Chief Scientific Officer at Pepsi Co, Dr Mehmood Khan paid a visit to his alma mater, meeting scientists, academics and Management School students.
Dr Khan (MBChB 1981) attended the University of Liverpool to earn his medical degree and now lives in Chicago, where he is one of the powerbrokers at the major multinational soft drinks firm.
The main purpose of his visit was to deliver a talk at the Management School on the subject of Innovation and Challenge for the Food Industry, but he also took the opportunity to meet academics working in a variety of disciplines; from psychology to plant and microbiology, engineering and environmental science, among others.
After taking a tour of the University’s state of the art laboratory facilities, Dr Khan met with Management School Director, Professor Murray Dalziel and other senior colleagues.
Dr Khan, also Chief Executive Officer at Global Nutrition Group, said: “I have many fond memories of my time at Liverpool so it is wonderful to return to the city and visit my alma mater – the place which contributed immensely to where I am today. It has been amazing to witness the many changes on campus, meet with current Management School students and find out more about some of the current research at the University.”
As PepsiCo’s Chief Scientific Officer, Dr Khan leads the firm’s research and development arm and has overseen an investment expansion, including the recruitment of highly regarded clinical scientists, global health leaders and medical experts, alongside launching research projects at some of the world’s top universities.
His role as CEO of Global Nutrition Group sees him lead an international team of 100 nutrition, medicine, science, marketing, ingredient sourcing and product innovation experts with the aim of expanding PepsiCo’s health and wellness operation.
Prior to his commercial work, Dr Khan was faculty member at Mayo Clinic; Director of the Diabetes, Endocrine and Nutritional Trials Unit at Mayo Medical School, Minnesota and, for nine years, led programmes in diabetes, endocrinology, metabolism and nutrition for Hennepin County Medical Centre in Minneapolis.