Northern Hemisphere 2026

Mathilde LAURENT

CARTIER, Perfumer and Creative Director

Mathilde Laurent is Perfumer and Creative Director at Cartier, a position she has held since 2005.
Recognised internationally for her rigorous and visionary approach to olfaction, she has contributed to positioning contemporary perfumery at the intersection of art, culture and sensory excellence, in continuity with the heritage and creative ambition of the Maison.

Chef Eugénie BÉZIAT – President of the competition

L’Espadon, RITZ Paris, Chef 1 Michelin Star

By skilfully blending the reminiscences of her African childhood with the Mediterranean influences of her culinary career, Eugénie Béziat offers new credentials to raw materials through her innovative and playful approach at L’Espadon restaurant at the Ritz Paris hotel.

By weaving together the memories of her African childhood with the Mediterranean influences that have shaped her culinary journey, Eugénie Béziat brings fresh credentials to raw ingredients through her innovative and playful cuisine at L’Espadon restaurant, Ritz Paris. Now serving as President of the Southern Hemisphere edition of OLIO NUOVO DAYS, she will be more than ready to chair the upcoming Northern Hemisphere competition.

Florian GUILLOTEAU

RITZ Paris, Director of Sommellerie- President of Nice-Côte d’Azur-Provence Sommelier Association, Nice

Director of Sommellerie at the Ritz Paris and President of the Nice–Côte d’Azur–Provence Sommelier Association. A leading voice in the world of wine and gastronomy,  Florian GUILLOTEAU combines deep expertise with a commitment to promoting excellence and sharing knowledge.

Suzy LE HELLEY

SYMRISE, Perfumer

Suzy Le Helley is a perfumer trained at ISIPCA and the Symrise Perfumery School, where she is now based as a perfumer.
Her work is recognised for its precision, balance and contemporary sensibility, with creations for major international houses and niche fragrance brands, reflecting a refined mastery of olfactory composition.

Benjamin STRAGLIATI

RITZ Paris, Sous-Chef

Benjamin Stragliati is Sous-Chef at Ritz Paris, working alongside Chef Eugénie Béziat at Espadon.
His cuisine reflects a rigorous approach to ingredients, precision in execution and a strong sensitivity to vegetal expression, placing taste, balance and seasonality at the heart of his culinary work.

Marlène STAIGER

Independant Master Blender & Creative Director

Taste designer and creative director, Marlène Staiger has spent more than fifteen years exploring the meeting point between flavour and fragrance. Co-founder of the poetic liqueur brand H.Theoria, she developed its recipes, blends and sensory rituals, approaching liqueurs much like perfumes.

Today, through her studio Poetic Molecules, she collaborates with spirits houses, chefs, designers and perfumers to craft sensory experiences where taste becomes a language, and every blend carries a clear signature and intention.

François-Xavier DELMAS

PALAIS DES THÉS, Fondateur – Président, Paris

François-Xavier Delmas, Founder of Palais des Thés – is joining the jury of Olio Nuovo Days. With decades spent travelling the world to source rare, terroir-driven teas and a deep intimacy with growers and origins, his refined sensibility and passion for taste, terroir and authenticity bring a fresh and complementary perspective to the jury’s sensory panel.

Instagram François-Xavier Delmas

Palais des Thés

Marc-Antoine CORTICCHIATO

PARFUM D’EMPIRE, Founder and Managing Director

Marc-Antoine Corticchiato holds a PhD in analytical chemistry, with a specialization in the study of aromatic plants, and is a graduate of ISIPCA. He is the perfumer and managing director of Parfum d’Empire, the house he founded in 2003.

An independent creator with a deep passion for natural raw materials, he has received several awards from the Fragrance Foundationand the Accademia del Profumo, for fragrances created both for his own house and for other brands.

Sarah BOUASSE

Journalist, specialist in perfume and olfactory culture

Journalist,specialist in perfume and olfactory culture

Sarah Bouasse is a journalist, author and translator specializing in perfume and olfactory culture. She writes regularly for NEZ, the olfactory magazine, where she served as deputy editor-in-chief for four years.

In 2024, she published Par le bout du nez, une histoire intime des odeurs (Calmann-Lévy), exploring the intimate and cultural dimensions of smell. She also coordinated Manuel d’éveil olfactif pour petits et grands (Éditions NEZ), a pioneering work dedicated to the transmission of olfactory awareness.

Committed to restoring olfaction to its rightful place in our relationship with the world, she brings to the jury a sensitive and deeply cultural perspective on taste and perception.

