Campbell Soup appoints new head of R&D

Slavtcheff replaces Carlos Barroso, who retired from the company last month and will report to Campbell’s chief operating officer, Luca Mignini. 

Campbell Soup has made major structural moves including the divestment of its international operations and C-Fresh food unit​​ late last month. The company announced that the focus going forward will be on its snacks, meals, and beverages in North America ((Campbell Soup, Prego, V8, Pacific Foods, SpaghettiOs, Snack Factory, Kettle Chips, Milano, Lance, Pace, Farmhouse, Goldfish, Pepperidge farm, Snyder’s, Cape Cod, Late July).

As part of his new role as VP of R&D, Slavtcheff will also lead the company’s science and technology, regulatory, nutrition, and culinary teams.

 “Effective research and development is a critical component of Campbell’s focused strategy to leverage our leading brands and market positions in North America,” ​Mignini said.

“His more than 30 years of R&D experience in the consumer-packaged goods industry will be instrumental in aligning our innovation efforts against the differentiated portfolio roles of our brands.”​

Slavtcheff previously served as the vice president of R&D for Campbell snacks and international businesses, and before that, as vice president of R&D for the global biscuits and snacks division from 2012 to 2015.

"Craig is a disciplined and seasoned leader with a strong record of building effective teams that deliver compelling product innovation and drive business results,”​ Mignini said.

In his various R&D leadership positions, Slavtcheff helped develop and launch organic wheat Goldfish crackers, new flavors of Milano cookies, and the new Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse cookies (the company’s most successful launch in more than a decade).