Leon Zheng   currently is Founder & CEO of Regulatory AI Technology Co Ltd, a technology company specialized in regulatory AI compliance in food safety. The company devotes to build knowledge graph for food safety regulations and standards with AI and big data technology and apply it in food safety regulatory compliance analysis and report generation He also provided professional consultancy for World Bank, China Food Safety Improvement Project and was appointed as food safety expert for Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI).

From May 2016 to Aug 2017, Leon was the Regulatory and Scientific Affairs Director of Starbucks China. He effectively enhanced scientific and regulatory capability of Starbucks China and launched China Regulation Advocacy Program – Key public food safety policy tracking and advocacy.  With close cooperation with other departments in Starbucks, his team formulated effective regulatory strategies and provided best solutions to regulatory problems met in business operation and helped Starbucks being the Model enterprise of food safety in China. He kept close communication with relative authorities and scientific institutes and expanded Starbucks’ influence in shaping the policy of coffee roaster products. As an expert in the food regulatory area, he also gathered regulatory professionals from leading food companies in China and set up regular effective face-to-face communication with renown experts in food regulatory, supervision and nutrition area.

From 2013 to 2016, Leon was the Director of Scientific & Regulatory (SRA) Affairs of Hershey Company in Asia, Middle East, Europe and Africa region. He built the Scientific & Regulatory Affairs department of Hershey AEMEA region after he joined Hershey in 2013. He collaborated closely with Hershey Global Government Relation, Legal, Corporate Communications departments to commit Hershey SRA’s development and influence in the region.  He worked closely with food supervision authorities in different countries and took active part in shaping local candy & confection related regulation. In China, He actively participated in activities hold by China Food Association, Scientific & Regulatory commission of CNFA, Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), Food Industry Asia (FIA), Early in 2014, he made a speech on food safety and food fraud and advocated professionalization and food safety communities in food safety management.

Leon held various important positions at Mars Wrigley China as Operation Director, QA manager, Lean manager from 2003 to 2012. He had rich experiences in food safety, quality management, operation, supply chain management and lean manufacture.

Education                                                          

NANYANG Technological University, Singapore     Master of Business Administration (MBA)

East China University of Science and Technology   Chemical Engineering   Bachelor of Engineering           

Expertise

Rich experience in food laws and regulations, food safety and quality assurance, and government communication;

AI technology application in Food regulatory and its best practice

Well understanding of food regulations in different countries and advocate professionalization and food safety communities in food safety management;