With innovative products the key to consumer purchases, International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (IFF) has launched a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), made up of five scientific talents in key research and development areas as identified in the company’s global strategic review.

Doug Tough, IFF’s chairman and CEO said, “The addition of this high-quality SAB to our R&D group will help us develop innovative solutions in our flavors and fragrances business and better serve our customers’ needs. We anticipate that it will give us strong competitive advantage not only by tapping into the minds of the board members, but by leveraging their access to a global network of academics, high-level industry members, and their associates.”

The SAB, led by Dr. Ahmet Baydar, senior vice president, R&D, will provide external perspectives on IFF’s R&D programs, raise scientific issues and opportunities relevant to IFF’s business needs, help identify appropriate research partners, provide background in specific areas of expertise, and assist in the identification and development of key R&D personnel.

“I am very pleased at the illustrious and complementary talents that comprise our SAB as they are among the most respected scientists in their areas of expertise in the world. I am looking forward to engaging their fresh ideas and passion for our business and sharing the successful outcomes with our customers,” said Dr. Baydar.

Members of the SAB are:
Steven V. Ley FRS, department head, professor of chemistry, Cambridge University, UK, was made a commander of the British Empire in 2002, is a Fellow of Trinity College, and was president of the Royal Society of Chemistry. With over 50 prestigious awards globally and over 700 publications to his credit, his research is focused on organic chemistry and flow chemistry.

Cheryl Perkins, M.S., president and founder of Innovationedge, LLC and former senior VP and chief innovation officer, Kimberly-Clark, is a global thought leader in consumer products and innovation as well as a creative catalyst in brand-building initiatives that contribute to rewarding consumer experiences and improved business performance. She has been named a “Top 25 Champions of Innovation” by Business Week and has been recognized as a “top executive driving vision” by Consumer Goods Technology.

Thomas D. Sharkey, Ph.D. completed his doctoral studies at Michigan State University and returned to MSU as chair of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He studies volatile hydrocarbons given off by plants, especially isoprene, the root member of the isoprenoid family of compounds.

Leslie Vosshall, Ph.D. trained in biochemistry at Columbia University and received a Ph.D. from The Rockefeller University. She conducted postdoctoral work at Columbia University with Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Richard Axel. She is a molecular neurobiologist and an expert in olfactory receptors and olfactory perception in humans and insects. Her laboratory studies the human sense of smell using olfactory psychophysics combined with genomics. She has won numerous prestigious awards and was named a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator in 2008.

Brian Willis, Ph.D., Former senior VP of R&D and board member Quest Flavors and Fragrances (UK and Netherlands). Early on, he directed research at Fritzsche Dodge & Olcott in New York. At Unilever, he directed Detergents & Household Cleaning Research for North America, and Personal Wash Research worldwide. His focus is on flavors, food ingredients, fragrances, and consumer products.