2010 West Coast Quality Assurance Workshop Speakers

Harry Bennett, Vice President of Corporate Quality Assurance
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
Harry Bennett is the Vice President of Corporate Quality Assurance for The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. He is certified as a Packaging Professional (CPP) by the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP), has been inducted into the IoPP College of Fellows and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Meadowlands Chapter of the IoPP. He is also a member of the New Jersey Packaging Executives Hall of Fame and is a member of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program Board of Examiners for 2010.  He does volunteer work at PS205 in the Bronx. He holds a Masters Degree in chemistry and has been employed in the Cosmetic and Toiletry industry for over 40 years. He began his career as a chemist with American Safety Razor Products. He has held positions in Product Development, Package Development, Purchasing, and Package Engineering with Avon, Shulton (Old Spice), and L’Oreal USA (Lancôme, Ralph Lauren). At Estée Lauder, he has been responsible for Global Package Engineering, Package Testing, Packaging Operations and Asia-Pacific Package Development. He is the author of the EL University Package Developer Training course.  His present Quality Assurance responsibilities include New Products Quality, Package Testing, Supplier Performance Management, Quality Management Systems and Regulatory Operations.

Janet Blaschke, Managing Director
REACH Chemical Consulting, Ltd. UK.
Janet has completed the Post-graduate Certificate course in REACH Management at the University of Hull, UK.  She is a Chartered Biologist, Member of the Institute of Biology in London, and was certificated at the VUB in Brussels in Safety Assessment of Cosmetics in 2001. With over 25 years of experience in the Consumer Products industry and a past Chairman of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, Janet continues to support the industry with numerous articles in industry publications, including the Food and Drug Law Journal.  As a frequent speaker, her international presence includes lectures in many countries such as France, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, China, Canada, and the U.K.  Janet is also the founder of the UCLA Cosmetic Science program.

Cathleen Owen, Director, Quality and Regulatory Affairs
Tri Tech Laboratories Inc.
Cathleen Owen is the Director of Quality and Regulatory Affairs at Tri Tech Laboratories in Lynchburg, Virginia. Tri Tech Laboratories, Inc. is a full-service custom manufacturer of OTC, fragrance, and personal care products. As the Director of Quality and Regulatory Affairs, she serves as a regulatory resource to the company and external customers on compliance issues, facilitating the development, implementation, and continual improvement of the quality management program. Cathleen is a graduate of North Carolina State University, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry. She began her career as an R&D Chemist for Merck Pharmaceuticals. Prior to her current position, she worked for Elizabeth Arden as the Manager of Quality/Regulatory Affairs. At Elizabeth Arden, she was recognized with a management award for playing a critical role in obtaining a compliant rating from Health Canada. Her regulatory experience included audits with FDA, Health Canada, and the USDA.

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