Manager, Global Affairs and Public Policy, AI, Google LLC
Alejandra Barceló is a specialist in political risk, international affairs, and public policy. Currently leading Google's AI policy portfolio for Platforms and Devices (including Chrome, Android, Play, and Pixel). Her career spans the private sector and international organizations... Read More →
Transparency, collaboration, and communication are three principles underlying a good market surveillance policy. The example of how these principles have been included in the European General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) and how they will change the approach to market surveillance and evaluation of the safety of products sold online, will show up in EU in December 2024. While waiting for this important date, we'll discuss the challenges market surveillance authorities were facing in the past, how these challenges will be mitigated by the GPSR, how providers of online marketplace will contribute to solve past challenges and how consumers will benefit from a clearer set of rules on online sales. These innovations can be taken as inspiration from other policy makers, to potentially develop an aligned approach to increasingly regulate online commerce using the same tools available for market surveillance, agreeing on the responsibilities of online marketplace’s providers and consumer rights.
From industry, to consumers, to agencies across the globe, product recalls present unique and shared challenges. Those challenges include, the decision-making process around issuing a recall, determining remedies, recall execution and ultimately announcing and ensuring consumer participating in a recall, and more. In this panel featuring representatives from retail chains, manufacturers, and regulatory agencies, attendees will hear stakeholder reflections on lessons learned from recall events and how its shaped their approaches. Panelists will engage in dialogue on common challenges and opportunities, including leveraging technology, to reduce barriers to increase recall effectiveness. There will be ample time devoted to responding to attendee questions.
The objective of this session is to explore and discuss the pivotal role of leadership in fostering a culture of compliance within organizations. By highlighting best practices, sharing real-world case studies, and providing actionable strategies, this session aims to equip leaders with the knowledge and tools necessary to enhance consumer product safety and regulatory adherence.
Effective compliance in consumer product safety is not merely about adhering to regulations but about creating a culture where safety and ethical standards are ingrained in every facet of the organization. Leadership plays a crucial role in shaping this culture. This session will delve into how leaders can drive compliance from the top down, address challenges, and leverage best practices to achieve and maintain high standards in product safety.
The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in product safety has the potential to revolutionize the way we extract and analyze learnings from publicly available databases. This panel proposal aims to explore the application of AI in enhancing product safety learnings by extracting insights from resources such as CPSC's NEISS, Clearinghouse, OECD recalls, CPSC recalls, and other product safety data repositories.
The panel will comprise of distinguished product safety stakeholders from industry, standards organizations, and regulatory bodies, bringing together diverse perspectives and expertise.
Through interactive discussions, the panelists will delve into the challenges, opportunities, and best practices associated with integrating AI in product safety learnings. By fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration and knowledge sharing, this panel aims to provide actionable insights and recommendations for organizations, including regulators, seeking to harness the power of AI in improving product safety learnings.
As globalization has made it increasingly easy to sell products around the world, manufacturers often choose to limit where they sell because they simply can’t afford compliance with a patchwork of regulations that are similar, but not identical. This panel consisting of a manufacturer, a retailer, a lab, and a consumer advocate will discuss the potential advantages and disadvantages of regulatory harmonization and even potential cross border recognition.
We propose an engaging discussion on how advocates and manufacturers can collaborate to enhance safety and develop innovative products. Featuring real-world examples, Reese Purpose and Parents for Window Blind Safety will share their collaborative journeys with manufacturers Energizer and [Window Blind Manufacturer], highlighting the tangible benefits derived from these partnerships. The interests of safety advocates and manufacturers frequently align, and taking the time to explore these intersections can unlock valuable opportunities for collaboration. Once established, these relationships enable both groups to gain a deeper understanding of the relevant challenges, opportunities, and solutions. Advocates gain insight into the practical difficulties surrounding safety innovations, while manufacturers receive early indications of consumer expectations regarding safety features, providing a competitive edge. Even if immediate collaboration is not feasible, the connections built will lay the groundwork for future discussions and potential partnerships.
