Bio

Background

I studied chemistry at Moscow State University, where I graduated with an MSc with honours in 1993. In 1997 I earned a dual PhD: in Polymer Chemistry from Moscow State University and in Biophysical Chemistry from Nagoya University in Japan. I then joined Lund University in Sweden as a postdoctoral fellow.

In 1999 I moved into the food and beverage industry, where I built my career with global companies including Unilever, Ingredion, IOI Loders Croklaan and Bunge. From 2020 to 2026 I was Director of Central R&D, Quality Assurance, Regulatory and Scientific Affairs at IFFCO Group. In total I bring more than 30 years of experience across 7 countries and 3 continents: 6 years in academic research and more than 27 years in senior roles at global food companies.

What I have delivered

I have a track record in innovation, renovation and value engineering across many food categories, cultures and regions, at every stage of the innovation process: from discovery and proof of principle to scale-up and launch across global networks of factories.

At IFFCO Group, a leading multinational in the Gulf region with annual sales of about US$ 5 billion, I built a group-wide technical excellence ecosystem: ISO-accredited Central R&D, Central Quality Assurance, Group Regulatory Affairs and Group Scientific Affairs.

What drives me

My values are mastery, passion and respect. My strongest passion is developing people: helping them get the most out of themselves and watching them grow. I share Sir Richard Branson’s philosophy: “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to.”

I especially enjoy working with SMEs and start-ups, and supporting young food scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs on their way to becoming effective business leaders.

Publications and presentations

Education and more