Sofia Fernandez

Biography

I am a Food R&D and Product Technology leader with 15+ years of experience in the food and confectionery industries. Throughout my career, I have worked across innovation, product development, productivity, and commercialization, bringing together consumer insights, technical expertise, and cross-functional collaboration to turn ideas into successful products. At Ferrero North America, I provide technical leadership across the Ferrero Mainstream Chocolate, Fannie May, and PowerCrunch portfolios. I work closely with teams across Marketing, Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, Quality, and Consumer Insights, as well as suppliers and external manufacturing partners. I also have the privilege of leading and developing R&D team members, which has become one of the most rewarding parts of my role. Before joining Ferrero, I spent nearly ten years at PepsiCo, supporting the Quaker portfolio and global breakthrough innovation initiatives. My career has allowed me to collaborate with diverse teams across several countries, contribute to meaningful business growth and cost-saving initiatives, and become a named inventor on a U.S. patent for glazed baked snack products. I hold a degree in Food Engineering from Tecnológico de Monterrey. I am passionate about developing people, learning from different perspectives, and creating an environment where collaboration and innovation can thrive.