This award recognizes and celebrates new volunteers who have demonstrated leadership qualities of value to FEMA in a relatively short time. The Emerging Leader Award is intended to be given to the most deserving candidate and will only be given in years with a worthy recipient.
2026 Honoree
Yanping Xu
Senior Regulatory Manager, Raw Materials & Change Control
Robertet
Yanping Xu is a Senior Regulatory Manager for Raw Materials and Change Control with approximately 15 years of experience in the food and flavor industry. She joined Robertet in 2011 and has gained extensive expertise in regulatory affairs, supported by an academic background and early professional experience in chemistry. This technical foundation enables her to approach regulatory compliance with a strong scientific perspective.
Yanping currently serves as the North Asia Task Force Leader under FEMA’s International Subcommittee, supporting FEMA members by improving regulatory information sharing in this region. As part of FEMA Symposium updates and related communications, she provides regulatory background, explains regulatory changes, and shares potential industry impacts to help members better understand evolving requirements. Through her commitment to FEMA, deep regulatory expertise, and collaborative leadership approach, Yanping exemplifies the spirit of the Emerging Leader Award and continues to deliver meaningful value to the FEMA community.
Yanping will be honored at the Annual Leadership Conference (ALC) on May 5 in Ponte Vedra, FL.
Past Award Winners
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2025: Deirdre Meyer, Givaudan
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2024: Dave Franz, FlavorSum
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2023: Adam Gromer, Synergy Flavors
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2022: Tanya Ditschun, Ph.D., Firmenich
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2021: Alex Brewer, McCormick & Company
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2020: Colleen Sabiel, Coca-Cola Company
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2019: Nicole Berzins, MycoTechnology, Inc.
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2018: Martin Ongteco, Robertet, Inc.
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2017: Jeff Peppet, Givaudan
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2016: Josh Vernoski, FONA International Inc.