Maria Velissariou

Dr. Velissariou is a Fortune 100 Research and Development executive with diverse global experience driving vision and strategy, innovation, and advocacy across the value chain in high-impact corporate and nonprofit organizations. Throughout her career she has been strategically focused on translating science and technology opportunities into scalable innovation solutions. She is an advocate for sustainable food systems, science-based policy and funding for food research. Dr. Velissariou is motivated by business value creation combined with human, societal and environmental outcomes.

Dr. Velissariou is founder of Maria Velissariou Consulting LLC, providing expert consulting and advisory services in Food and Beverage and adjacent sectors. She also partners with the Kirchner Group as Managing Director focused on Innovation, Growth and Development.

Prior, Dr. Velissariou served as the Global Corporate R&D Vice President and Chief Science Officer for Mars in McLean, Virginia. She led the function’s enterprise-wide approach for Quality and Science in partnership with the business segments. Key highlights: equipping the R&D function with new digital capabilities to unlock deeper insights and agility to drive innovation, efficiencies, and future-proof the business at scale. She also expanded collaborations with government and Intergovernment Organizations (IGOs).

Before Mars, Dr. Velissariou held several senior leadership positions including Chief Science and Technology Officer at the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), and VP Global Nutrition R&D and VP Quaker Foods North America R&D at PepsiCo. Additionally, Dr. Velissariou served in various roles at Kraft Foods in Europe and USA and Dow Corning Europe.

Dr. Velissariou received a Ph.D. and M.S. in Biochemical Engineering from the University of Birmingham (UK), and a B.E. in Chemical Engineering from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece). She completed the Economics of Mutuality Executive Education at Oxford University and received certifications in Executive Leadership, High-Performance Leadership, and Digital Leadership from Cornell University.

Dr. Velissariou has held various board and advisory positions in diverse organizations in the profit and nonprofit sectors. She is affiliated with Endeavor Global as Mentor and Advisor and is a Steering Committee member of the Nourish Movement. She has been long standing advocate for women in STEM with a focus on the underserved. Under her leadership/sponsorship, Million Women Mentors (MWM) (a signature program of STEMconnector®) was elevated to a top PepsiCo DEI initiative. Women Mentor Award recipient: Million Women Mentors Introduction to Mexico.

Dr. Velissariou is a native of Greece and holds USA and UK citizenship. She currently lives in Washington, DC.