10 chief innovation officers
Chief innovation officers at Mastercard, Experian, Diageo, Beyond Meat, AkzoNobel, Owens Corning, Signify, Osotspa, Mauna Kea Technologies and BigBear.ai make up this group, and four held R&D titles at the same company ahead of or alongside the innovation role. Others' earlier titles include fraud and identity business head, global brand head, chief scientific officer and interim CTO, useful when deciding whether innovation sits with R&D, a business unit or technology.
Professionals to explore
Dariush Ajami
LinkedInExperience: Chief Innovation Officer · Beyond Meat
As Chief Innovation Officer at Beyond Meat since 2018, Dariush Ajami has executive accountability for global R&D, innovation strategy and platform science across North America, Europe and Asia. Ajami held Vice President Research And Development (2017–2018), Director of Research Development (2016–2017) and Director of Chemistry (2015–2016) there, and was Assistant Professor of Molecular Assembly at Scripps Research (2008–2015), a fit for science-led innovation questions.
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David Williams
LinkedInExperience: Chief Innovation Officer · AkzoNobel
David Williams has been Chief Innovation Officer at AkzoNobel since July 2022, after R&D Director Marine & Protective Coatings (2018–2022). Williams was also R&D Director Marine Coatings at International Paint Ltd., AkzoNobel (2015–2017) and Manager - M&PC Technology Centre at International Paint Ltd. (2012–2014), which suits questions on moving from a business R&D director role into a company-wide innovation role.
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Francois Lacombe
LinkedInExperience: Chief Innovation Officer · Mauna Kea Technologies
Astrophysicist at Observatoire de Paris | PSL from 1988 to 2005, Francois Lacombe has been Chief Innovation Officer at Mauna Kea Technologies since 2014 and was Chief Scientific Officer there (2005–2014). That makes Lacombe a fit for questions on moving from a chief scientific role into innovation at a medical equipment company.
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James McLaughlin
LinkedInExperience: Chief Innovation Officer · BigBear.ai
BigBear.ai's Chief Innovation Officer since May 2026, James McLaughlin held Interim Chief Technology Officer (2025–2026) and SVP Technology Solutions (2024–2026) there. McLaughlin was Chief Technology Officer at PANGIAM, a BigBear.ai Company (2022–2024) and CBP Deputy CIO, Chief Software Officer (SES) at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (2021–2022), which suits questions on moving from a CTO seat into an innovation role.
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Jose Luis Mendez-Andino
LinkedInExperience: Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer · Owens Corning
Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer at Owens Corning since December 2025, Jose Luis Mendez-Andino also held Executive Vice President and Chief Research & Development Officer there (2021–2026). Mendez-Andino's earlier Owens Corning titles include Vice President Research and Development, Insulation and Roofing (2019–2021) and Vice President Research and Development, Insulation (2015–2019), a fit for questions on R&D-led innovation in insulation and roofing.
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Kathleen Peters
LinkedInExperience: Chief Innovation Officer · Experian
From SVP, Head of Fraud and Identity Business (2018–2020), Kathleen Peters moved into Chief Innovation Officer at Experian in July 2020. Peters was also SVP Product Management, Global Fraud & ID at Experian (2015–2018) and VP Business Development at The 41st Parameter (2013–2015), which suits questions on taking an innovation role from a product and business line background.
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Ken Moore
LinkedInExperience: Chief Innovation Officer · Mastercard
Ken Moore has been Chief Innovation Officer at Mastercard since 2016, a member of its management committee who leads the Mastercard Foundry organization, responsible for the innovation agenda including incubating new products and services and bringing them to market. Moore was Head of Citi Innovation Labs at Citi (2008–2016) and is an Expert in Residence at Harvard Innovation Labs, a fit for questions on incubating products inside an established company.
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Mark Sandys
LinkedInExperience: Chief Innovation Officer · Diageo
Mark Sandys has been Chief Innovation Officer at Diageo since July 2022, after Global Head of Beer, Baileys & Smirnoff (2016–2022) and Global Head of Beer & Baileys (2014–2016). Sandys also held Category Director, Whisky & Reserve, Asia Pacific (2011–2014) and Marketing & Innovation Director, Russia & Eastern Europe (2008–2011), which makes Sandys a fit for questions on brand-led innovation in drinks.
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Olivia Ronghong Qiu
LinkedInExperience: Former Chief Innovation Officer - Signify (formerly Philips Lighting) · Signify
Since 2013, Olivia Ronghong Qiu has held Chief Innovation Officer - Signify (formerly Philips Lighting), a title that also appears as Chief Innovation Officer, Philips Lighting at Philips (2013–2018), and paired it with Head of Global System Business (2017) and Market Group Leader - Greater China (2014). Qiu was also an Independent Board Director, Member of Committees at Renault Group (2016–2020), a fit for questions on pairing an innovation role with business and regional leadership.
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William Leo
LinkedInExperience: Chief Innovation Officer · Osotspa Public Company Limited
Based in Bangkok, William Leo has been Chief Innovation Officer at Osotspa Public Company Limited since 2023, responsible for a team delivering R&D (formulation, processing and packaging), Quality and Innovation program management, after Head of R&D there (2020–2023). At Unilever, Leo was GLOBAL R&D DIRECTOR - Supply Chain Transformation, Foods & Refreshment (2018–2019) and GLOBAL R&D DIRECTOR - New Business Systems, Beverages (2014–2018), useful for questions on putting R&D, quality and innovation under one leader.
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Choose the right perspective
If innovation will sit with R&D, Dariush Ajami, David Williams, Jose Luis Mendez-Andino and William Leo held R&D titles alongside or ahead of the innovation role. Ken Moore is the closest match for incubating new products inside a company, Kathleen Peters and Mark Sandys for innovation that grows out of a business line or brands, Olivia Ronghong Qiu for pairing it with business and regional leadership, and Francois Lacombe and James McLaughlin for science- and technology-led innovation.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01Should a chief innovation officer own the R&D budget, or set direction while business units fund the work?
- 02Which metrics show an innovation pipeline is producing launches rather than pilots that never ship?
- 03How should an innovation team hand a new product to the business unit that will sell it?
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.