Dr. Maria Velissariou is the Founder and CEO of Maria Velissariou Consulting LLC, a consulting agency focused on the intersection of Food, Climate, and Health supporting circularity solutions globally. With over 25 years of experience in R&D, manufacturing, and procurement, Maria has held key roles at leading companies across Europe and the USA, including PepsiCo, Kraft Foods, and Dow Corning. Most recently, as Vice President of Global Nutrition R&D at PepsiCo, she led initiatives that enhanced product offerings and reinforced commitments to nutrition and sustainability.

Maria’s educational experience set her up for success in her future career. She earned a Ph.D. and a Master’s in Biochemical Engineering from the University of Birmingham (U.K.), a B.Eng. in Chemical Engineering from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and completed executive leadership training at Cornell University. 

As a passionate advocate for STEM and diversity, Maria also served on the Chicago Council for Science and Technology (C2ST) board and was instrumental in founding the PepsiCo STEM Executive Council. She has championed programs like Million Women Mentors (MWM), which inspire future generations of women in science. A respected thought leader, she has presented at numerous conferences and has been featured in media outlets like The Wall Street Journal and Axios.