PepsiCo Names New Chief Science Officer

American food and beverage company PepsiCo announced the appointment of Rene Lammers as its new Chief Science Officer on Monday as the current holder of the post, Dr. Mehmood Khan, prepares to retire this month.

“Rene is a proven leader with a strong track record of success, and his vision and oversight of our R&D function will be critically important as we work to build a robust innovation pipeline to support our growth,” PepsiCo’s chairman and chief executive officer, Ramon Laguarta, said in a company press release on the changes. 

Since coming aboard at PepsiCo in 2010, Lammers has occupied a variety of leadership roles in Global Functions, Governance and Compliance, the Global Beverage category, and long-term research. In his most recent position, he led the implementation of an integrated agenda of the firm’s product, process, equipment, and packaging technologies. Lammers also held R&D leadership positions in the CPG industry for 15 years before joining PepsiCo.

Khan plans to remain with PepsiCo after his retirement in an advisory role. During his tenure as Chief Science Officer, he helped the company innovate its products, packaging, and processes and improve quality. The company described him as “instrumental” in assisting the firm to define its sustainability goals.

“I would like to thank Mehmood for his tireless work at PepsiCo over the last decade building our global R&D technologies and capabilities, shaping our sustainability strategy, and recruiting top talent to our team,” said Laguarta. “I appreciate his willingness to stay on as an advisor to me and the company. We wish him all the best in his next chapter.”

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