Yousaf Usman

Foods R&D Leader

Dubai

Research Expertise

Research and Development

Innovation Management

Setting up R&D Organization

Setting up R&D Processes

Product Commercialization

New Product Development

About

I am a Research and Development (R&D) and Innovation executive with over 13 years of experience leading product & packaging development, commercialization, and cross-functional project management within the global food and consumer goods industry. My expertise spans Innovation management, Project Commercialization, Strategic R&D planning, Concept-to-Launch execution, Sustainable Packaging initiatives, and Cross-Regional Portfolio Leadership. I have successfully driven growth and transformation at leading multinational organizations, including Unilever and Yum! Brands, across dynamic markets such as MENA, PAKT, CIS, and South Asia. I am known for building high-performing teams, delivering consumer-centric innovations, and driving operational excellence with a unique blend of technical expertise, commercial acumen, and a passion for sustainable and scalable growth.

Experience

Yum! Brands

Sr New Product Development and Renovation Manager MENA CCA / June, 2022 — Present

- Leadership: Lead end-to-end NPD and renovation for 12+ countries (MENA, PAKT, CIS), managing a portfolio of 50+ SKUs across core and new menu. - Innovation Commercialization: Spearheaded the launch of 15+ core menu items, ensuring compliance with brand standards and regional taste preferences based on consumer insights and research, resulting in 7%+ incremental revenue. - Menu Optimization: Designed and simplified existing portfolio by Simplification Tools and Process reducing complexity by 20% which enhances room for more Innovation. - Strategic Leadership: Crafted and created 3 Year Portfolio vision by gathering consumer data and insights, Macro and Micro Consumer trends, existing sales and financial data, prior projects learning in alignment with Global Brand strategies. - Sustainability Initiatives: Piloted sustainable packaging solutions (recyclable/biodegradable materials), cutting plastic usage while maintaining product integrity. - Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partnered with QA, Operations, Supply Chain, and Marketing to streamline the concept-to-launch timeline by 20%, leveraging Project management Tools. - Budget Management: Oversaw annual budget for test kitchens, optimizing resources for R&D and commercialization.

Unilever

R&D Head Foods and Ice Cream / July, 2021 — June, 2022

- R&D Leadership: Led and managed Product, Process and Packaging Development for the Foods and Refreshment Categories across 5 brands with total revenue of above 200 Mn$ - Portfolio Expansion: Directed product and packaging development for Foods and Refreshment, launching Hellmann’s in Pakistan and reformulating local brands to improve cost by 20%. - Cost Savings: Identified alternative ingredients and streamlined formulations, achieving €1M+/year savings without compromising quality. - Team Leadership: Coached and mentored team of 7+ (R&D, Regulatory, CTI), enhancing technical capabilities through training programs and knowledge-sharing frameworks. - Regulatory Compliance: Ensured adherence to FSSC 22000, HACCP, and local regulations, passing 100% of internal and external audits with zero non-conformities. - Budget Management: Managed and budgeted Capex +1 Mn$ for Innovations, Renovation, pilot plants and sustainable packaging Projects for the portfolio.

Manufacturing Manager / May, 2019 — June, 2021

- Production Efficiency: Managed 280+ personnel across ice cream mixing, cone baking, and sauce lines, implementing TPM/Kaizen tools to boost OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) by 5%. - Team Leadership: Coaching and talent management of 12+ Management employees for their performance and individual development plans - CapEx Projects: Led $2M+ capital investments, including the installation of 2 high-speed lines (500 UPM+), increasing production capacity by 10% and reducing labor costs by 5%. - Hygienic Design: Redesigned CIP (Clean-in-Place) systems and plant layouts, improving hygiene scores by 35% and reducing microbial contamination incidents to zero. - Waste Reduction: Introduced real-time monitoring systems for raw material usage, cutting waste by 5%. - Legal and Quality Compliance: Stakeholder managed with government bodies including labour office and regulatory departments for Audits and inspections with zero NCR. - External Collaboration: Signing MoU with TEVTA Institute for partnership on Industrial and Academia collaboration for training and development of Factory employees by TEVTA and students Internship at Factory

Research And Development Manager / January, 2016 — April, 2019

- Innovation Leadership: End to end Innovation Projects, new product development and enhancement of existing products and processes. - Regional Innovation Hub: Supported South Asia and East Asia teams in scaling global products for local markets, contributing to 7% incremental turnover. - VIP Projects: Delivered €500K+/year savings through ingredient optimization, packaging light, and process automation. - Pilot Plant Management: Upgraded pilot facilities with new extrusion and freezing technologies, enabling faster prototyping (30% shorter cycle times). - Capex Projects: Managing all Capex for Innovation Projects, Machine Acceptance Tests and Validation.

Sr Product Developer, Unilever UK / January, 2015 — December, 2015

Crafting new concepts and global products in different segments of Sauces, Clean Label, Chocolate, Ice Cream and Novel product offering with modeling of formulation, process and technical support in regional and global spaces.

Assistant Product Development Manager / April, 2009 — December, 2014

Technical Project Leader for all Innovation Projects through functional excellence and Specification Management system

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