By Leslie Krowchenko, Special
Ever notice how the mixed berry essence of your favorite soft drink, candy, or breakfast cereal tastes just like eating a bowl of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries?
Credit Dr. Menexia Tsoubeli for replicating the flavor.
Tsoubeli is the Vice President of Creation & Innovation North America for dsm-firmenich, an international ingredients company. She is responsible for flavor creation operations across beverages, sweet goods, and savory products, as well as implementing global innovation.
“My job has so many different components and is fascinating because it is so broad,” she said. “Understanding how things work, the science behind them, is captivating.”
Born in Greece, Tsoubeli was raised in a family that recognized the significance of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) years before it became a popular acronym. Her mother, Aspasia Tsoubeli, instilled in her daughters the value of education for women; her uncle, Vasilis Georgopoulos, introduced her to math, piquing her interest by turning problem-solving into a game.
“My mother always spoke about the ‘golden bracelet’ as a metaphor for education,” she said. “She knew we would have many roles, as spouses, parents, and providers for our families, and wanted to set us up for success and independence.”
Tsoubeli began her studies in her native land, earning a B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 1988 from the National Technical University of Athens. She and her future husband, Dion Vlachos, moved to the United States to further their educations; she attended the University of Minnesota, earning an M.S. in Food Science and Nutrition in 1990 and a Ph.D. in Food Science four years later.
Although her advanced degrees included the “S” word, her left-brain focus did not crowd her right-brain interests. Tsoubeli was attracted to food as a combination of science and art; like Apicius, the first-century Roman gourmand who coined the phrase “We eat first with our eyes,” she understood the allure of the visual composition on the plate.
“Food is, in a sense, our universal language, providing nourishment and connection. In Greece, it is an especially dynamic sector,” she said. “What we eat can have an impact on our community, and food science combined all the elements I was looking for.”
Post-grad, the couple moved to Amherst, Mass; he to start his academic career at the University of Massachusetts, and she as a research scientist for the US Army Natick Labs. Her work included advanced development of hurdle technology (combining various bacteria-inhibiting or bacteria-killing factors to achieve a safe product with acceptable shelf life, flavor, and consistency) and microwave sterilization, creating shelf-stable, tasty “on-the-go” sandwich-type items.
“The Army has an extensive food program centering on shelf life under extreme conditions,” she said. “Our soldiers need to be prepared, but they don’t want to eat it if it doesn’t taste good.”
After four years with MREs, Tsoubeli moved to tomato soup, beginning a 20-year tenure with the Campbell Soup Company in 1999. As a food technologist, she developed different products, including the creamy tomato formula that has become an iconic brand. Knowing first-hand that it can sometimes be challenging to encourage children to try new foods, she also delivered Kids Innovation, combining nutrition with fun and interactivity.
Her menu expanded as she climbed the Campbell corporate ladder. She and her teams were responsible for leading product development across multiple brands (condensed, Chunky, Select Harvest and Slow Kettle soups; Swanson and V8). They also developed innovative packaging to sterilize and wrap food and implemented improvements across product development to increase consistency, efficiency, and speed to market.
In 2017, Tsoubeli was named Vice President of R&D for Campbell Fresh, a division including Bolthouse Farms juices, carrots, and salad dressings; Garden Fresh dips and tortilla chips; and Campbell’s own refrigerated soups. She designed, built, and led an innovative team of technical talent, launching natural, plant-based, energy, and fresh meals and establishing a strong link to science and technology.
“Serving as the head of R&D was one of the highlights of my career at Campbell’s,” she said. “We put together different acquisitions and created a cohesive team. We brought significant innovation to market.”
The leadership role also allowed Tsoubeli to grow personally and professionally as both a mentee and mentor. Although she was one of the few women who ascended to the VP level, she had a role model in Denise Morrison, who served as President and CEO from 2011-2018. Tsoubeli encouraged women in the company, offering chances for growth and committing to giving back to support their careers.
“One of my big passions is to develop and mentor people, especially women who continue to face different challenges in the workplace. We have made significant progress, but there is so much yet to be done,” she said. “Sharing with younger women has given me a great deal of satisfaction.”
Desiring to explore new ventures, Tsoubeli joined dsm-firmenich in 2019. In a diversion from R&D, she served as VP of Savory NA, developing business strategy with an emphasis on progressing the plant-based portfolio and building a diversified customer base. She returned to her food science roots in April 2023, developing flavor creations and implementing global innovation in North America.
Tsoubeli is also involved with the company’s Flavorist Academy, a two-year training program to advance the art and science of flavor creation while meeting the demand for foods and beverages that are healthier, more delicious, and better for people and the planet.
“What I enjoy the most is when business, art, and science meet, and this role is exactly that for me. I also have the opportunity to work with some of the most brilliant creators, which is refreshing,” she said. “It is also about navigating new frontiers such as the development and utilization of AI-based methods to formulate new products. Continuous discovery and adaptation are what makes science so rewarding.”
Tsoubeli has held many posts, but she most appreciates her role as “mother.” She and Vlachos, a professor at the University of Delaware, have two adult children. Their son, Mino, heads his own leadership and coaching company; their daughter, Elli, is a child psychologist.
“Of all my titles, being their mom is the most important one to me,” she said. “Watching my children grow to become great people who have a positive impact on the world fills me with pride every day.”
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