Isaac Kwebane

PepsiCo, West, East & Central Africa (WECA)

• Spearhead the R&D strategy for foods products across Ethiopia and Nigeria, ensuring innovation unlocks, cost-effectiveness, and alignment with market needs
• Lead the innovation execution of local extruded snacks in Ethiopia and Nigeria, delivering substantial cost advantages and supporting sustainable local production
• Lead Two Project Manager
• Enabling strategic execution and product launches across WECA market
• R&D lead on WECA Merge and Acquisition initiative, focusing on product and process evaluation, action planning and execution to meet PepsiCo standards
• Own and manage budget planning and proper speeding R&D WECA market
• Team capability building

PepsiCo, South Africa

• Key administrative support to the Snr R&D Director for SA & WECA R&D Food and Beverage
• Coordinated key leadership meetings, including town halls and quarterly reviews, supporting senior leaders in managing strategic priorities
• Oversaw portfolio management and KPI tracking, streamlining leadership team initiatives and enhancing organizational alignment
• Manage and host R&D Senior leadership teams visiting South Africa.

PepsiCo, SSA Foods & Beverages

• Integrated 'Quality by Design' in innovation projects, achieving first-time-right product launches
• Partnered with cross-functional teams to ensure all product innovations met safety, stability, and operational standards
• Developed qualification protocols for new technologies, ensuring rigorous testing and efficient handover to supply chain.

PepsiCo, Foods R&D

• Managed Quaker Oats product development for the Nigerian market, supporting the Affordable Nutrition strategy
• Drove the end-to-end product development lifecycle, meeting tight timelines and collaborating with commercial teams to align technical and business priorities.

• Company Overview: Tiger Brands, Grains Division
• Developed formulations and sourced certified raw materials, enhancing product offerings in the pasta, rice, and breakfast categories
• Led consumer research initiatives and ensured packaging compliance, contributing to significant product innovations and brand growth
• Tiger Brands, Grains Division

• Company Overview: Tiger Brands (Grains NPD)
• R&D Support for the Grains Division (Specific to Pasta, Rice and Breakfast)
• Tiger Brands (Grains NPD)

• Company Overview: Tiger Brands (Beverages Division)
• Product Development Support for the Beverage Division
• Tiger Brands (Beverages Division)

• Company Overview: Pioneer Foods (Bokomo Division Moirs Biscuits)
• Pioneer Foods (Bokomo Division Moirs Biscuits)

• Company Overview: Tiger Brands (Beverages Division)
• Tiger Brands (Beverages Division)