Kostas LIRIS, President of the jury and Panel Leader

Agronomist, Olive oil consultant and Miller, Kalamata, Greece

Kostas Liris, agronomist and miller based in Kalamata, Greece, is a renowned teacher of oleology who shares his expertise worldwide — from Paris to London, and from New York to San Francisco. A respected tasting panel leader, he also serves as a jury member at major international competitions in cities such as New York, Tokyo, Athens, and Hamburg.

Nicolangelo MARSICANI, Panel leader

Frantoio Marsicani, Master Miller, Campania, Italy

Gabriel LEPOUSEZ PhD

INSTITUT PASTEUR, Perception & Memory lab, Department of Neurosciences, Paris

Gabriel Lepousez is a French neuroscientist and international expert on the brain circuits that govern sensory perception, memory, emotions, and brain–body communication. Beyond his research, he shares his deep knowledge of how the brain engages during wine and food tasting with both professionals and enthusiasts. He contributes to academic courses, international conferences, wine education programs, and specialized publications. Gabriel also serves on the tasting committee of La Revue du Vin de France and is a member of both the Académie du Vin de France and the Académie Amorim.

 Christophe LAVELLE PhD

CNRS, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, Paris

Christophe Lavelle is a biophysicist, researcher at the CNRS (the French center for scientific research) and co-founder of the Food 2.0 LAB. Passionate about food and the relationship between art and science, he teaches in many institutions such as the universities of Paris VI, Paris VII, Cergy-Pontoise, Aix-Marseille, Lyon, Lille, Toulouse, SupBioTech Paris and Le Cordon Bleu Paris. Lavelle will be the scientific support to Olio Nuovo Days jury members.

Alexandra Paris

FRANCE OLIVE, Head of communication and promotion office, Nyons, France

Alexandra is one of the most influent French women in olive oil. Head of communication of the French interprofessional organisation FRANCE OLIVE, she is in charge of the promotion and also of all the regulations on the French and European market. Born in Provence, she was raised in the tradition of extra olive oil. Due to her professional activity she is aware of all the news and trends, she is also a professional olive oil taster.

Aida LAZZEZ

Researcher, Phd, Olive Oil consultant, Tunisia

Olive-oil researcher and chemist based at the Olive Tree Institute in Sfax, Tunisia. Dr Lazzez brings advanced expertise in quality improvement and authentication of extra virgin olive oil. She is jury member in International Olive Oil Competitions.

Mirella Žanetić, PhD

Olive Oil Expert & VOO Sensory Panel Leader, Croatia

With over 25 years dedicated to the sensory analysis of virgin olive oil (VOO), Mirella Žanetić holds an IOC diploma for tasting VOO and table olives. Based at the Institute for Adriatic Cultures in Split (Croatia), she leads VOO quality-control analyses and serves as a seasoned judge in numerous national and international competitions.

Her work focuses on the authenticity and quality of VOO from autochthonous cultivars, particularly bioactive and volatile compounds that define health benefits and organoleptic character. She also shares her expertise through tastings, seminars and workshops for producers, consumers, teachers and students alike.

Alexis SCHULTZ

EPICES ET TOUT Founder and general manager, Houdan, France

Alexis Schultz is the founder of Épice et Tout in Houdan, a specialty store dedicated to high-quality spices, olive oils, and fine artisanal products.
With a strong sensory and product-driven approach, he bridges terroir, craftsmanship, and everyday culinary use, bringing a grounded and discerning perspective to the Olio Nuovo Days jury.

Valentine MANUEL

Perfume Expert, Paris

Trained as a perfumer, is passionate about the olfactory and sensory realms.

For over ten years, Valentine has blended sensitivity and creativity to conceive olfactory experiences — from curated scent projects to perfume-making workshops — that awaken the senses, surprise and inspire.

She also joined the team behind the very first tastings organised by Olio Nuovo Days a decade ago, helping to introduce consumers to olive oil through a perfume-inspired approach, thus helping to restore to olive oil the dignity and noble status it deserved.

Cécile le Galliard

Olive Oil Expert and Trainer, Toulouse, France

French olive oil expert, web journalist, and consultant specializing in extra virgin olive oil. After studying communication, she trained in sensory analysis at the University of Jaén, supported by the International Olive Council. She is the founder of Jus d’Olive, a widely read blog dedicated to olive oil culture, and works on projects ranging from oil cellar design to tastings, trainings, and international juries. She also plays a key role in LHOVE, the French network of olive oil professionals, where she contributes to knowledge-sharing and promoting excellence.

