Udo Lampe, Founder and Managing Director of Analytica Alimentaria, appointed member to the Board of Directors of IAS

Our active involvement in industry organizations and institutions to share our knowledge and methods is part of Analytica Alimentaria's DNA. It is an opportunity to exchange views and be responsible for decisions and actions that can make a difference in food safety. Our founder and managing director, Udo Lampe, has been an example of the latter throughout his career. Always participating, researching and sharing, he has just been asked to join the board of the IAS (International Accreditation Service).   To explain the scope of his new involvement, we offer the following interview in which Udo shares his perspective with collaborators and partners. An opportunity and an honour for Analytica Alimentaria Analytica has been collaborating with the IAS for a long time. Is this the first time you have been asked to join the board? Have you held other positions?We've been working with IAS since Analytica was founded, more than ten years ago. We initially chose IAS because of their professionalism in verifying competence and their international projection. Since 2015, I've been part of various technical advisory councils at the IAS and was recently appointed Chairman of the Food Safety Council, but I had to give up this position to join the IAS Board.    I am honoured to be able to serve the IAS as a board member. And while this appointment is a recognition of my personal experience and knowledge, it mainly confirms the good reputation of Analytica and its relevance in the field of conformity assessment for food safety. What does it mean for you and for Analytica to be actively involved in an institution like the IAS?It allows a change of perspective on what we do. It helps me to see the true importance of our work because the purpose of both organizations is the security of people. Interacting with colleagues on the Board, whether on a private or official level, is very enriching and stimulating. New relationships and ideas are created, and in this way, systems can be improved, as well as security in all aspects.  What will be your duties as a board member of IAS and how long will you be in this position?Board members keep the IAS management and leadership informed about relevant issues in their field, in my case food safety, with a particular focus on the European context because IAS operates within the US regulatory framework and needs to understand how things work in Europe. At the same time, we have an oversight role over the policies and strategies of the organization, its finances and, most importantly, the training and competence of its staff. We vote on important decisions such as who will sit on the Technical Councils and the approval of the annual accounts and budgets. To find out more about the IAS and its Board, click here: https://www.iasonline.org/about-ias/board/