The surge in online shopping has brought convenience by allowing products to reach consumers directly, while sometimes bypassing the scrutiny and jurisdiction, potentially posing safety risks to consumers. The CPSC is strengthening its enforcement of safety regulations more rigorously. Moreover, the CPSC's eFiling system is set to revolutionize product compliance data reporting, swiftly identifying potentially hazardous products in the market. All other key stakeholders in safety, including third-party testing laboratories, also play pivotal roles by helping the supply chain adopt comprehensive testing programs that guarantee product safety, compliance, and quality. In this session, we'll discuss the challenges of managing product safety in the era of e-commerce, share industry practices in monitoring and testing high-risk products in the e-commerce market, and explore how to leverage the eFiling system to import safe products into the US market.
As Europe largely consolidates its product safety requirements under the auspices of the EU GPSR, the United States is increasingly Balkanized with an ever-changing series of requirements depending on individual U.S. states. How can a non-U.S. company keep up with the changes as it seeks to market and sell in the vast American market?
This session will review the many changes in U.S. state regulations and what to expect. With a focus on non-Americans, this session will also analyze the impact of recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings, the upcoming U.S election next month, and how these developments in Congress and the Presidency may lead to even more state requirements to rival CPSC’s requirements in the coming years.
Senior VP, Standards and Regulatory Affairs, Toy Industry Association (TIA)
Joan Lawrence serves as the Toy Association’s Senior Vice President of Standards and Regulatory Affairs. Over her 30 years with the Association, she has managed product safety programs encompassing the development and harmonization of safety standards, as well as industry and consumer... Read More →
Executive Director - Chief Engineer, GE Appliances, a Haier Company
Kyran Hoff is Executive Director, Chief Engineer for GE Appliances, a Haier Company headquartered in Louisville, KY. Her career spans 25 years with GE Appliances in roles of increasing responsibility within the engineering organization. Kyran currently leads the Office of Chief... Read More →
Cheryl A. Falvey is co-chair of Crowell & Moring's Advertising & Product Risk Management Group, a member of the firm's Management Board, and the former general counsel of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). An experienced trial lawyer, she defends class actions, unfair... Read More →
An up close look at what happens when a product safety concern travels through the ranks of becoming a law that must be implemented and followed by industry. Using the recent enactment of the button cell battery law known as Reese's Law, we will follow the implementation process from the different stakeholder perspectives (including consumer advocates, consumers not as dialed in to the product safety world, retailers, manufacturers, regulators, testing labs and other industry professionals.
By sharing some of the challenges, successes and impacts each stakeholder group faced might better aid us all in how we approach these initiatives in future and possibly identify areas where we can help one another since we all have the same common goal of safer products for all.
Danni Cugini is the Senior Manager of Product Compliance for Harbor Freight Tools, where she oversees product safety and regulatory chemical compliance for a wide range of consumer products. A product safety and compliance professional for over 10 years, Danni was with Barnes & Noble/NOOK... Read More →
CPSC and DOJ have been focusing on companies’ product safety compliance programs (PSCPs) in consent decrees and deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs). But even companies that are not under investigation need a robust PSCP, and this panel, which includes an attorney, a manufacturer and service provider will explain why. Together the panel will discuss the 4 Cs of successful compliance program: Compliance, Communication, Culture, and Continuity. They’ll provide insights into how a company can implement or strengthen its existing PSCP in an effort to maximize the safety of its products and better withstand government scrutiny.
Product safety and public health experts will discuss key issues facing us today: recalls, regulation, consumer behavior, to name a few. Through a interactive discussion, the panel will highlight differences in approaches and ways to measure impact and encourage more collaboration both between stakeholders and jurisdictions.
Nancy Cowles is the Executive Director of Kids In Danger (KID), a nonprofit dedicated to protecting children by fighting for product safety. KID’s mission is to save lives by enhancing transparency and accountability through safer product development, better education and stronger... Read More →
Reminder - 2025 North America Product Safety Training Workshop - June 17, 2025 @ Target Corporation, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
2025 International Symposium, in cooperation with UK's Office for Product Safety and Standards, October 14-15, 2025 and in conjunction with Electrical Safety First, October 16, 2025 at The Mermaid, London, England.
With 15 years’ experience, Chris is recognized as an expert in the recall industry and routinely speaks on best practices at trade shows, conventions, and conferences. Throughout his career, he has managed more than 1,200 recall and in-market remediations, including hundreds for... Read More →
With 15 years’ experience, Chris is recognized as an expert in the recall industry and routinely speaks on best practices at trade shows, conventions, and conferences. Throughout his career, he has managed more than 1,200 recall and in-market remediations, including hundreds for... Read More →
