Craig Slavtcheff joined Campbell in November 2012, as Vice President-Science and Technology, Global Research and Development. He most recently took on the role of Global VP-Baking, Snacks, and International in May of 2015. He currently reports to Luca Mignini, President of the Biscuits & Snacks Division.
Craig leads R&D for the Baking, Snacks, and International Division, which includes lab oversight for the Pepperidge Farm, Arnott’s, and Kjeldsen’s businesses, as well as the International Soup, Sauce, and Beverage businesses. His organization covers sites in North America, Australia, Denmark, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Prior to this role, he led the Global Science and Technology organization within Global R&D. In that capacity, his team drove Campbell's mid- and long-term innovation agenda across our three global categories: packaged Fresh, biscuits and snacks, and Soup/Simple Meals/Beverage. He was also responsible for global Nutrition, Regulatory/Toxicology and analytical sciences. In this capacity, his team identified areas of science relevant to the Campbell business based on consumer insights and macrotrends, and built and executed against a 3-5 year innovation funnel.
Prior to Campbell’s, he was Senior Vice President of Research and Development and Quality Assurance with The Sun Products Corporation, which manufactures laundry detergents and household cleaning products such as All, Wisk, Sunlight, and Snuggle, as well as private label. He oversaw the creation of their Technology Center and staffing of the R&D team, and created and delivered the company’s innovation strategy. He also oversaw the Quality Assurance function, which included five manufacturing plants, suppliers, and co-packers.
Before that, Craig spent 16 years at Unilever in a variety of roles covering the range of upstream Research, Go-To market R&D, and breakthrough innovation groups. His tenure included a 3 year international assignment in Japan as Vice President of Research and Development for Asia, responsible for labs in India, Thailand, China and Japan. His career at Unilever culminated with his role as Vice President of Research and Development, Home and Personal Care in North America.
Craig started his career at Proctor & Gamble, Richardson Vick’s Division as a staff scientist.
Board & Industry memberships:
2009-2012: Board member and executive team member with The American Cleaning Institute
Currently:
Industrial advisory board of The University of Connecticut's chemical engineering department
Scientific and Regulatory Affairs Council for the GMA.
Advisory Board for the American Institute of Baking
Craig has been named as an inventor in more than 100 patents covering a broad range of categories relevant to the Home & Personal Care Industry, including OTC drugs.
Craig earned his B.S. degree, Magna Cum Laude, in chemical engineering from the University of Connecticut.
Title: The Intersection of Real Food and Snacking.
The food industry is experiencing monumental changes in how consumers shop, prepare and consume food, driven by demographic and economic changes and the fusion of health, well-being, and technology. Consumers are seeking fresher, healthier, and naturally functional foods, and their consumption patterns continue to evolve with the persistent shift towards more snacking events vs major meal consumption. Campbell Soup Co. is navigating this sea of change. Our anchor is our company purpose, “Real food that matters for life’s moments.” This purpose, which we declared in 2014, has been a galvanizing driver of culture change at Campbell. It is the North Star that guides our innovation and serves as a filter for our decisions. This is especially important as we consider the fact that a higher percentage of a consumer’s daily consumption is comprised of snacking foods vs traditional meals. The nutritional and experiential components of design of those snacks become critically important to continue winning consumer’s choice.