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Stefan Palzer

Stefan Palzer

Executive Vice President
Chief Technology Officer

 


As Chief Technology Officer, Stefan Palzer leads Nestlé's R&D activities to deliver nutritious, healthy, sustainable and affordable food and beverage innovation globally. He and his teams are focused on exploring cutting-edge science and technology across Nestlé's value chain, accelerating innovation and scientific breakthroughs, and bringing relevant product innovations to market rapidly.

Stefan joined Nestlé in 2000 at the R&D center for food in Kemptthal, Switzerland. From 2003 he held positions of increasing responsibility, and led Nestlé's confectionary R&D in York, UK between 2010 and 2013. He became R&D Director for Nestlé's beverage businesses that year, then head of Nestlé's research organization in 2016, before taking up his current position in January 2018.

After studying Food Technology at the Technical University of Munich, Germany, Stefan obtained a PhD in Process Engineering and a qualification as Professor from the same University. He holds an MBA in Marketing from the University of Hagen, Germany. Today, Stefan is Associate Professor in Food Science and Technology at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, Honorary Professor in Food Technology at the University of Stuttgart-Hohenheim in Germany, Professor in Process Engineering at the University of Hamburg, Germany, and Visiting Professor in Chemical Engineering at the University of Sheffield, UK. He is also member of the university councils of Hohenheim and Hamburg.

Stefan is a member of the Executive Board of the European Academy of Food Engineering (2014-), and the Advisory Board for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Studies at EPFL, Switzerland (2015-). Since 2020, Stefan has been Vice President of the Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley, a public-private initiative to develop, strengthen and promote food innovation in Switzerland and beyond. Stefan has been a member of the Advisory Board of Merck KGaA in Germany since April 2024.

Throughout his career, Stefan has won many awards and accolades. In 2015, he was made an Ambassador at the University of Hamburg. In 2018, he became a Fellow of the International Union of Food Science & Technology (IUFOST).

Date of birth: 1969
Nationality: German
Languages: German, English, French
Other: Married, 2 children

Career

  • January 2018 Executive Vice President Nestlé S.A., Chief Technology Officer
  • 2016 Head Nestlé Research Center, Nestlé S.A.
  • 2013 Global R&D Director Strategic Business Unit Beverages, Nestlé S.A.
  • 2010 Managing Director Nestlé Product Technology Centre for Confectionery, Nestlé UK
  • 2007 Department Head Food Science & Technology and Manager of Food Science & Technology Expert Networks, Nestlé Research Center, Nestlé S.A.
  • 2006 Manager Technology Group, Nestlé Product Technology Centre for Culinary, Nestlé Germany
  • 2003 Team Leader, Nestlé Product Technology Centre for Culinary, Nestlé Germany
  • 2000 Project Manager, Nestlé Product Technology Centre for Culinary, Nestlé Switzerland

Education

  • Professor Process Engineering - Technical University Hamburg (DE)
  • Honorary Professor Food Technology - University of Stuttgart-Hohenheim (DE)
  • Visiting Professor Chemical Engineering - The University of Sheffield (UK)
  • Habilitation/venia legendi Process Engineering - Technical University Munich (DE)
  • MBA/Industrial Engineer; focus Marketing - University Hagen (DE)
  • PhD Process Engineering - Technical University Munich (DE)
  • Dipl.-Ing./M.Sc. Food Technology - Technical University Munich (DE)
  • Apprenticeship beverage industry

Mandates

  • Advisory Board, member, Merck KGaA Germany (since 2024)
  • Vice President, Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley (since 2020)
  • Executive Board of European Academy of Food Engineering (since 2014)

Past Mandates

  • Advisory Board for Competence Cluster Nutritional Research Berlin-Potsdam NutriAct (2014-2020)
  • Advisory Board for Chemistry & Chemical Engineering studies - École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (since 2015/16)
  • Counsel of Association Française des Chimistes, Ingénieurs et Cadres des Industries Agricoles et Alimentaires (2014-2017)
  • Chairman of the Board of the European Master in Food Technology (2007-2013)
  • Counsel of Association Française des Chimistes, Ingénieurs et Cadres des Industries Agricoles et Alimentaires (2014-2017)
  • Chairman of the Board of the European Master in Food Technology (2007-2013)
  • Scientific committee of Research Association German Food Industry (2006-2010)
  • Board of Working Party on Agglom. - European Federation of Chemical Engineering (2009-2017)
  • Scientific Committees of German society for process & chemical engineering (2006-2016)

Awards

  • Nestlé Fellow (2015)
  • Ambassador University Hamburg (2015)
  • Delegate Future Leaders Forum, Davos (2002)
  • Award for best dissertation - Association of Milk Scientists and Food Technology (1997)
  • DECHEMA Student Award - German Soc. For Chem. & Biotechn. (1997)
  • Max Kettner Award for best final grades - Technical University of Munich (1995)
  • 5 scholarships - Technical University of Munich (1994, 1994/95, 1995, 1995/96, 1996)
  • Award for best A-levels - German Chemical Industry Fonds (1987)

Images

The following photos are available for download. Click on the image to open in Flickr.