Sean Leighton is the vice president of food safety and quality for Cargill, based in Wayzata, MN. In August 2018, Sean will be moving into the role of vice president corporate food safety, quality and regulatory for Cargill when Mike Robach retires. Prior to joining Cargill, Sean worked for over 13 years at The Coca-Cola Company in various roles across quality, food safety, and environmental sustainability. He worked in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.  Sean has a B.Sc. in Bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Master of Science degree in Food Science from the University of Minnesota, and an MBA from Emory University.  Sean sits on the advisory board of many organizations, including the International Association for Food Protection's Journal of Food Protection, The Center for Food Safety (University of Georgia), the Grocery Manufacturers Association's Science & Education Foundation, and the Food Fraud Think Tank (Michigan State University). Sean is also a member of the Food Safety Magazine Editorial Advisory Board. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Sean about: Food safety vs. food quality culture The difference between making safety decisions vs. quality decisions How food safety and quality are sometimes at odds with other corporate departments and their business goals Making the case for food safety when cost-benefit is at play Building a food safety culture with the younger, millennial workforce, and dealing with quick turnover rates Sean's thoughts on today's biggest food safety challenges Connecting the dots between food safety, technology, finance, and all other parts of a business How earning an MBA has shaped his career path His mentors and influencers over the years What he believes is the next big opportunity for food safety The opportunities and problems with big data News Mentioned in This Episode Yuma Region Environmental Samples Test Positive for E. coli http://bit.ly/2KMQC2c Politico - Victims Blame FDA for Food Recall Failures https://politi.co/2MQCq5G Study: Consumers are Spreading Bacteria All Over the Kitchen http://bit.ly/2Nsa4Ql - Study/Executive Summary http://bit.ly/2NscAWA  Free eBook Download - Exclusive Food Safety Culture Collection http://go.foodsafetymagazine.com/culture/  Keep Up with Food Safety Magazine Follow Us on Twitter - @FoodSafetyMag https://twitter.com/FoodSafetyMag and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FoodSafetyMagazine  Subscribe to our magazine http://bit.ly/2KQB8Hc, and our bi-weekly eNewsletter http://bit.ly/foodsafetynewsletter Presenting Sponsor: Solus Scientific  Complete Solus Pathogen Testing Platform http://bit.ly/2MRghUY  Solus One Listeria http://bit.ly/2u0Ez7N  Solus One Listeria PDF http://bit.ly/2IYGWNf Share Your Feedback with Us Please feel free to share any questions, comments, or even a suggestion on someone we should interview, let us know! There are two ways for podcast listeners to interact with us. Leave us a voicemail at 747-231-7630. Be sure to leave your contact information so we can get back in touch with you! Email us at podcast@foodsafetymagazine.com.