California Fresh Fruit Association Announces Dr. Henrik Christensen and Bill Bishop as Speakers For 82nd Annual Meeting
FRESNO, CA – If you feel anything like I do, the first month of 2018 has already flown by. With the fast pace of today’s fresh produce industry, it is never too early to start planning ahead. So, mark your calendars friends, as the California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) has just revealed its speakers for its upcoming 82nd Annual Meeting, March 25-27, 2018, in Pebble Beach, California.
This CFFA event will feature addresses by Dr. Henrik Christensen, the Qualcomm Chancellor’s Chair of Robot Systems, and Mr. Bill Bishop, Chief Architect and Co-Founder of Brick Meets Click.
Dr. Christensen and Bill Bishop will deliver passionate messages about issues that are impacting the future of California ag and what our industry must do to be prepared, according to a press release.
With growers and shippers looking to increase their efficiencies throughout their operations, Dr. Christensen will discuss how robotics can play a part, and the current and future opportunities of robotics in the fresh fruit industry.
Currently, Dr. Christensen is the Qualcomm Chancellor's Chair of Robot Systems and a Professor of Computer Science at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering UC San Diego. He is also the Director of the Institute for Contextual Robotics. Prior to UC San Diego Dr. Christensen was the Founding Director of Institute for Robotics and Intelligent machines (IRIM) at Georgia Institute of Technology (2006-2016). Dr. Christensen’s repertoire includes research on systems integration, human-robot interaction, mapping, and robot vision and is performed within the Cognitive Robotics Laboratory. He has published more than 350 contributions across AI, robotics, and vision, with research that has a strong emphasis on "real problems with real solutions."
Dr. Christensen is actively engaged in the setup and coordination of robotics research in the U.S. and worldwide. Dr. Christensen received the Engelberger Award 2011, the highest honor awarded by the robotics industry. He was also named the "Boeing Supplier of the Year 2011," while at Georgia Tech. Dr. Christensen is a fellow of American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). He received an honorary doctorate in engineering from Aalborg University 2014, among his many achievements and accolades.
Bishop will describe the opportunities for our industry to increase consumption by speeding alignment with changes in how consumers are thinking about and buying food and adjusting sales efforts to build relationships with retailers, both brick and mortar and online, who are gaining share at the expense of traditional supermarkets. Need to put them into action? Bishop will encourage audience members to begin now to make these changes and provide specific recommendations on “how to.”
Bishop is recognized as one of the retail food industry’s preeminent advisors, and has been involved in research and consulting for several decades, with a concentration on the new issues and developments impacting this business. He co-founded Brick Meets Click in 2011 with Steve Bishop.
As its Chief Architect, Bishop focuses on analyzing the forces driving change in food and grocery retailing and providing practical guidance on how to respond effectively.
Brick Meets Click’s services and thought leadership help organizations successfully navigate the changing food retail ecosystem and leverage disruptive business innovations, from online grocery to new formats and hard discounters. Bishop was the Vice President of Research at the Supermarket Institute, now FMI, early in his career, and later founded Willard Bishop Consulting and led major studies on new store formats, pricing strategy, direct store delivery, and loyalty marketing. He also helped create the supermarket-focused Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council (CCRRC) and convenience retail-focused NACS/CCRRC. Bishop earned a PhD in Agricultural Economics and Marketing from Cornell University. Among his many achievements, he has taught Marketing Channels at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and also served on the Boards for Raley’s Fine Foods and The Food Institute.
Congratulations to the CFFA attendees on the exciting calendar ahead and to the speakers, for your inclusion in this impactful event.