@cecilelegalliard

Hirac GURDEN

CNRS, Research Director in neuroscience, Paris

Research Director in neuroscience at CNRS and lecturer in neuroscience at Paris Cité University. Gurden’s work explores how the brain represents odors and examines interactions between olfaction and eating behaviours. An olfactory-rehabilitation protocol was developed in collaboration with the association Anosmie.org. Guest on major media outlets such as TMC, Arte, France Inter, and RFI to discuss advances in the science of smell and the brain. Author of Smelling: How Odors Affect Our Brain (Les Arènes) and co-author of The Great Book of Perfume (Nez).

Octave DE GAULLE, President of the DESIGN competition

SPADE, Paris, France

Octave de Gaulle, designer and founder of Paris-based agency SPADE, creates objects and environments for human life in space, balancing technical demands with sensory and cultural needs. A member of the IAF Space Habitat Committee, he now brings his visionary approach to his role as President of the Design Competition.

Antoine de MACEDO

Horlogerie ADM, Paris, France

Founder of ADM Horloger, watchmaker, specialist in collector’s watches established for 30 years rue Madame, rive gauche, Paris. Passionate about EVOO and extra virgin olive oil producer in Portugal.

Victor REBOLLO

Writer and Graphic Designer, Paris

Freelance writer, graphic and web designer, Victor Rebollo discovered the world of communications at Publicis Consultants.

Today, Victor is work working in particular with players in the classical music for whom he translates the auditory experience of classical music into a visual one.

A graduate of HEC Paris, he also holds a master’s degree in innovation management from the École Polytechnique de Paris, a bachelor’s degree in Modern Literature and a master’s degree in General and Comparative Literature.

… And Victor is now involved in olive oil with the design of OLIO NUOVO DAYS’ new graphic charter.

Manuel João VERISSIMO DA COSTA LEITE

TEAM PORTUGAL, Condeixa-a-Velha, Coimbra

First time in our jury for Manuel João VERISSIMO DA COSTA LEITE born 28.07.2015

Coached by Marije VAN DEN BOOGAARD – PASSEITE

Matilda SLEEUW PASSOS DA COSTA

TEAM PORTUGAL, Condeixa-a-Velha, Coimbra

Second participation for Matilda born on January 25, 2016

She is coached by her mother, olive oil producer and olive oil Marije VAN DEN BOOGAARD – PASSEITE

Laszlo PERROTIN

TEAM FRANCE

Second time with the OLIVE KIDS AWARDS for Laszlo born on March 19, 2017.

Laszlo loves to blend olive oil, he is coached by her mother, the socialite Lorena Vergani who loves to gather people and trends.

Lourenço Maria LOPES

TEAM PORTUGAL, Condeixa-a-Velha, Coimbra

First participation for Lourenço Maria LOPES, born June 11, 2011

Coached by Marije VAN DEN BOOGAARD – PASSEITE

Braulio PEREIRA

TEAM PORTUGAL, Condeixa-a-Velha, Coimbra

Second participation for Braulio born on May 24, 2013.

As you can see on that picture, he is working very seriously – as all our jury member- to score his samples on OLIVE KIDS AWARDS tasting notebook.

Braulio is coached by Marije VAN DEN BOOGAARD – PASSEITE olive oil producer

Rita EL GUERRAB

TEAM FRANCE, Paris

Second participation for Rita born on May, 5, 2012.

Her big brother Issa is also in the jury.

Kids are very serious when it comes to taste and score.

Rita is coached by her mother Yasmine SEGHIRATE EL GUERRAB.

Odisseas MAVRANEZOULIS

TEAM GREECE, Messinia

3rd participation for Odisseas born on January 1, 2012.

Odisseas and his bother Iasonas are coached by their father Achilleas MAVRANEZOULIS and mother Evgenia ANDRIOPOULOU, olive oil producers with MAKARIA TERRA.

Iasonas MAVRANEZOULIS

TEAM GREECE, Messinia

3rd participation for Iasonas born on June 14, 2016.

Iasonas and his bother Odisseas are coached by their father Achilleas MAVRANEZOULIS and mother Evgenia ANDRIOPOULOU, olive oil producers with MAKARIA TERRA.

Roch PÂRIS

TEAM SPAIN, Madrid

2 nd participation for Roch born on March, 18, 2014

His little sister Mathilde will join him for this new edition

Coached by his father Tanguy PÂRIS.

Mathilde PÂRIS

TEAM SPAIN, Madrid