Chef Michael joined McCormick Canada in 2005, where he leads the culinary department, overseeing recipe development and product innovation while supporting retail and food service efforts. He is also responsible for identifying cutting-edge culinary trends and flavors for industrial clients and for McCormick’s own innovation pipeline. Michael also supports recipe development efforts for Canada’s leading restaurant chains.
With more than 28 years of experience, Michael is an expert in Canadian and international cuisines. He graduated from George Brown College, one of Canada’s leading culinary institutes, and recently became a Certified Chef de Cuisine, the highest chef’s certification in Canada. He has worked around the globe for leading hotels, restaurants and food manufacturers.
Ian Craddock is an expert in British food styles, developing gold standard recipes and consumer ideas for McCormick’s UK market. He also enjoys demonstrating to customers and collaborating with blue chip clients, sharing his passion for flavor and inspiring them to cook in new ways with herbs, spices and seasonings.
Ian studied Food and Hospitality at Bournemouth University and has worked in restaurant and hotel kitchens in both in the UK and the United States. He has a keen interest in modern cooking and restaurant trends, and brings his passion to projects like the Flavor Forecast.
Chef Mark Garcia oversees the McCormick Kitchens, a creative team of culinary professionals responsible for bringing flavor to life through innovative recipes and products for the home cook. Mark identifies consumer insights and flavor trends, helping make McCormick a leader in anticipating consumer needs, from buying ingredients to cooking meals. In addition, Mark oversees digital and social media programs and consumer outreach.
With more than 20 years of culinary experience, Mark has worked with some of the world’s leading retailers and hospitality companies. Mark attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, where he graduated with Honors. He is a member of the Research Chef's Association, International Association of Culinary Professionals, American Culinary Federation, La Chaine des Rotisseurs, and National Restaurant Association.
Simone Fergie conceptualizes recipes and co-manages the McCormick test kitchen in Melbourne. In her 12 years with the company, Simone has applied flavor expertise to new product development, recipe development and sensory analysis. She also consults with McCormick’s Singapore office, identifying up-and-coming flavors and food trends for Asian manufacturers.
Simone has worked as a chef for 23 years throughout Australia. She trained at the Gordon Institute of Technology, and is continuing her education today, pursuing a Certificate IV in Food Science and Technology. In addition to her role at McCormick, she serves on a culinary council for leading global food brands.
Gerardo Hernandez began his career at McCormick Mexico as an intern developing snack flavorings and breadings. A rising star, Gerardo now leads recipe development and oversees flavor innovation with McCormick products for leading industrial customers. He also takes part in product development, generating ideas and testing the flavor of innovative new sauces, dressings and seasoning blends.
Gerardo studied gastronomy at the Instituto Gastronomico Corbuse, a nationally-recognized culinary institute in Mexico, while working as a Technical Assistant at McCormick’s Innovation center. He is currently pursuing a complementary degree in Business Administration.
At McCormick South Africa, Kim Jones oversees sensory and consumer sciences and drives innovation efforts for the company as a whole. After working for 6 years in the UK, Kim’s return to her native South Africa has allowed her to explore and promote the region’s unique flavors and cuisine. She lends her flavor expertise to support the Product Development team for McCormick’s industrial customers.
Kim received a Food and Nutrition degree in Consumer Science from the University of Stellenbosch in the Western Cape of South Africa. After graduating, she moved to London to pursue a culinary career, working as a cook and caterer. She then decided to pursue an alternate career course focusing on food science and culinary innovation, working as a Food Technology and Nutrition instructor in UK schools.
Steve Love is a prominent figure in British cuisine, and spreads his passion for flavor through his work on McCormick’s culinary insights team. His current responsibilities include culinary development for many blue chip companies across Europe and he travels around Europe, the Middle-East and Africa.
Steve began his culinary career at age 17, when he trained as a chef for the Royal Navy and served on the Royal Yacht Britannia. Since then, he has gone on to serve as an executive chef for multiple food service kitchens and has been named a Master Chef of Great Britain. He is frequently invited to serve as a speaker/judge for leading culinary association competitions.
At McCormick Foods Shanghai, Billy Mi applies his experience as a chef and public nutritionist to recipe development, new products and trend tracking. He also provides consumer support on product usage and cooking methods. Billy applies Western cooking styles and flavors to traditional Chinese cuisine, introducing McCormick products into cutting-edge fusion dishes.
An Asian flavor expert, Billy has worked as a chef in Shanghai for more than 10 years, with an emphasis in regional Chinese, Southeast Asian and Japanese cuisine. Billy graduated from Yifu Tourism and Hotel Institute, one of the leading culinary educations in China, and is currently working towards a Senior National Chef certification, China’s highest culinary honor. His restaurant career spans a range of locations in Shanghai and South Africa.
Pascale Tecles has worked at McCormick France for over 20 years, researching consumer insights, spotting culinary trends and developing cutting-edge product concepts. Today she oversees culinary development for McCormick’s European brands, including those in France, Belgium, Italy and Spain. She also manages an in-house tasting and sensory analysis panel.
Pascale has dedicated her entire career to McCormick, guiding innovation activities within both the Research & Development and Culinary departments. She received training with the Ecole Hôtelière d'Avignon, a premier hospitality school. Considered an industry expert, Pascale is sought after by French publications and conferences like the Nutrition and Dietetics Days in Paris.
In his role at McCormick, Kevan Vetter has helped develop menu items for top food companies and restaurants. He is also responsible for providing product development guidance, culinary support and creative insights to McCormick’s consumer, custom food manufacturing, and food away from home businesses and leads the team of McCormick chefs at the U.S. Technical Innovation Center. During his more than 12 years with McCormick, Kevan has gained a reputation as a flavor expert whose knowledge is sought out by national conferences, television shows and magazines.
Kevan began running his own kitchen the age of 19. This was the start of a career that would lead him to numerous fine dining and upscale restaurants, where he worked every job from line cook to head chef. He has published articles in industry magazines, including Food Processing Magazine and Food Product Design.
