Mondelez Names Norberto Chaclin EVP and Chief R&D Officer
Mondelez International has named Norberto Chaclin its EVP and chief research and development officer. In the role, he will oversee enterprise-wide R&D and quality strategy. He will report to CEO Dirk Van de Put.
Chaclin was promoted, having spent nearly seven years with the company and previously serving as its R&D lead for the North America business as well as the global biscuits and baked snacks category. During that time, he helped roll out new innovations and improvements across the portfolio of brands, which include Oreo, Chips Ahoy, LU, Ritz, Club Social, belVita, and Clif Bar. Prior to that, he oversaw R&D for the company’s global gum and candy business.
Also read: Mondelez Says Mindful Snacking on Trend as Consumers Prioritize Health & Wellness
Before Mondelez, Chaclin spent 18 years with PepsiCo across a variety of roles, including head of R&D for the company’s Starbucks partnership and the North America beverages business.
Van de Put said Chaclin was hired for his strong track record of innovation. “I’m confident that he will lead our worldwide R&D organization in strengthening its partnership with our commercial businesses, driving consumer centricity and category growth, and accelerating productivity.”
Mondelez Leans Into Smarter R&D and Marketing
The company’s current product development strategy includes keeping a pulse on existing and emerging shopper trends to “deliver more excitement through new flavors or new pack formats that better fit consumers' lifestyles," according to Lori Herman, consumer insights lead at Mondelez.
It’s a process that aligns R&D and marketing, using both qualitative and quantitative work to understand consumer response to ideas, formats, taste, and texture, said Herman.
Mondelez has also been using generative AI to help its creative teams make smarter, more data-driven decisions that can “more efficiently reach consumers with the most relevant products, flavors, and formats at the right time, in the right setting,” said Van de Put in an earlier statement.
