CAMDEN, N.J. – Craig Slavtcheff has been named vice president and head of research and development (R&D) at the Campbell Soup Co. In this role, he will be responsible for the company’s entire R&D organization, Campbell Soup said, including strategy, innovation and product development for the company’s divisions, as well as its science and technology, regulatory, nutrition, and culinary team.

Slavtcheff was most recently vice president of R&D for Campbell Snacks and International. Before that, he was vice president of R&D for the Global Biscuits and Snacks division, a role he held since 2015. Slavtcheff joined Campbell Soup in 2012 as global vice president of science, technology and nutrition.

Prior to joining Campbell Soup, Slavtcheff was senior vice president of R&D and quality affairs at Sun Products Corp. and the head of home and personal care R&D for North America at Unilever PLC. Earlier in his career, Slavtcheff was a research scientist at Procter & Gamble.

“Effective research and development is a critical component of Campbell’s focused strategy to leverage our leading brands and market positions in North America,” said Luca Mignini, chief operating officer of Campbell Soup. “Craig is a disciplined and seasoned leader with a strong record of building effective teams that deliver compelling product innovation and drive business results. His more than 30 years of R&D experience in the consumer-packaged goods industry will be instrumental in aligning our innovation efforts against the differentiated portfolio roles of our brands.”

Slavtcheff succeeds Carlos Barroso, who retired from Campbell Soup in August after spending eight years with the company.