Appointment brings new CTO’s 30 years of scientific and technical expertise to the company’s fast-growing global food business
CJ Foods, a business unit of South Korea-based CJ CheilJedang, announced that it has appointed Dr. Gregory Yep (aged 57), former head of the R&D center at International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF), as the new CTO of its Global Food R&D division.
Yep comes to CJ Foods with an extensive 30+ year career in R&D. He began his career at McCormick in 1993 after earning his doctorate in organic chemistry from Johns Hopkins University. Over the past three decades, he served in various R&D roles at several well-established F&B companies, such as PepsiCo and IFF.
Yep’s preeminent scientific and technical expertise is closely aligned with CJ Foods’ key strategic goals, such as GSP (Global Strategic Product) scale-up, global territory expansion, and identification of white space opportunities. The company is excited about the contributions Yep will bring to executing these strategies to accelerate global growth, for example in CJ’s push for product innovations that cater to ever-evolving consumer needs. Yep also has a strong commitment to sustainability, with an emphasis on carbon footprint reduction through sustainable packaging development, manufacturing processes and supply chain management. He also plans to leverage collaborations with other research institutes, experts, and partners, creating synergies that facilitate CJ Foods’ development of a truly global R&D organization and setting CJ Foods further apart from competitors.
“We’re delighted that someone of Greg’s caliber is joining CJ Foods to contribute to our vision of becoming a global leader in food,” said Minsok Pak, CEO of CJ Foods. “Our leading Korean food products under the bibigo brand are already beloved by consumers all over the world, and we are excited about the leadership that Greg will provide in our efforts to create a world-class R&D organization.”
Before joining CJ, Yep was the Chief Research & Development, Global Integrated Solutions and Sustainability Officer at IFF, a leading technology and ingredients company based in New York. During his career, he developed distinctive expertise and know-how that span beyond food, including beverage, health, bioscience, and fragrance. Armed with both R&D expertise and insightful business acumen, Yep has earned a reputation as an astute strategist for his pivotal role in delivering business expansion and globalization as CTO. For example, while at PepsiCo, he led the innovation of Gatorade Sports Science Institute to shift the brand’s value proposition from a thirst quencher to a healthy sports drink, successfully revitalizing the brand and its business performance. His deep insights and understanding of consumer goods, shaped by his extensive experiences across various roles in both B2B (IFF) and B2C (PepsiCo), have spurred innovation at every R&D organization he has led.
