
Ms CAO Yong-Mei, serves as the managing director of the manufacturing and R&D group of Want Want Group. Ms. Cao holds the title of professorate senior engineer. Ms. Cao graduated from Jiangnan University with a doctoral degree in food science. She also holds a master’s degree in business administration from the W.P Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. Ms. Cao is responsible for facilitating sustainable development and talent pool of the Group’s manufacturing organization, quality assurances, equipment and R&D team.
Ms. Cao is the director of our technology center, which is certifified as Shanghai Municipal Enterprise Technology Center, executive director of the Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology (“CIFST”) and vice president of Snack Foods Processing Technology Society of CIFST, executive director of Probiotics Branch of CIFST, Vice Chairman of the Shanghai Society of Food Science, director of Baked Food and Sugar Products Committee of the Shanghai Society of Food Science, vice president of Shanghai Food Association, director of Shanghai Light Industry Technology Association, credentialing specialist of China Engineering Education Accreditation Association, rotating presidency of executive board of the Seven-Star Convention Alliance and vicechair of the steering committee member of Global Food Safety Initiative China Local Group. Simultaneously serving as the enterprise mentor at two institutions: One is Enterprise Mentor for Professional Doctoral Students at East China University of Science and Technology, the other is Industry Mentor for Professional Master’s Students at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
In the food industry, fewer than 5% of new products succeed despite heavy investment. As price competition intensifies, innovation is key—but how can it be brought to market faster and more reliably? How can promising products win the “last mile” of launch? Packaging and supply chain capabilities play a critical role.
This session brings together 15+ brand packaging leaders and 15+ equipment and packaging suppliers to explore key factors across the development process, from R&D to collaboration models—identifying what drives speed and success in product launches.
Brands will gain clearer strategies for supply chain collaboration, while suppliers will better understand brand needs and market dynamics. By breaking silos and reshaping partnerships, the industry can move from isolated optimization to true co-creation, improving the success rate of new products.
