OSI Group has appointed Sharon Birkett to director, quality and regulatory affairs for OSI Europe.
In this role, Birkett will report to Kevin Cahill, managing director of OSI Europe, and functionally to Dr. Kenneth Petersen, OSI’s global senior vice president, quality, food safety and regulatory affairs.
Effective January 22, 2018, Birkett will be based in Gersthofen, Germany, and will assume responsibility for the quality and food safety systems throughout OSI's European operations. She will provide leadership and direction to OSI Europe and will collaborate with OSI’s customers, suppliers, employees and other stakeholders across the business to continuously pursue and achieve the highest levels of quality and food safety throughout OSI and its supply chains.
"I am excited about the opportunity to lead the team in Europe, as we deliver on our commitment to relentlessly advance our quality and food safety programs and achieve consistently best in class systems,” Birkett said.
Throughout her 29 year career, Birkett has been a leader in the advancement of quality and food safety in the food industry. Her work with the Food Safety Culture Working Group as part of the Global Food Safety Initiative has contributed to the development and dissemination of best practices in food processing facilities. She has also provided her expertise to the International Association of Food Protection, and as an instructor at the Annual Advanced Listeria Workshop for the North American Meat Institute. She participates in several professional organizations including the International Association of Food Protection, American Society for Quality, and the North American Meat Institute. Additionally, Birkett is a member of the International Advisory Board for BRC Global Standards and the Educational Advisory Board for the Food Safety Summit.
Birkett graduated from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois, with a bachelor of science in biology and earned an MBA from the Keller Graduate School of Management.
