Working with company leaders in the Beverage, Food, and Personal Care industries, has been the best experience of my life. It doesn't matter how demanding is for me to travel up and down, in Mexico or Latin America, always it has been super interesting and challenging, every single new project is an adventure!

Learning about new products, new processes and trends, and understanding how to apply new technologies make my everyday work very easy and fun. The interaction with my customers, colleagues, and suppliers gives me the confidence that we will always find a solution for every problem.

After 29 years of working in the beverage, food and pharma industries, I have gained experience in Product Development, Technical Sales, Project Management, Operations, Customer Service, and Corporate Law, and I'm ready for the new challenges I may face in the future.

I've been an ISBT member since 2012, and it was exciting to see that there are many different areas to explore in the Beverage Industry, we can expand our interests and learn more to grow our professional and personal careers. 

This curiosity also involves my personal life in many other activities, at home, with my family and friends. Traveling, reading, listening to music, playing with my cats, riding my bicycle or watching a movie with my husband, make the perfect complement in my life.

Dr. Emilia Rico is a native of Spain. She received her M.S. and Ph.D. in Food Technology and Science with emphasis in food microbiology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN. She has been trained in food mycology by world leading food mycologists. She is the founder, owner, and CEO of BCN Research Laboratories, Inc. in Rockford, TN. She is well known for her expertise in food and beverage spoilage investigation and prevention as well as for expertise in food safety and sanitation. Since 2003, Dr. Emilia Rico has been an active member of the prestigious 20-member International Commission on Food Mycology (ICFM). ). She has co-authored two chapters in the 5^th edition of the Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods (CMMEF, 2015, APHA) ON Heat-resistant Molds and Pet Foods, and has published numerous papers on food and beverage fungal spoilage and methodology.