Auditor Profile

Lance Reeve has truly come full circle in the food industry. He grew up on a cash crop and dairy farm in Nebraska and now works at AIB International as the Director of Food Defense. From an early age, he has been involved in some aspect of the food industry. Reeve graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire with a degree in Environmental and Public Health.

The program covered subjects ranging from food safety and public health to industrial hygiene and environmental issues. “It was good to be introduced to these subject areas because so many of the issues we face in the food industry overlap,” Reeve said.

In the 15 years that Reeve has been employed at AIB, his role has changed quite a bit. He was initially hired as a food safety auditor. After approximately seven years, he started splitting his time between auditing and training.

Then, the events of September 11, 2001, occurred. AIB immediately asked Reeve to help develop a food defense seminar. Since that first seminar nearly 10 years ago, he has led the development of AIB’s Food Defense department.

As the Director of Food Defense for AIB International, Reeve specializes in food safety and food defense training and program development. He co-developed all of the food defense seminars and products that AIB provides across the globe. He has authored articles, technical bulletins, and a book on food safety and defense topics. He is also a certified HACCP instructor through the International HACCP Alliance.

Reeve splits his time at AIB between food safety and food defense training. “It keeps things interesting,” he said. “I can teach a seminar about four-legged intruders one day and then teach about two-legged intruders the next!”

One of the most enjoyable parts of his job is traveling to different companies and seeing how the crops and milk from farms similar to the one he grew up on are used to make the products that end up on our tables.

Throughout his career, Reeve has learned to listen to the experienced people working in the food facilities and be open to change. “When I started 15 years ago, allergens and food defense were of little or no concern, but today they are two of the most significant issues facing the industry,” he said.

From living on a farm to working in the food industry. From starting as an auditor to becoming a department director. From food safety work to an emphasis on food defense. As you can see, Reeve has come full circle in many regards. He is an exceptional educator, and AIB is privileged to have him as a member of our team.