Sylvain Mermod is an international food innovation leader with nearly a decade of experience driving purpose-led strategies across both corporate and entrepreneurial settings. Currently Group Innovation Manager at Greenyard, a global leader in fresh, frozen, and prepared fruits and vegetables, he leads cross-functional teams in developing sustainable, pure plant solutions across both private label and branded channels, spanning frozen, fresh, and ambient categories. He also oversees Consumer & Market Insights and external innovation partnerships, ensuring a consumer-centric and collaborative approach to growth.

Previously, Sylvain held multiple roles at Unilever across Supply Chain and R&D, most notably at The Vegetarian Butcher, where he led global product innovation and built partnerships with startups and scaleups in alternative proteins. He has also been actively involved in two Swiss-based startups in the functional beverage industry, bringing entrepreneurial agility and wellness-focused innovation to market.

Swiss and Colombian by background and living in the Netherlands, Sylvain is driven by a mission to bring healthier, consumer-centric food solutions to market, using design thinking as a core methodology to guide innovation strategy and execution.