has experience with the use of a rheometer, MatLab, performing data analysis with Excel, and has assisted FDA inspector in various IMS – PMO audits as shadow auditor for dairy processing plants and in single service container manufacturing facilities in France and Spain. As an intern at the Three Trees Almond Beverage Co. she performed product safety analysis and FDA regulations compliance activities. As a student at Stanford University, she served as a counselor and health advisor for the largest co-ed freshman dorm assisting with dorm programming, crisis-management, and community building. Other administrative tasks at Stanford University include customer service, event planning, interview scheduling for students and employers at Stanford’s Career Development Center, as well as managing students’ career accounts.