Yashna Harjani

Resilient & self-driven strategic nutrition leader with extensive food & beverage industry, consultancy & startup experience. Passionate about improving human health with nutrition-centric functional innovations. Have worked on a diverse portfolio of food & beverage products, in different regions in the Asia, Middle East & North Africa sector.

Expert at chalking out science-based claims & communications; research road maps to match product pipeline & driving an external activation & advocacy strategy. Skilled communicator & collaborator. Commercially savvy, with a strong business acumen & ability to work cross-functionally & cross-culturally, to successfully deliver the business agenda.

• Nutrition Innovation Expert: Collaborated cross functionally to define product design, development & benefit communication of a wide portfolio of nutrition-centric food & beverage innovations, across a cohort range from children to adults, while ensuring a foundation of sound science; multi-country regulatory compliance (for nutrient-ingredient levels, claims & communication); alignment with consumer nutrient-dietary gaps, health status, & trends; WHO-driven sustainability agenda, external headwinds & competitor landscape. 
• Strategic Research Lead: Collaborated with internal & external experts to define study design; & guide clinical trial protocols, with the end goal to deliver credible claims & communication messages. Reviewed nutrient-ingredient (esp. functional ingredient) science & nutrient-dietary gaps, to identify nutrients-ingredients that best support a range of food & beverage concepts.
• External Science-Based Advocacy Lead:  Well versed with the external regulatory landscape. Represented the organization at key scientific, professional society, trade organization & industry forums, to define and deliver the organizations global & local external agenda e.g., low-calorie sweetener safety & healthier portfolio benefit advocacy; or petition against nutrition regulations, positions & policies, in collaboration with internal stakeholders, industry leads, scientific authorities & regulators. 
• Nutrition Capability Building: Collaborated with the global team to develop a nutrition-capability building program, for cross functional teams working on the nutrition-focused portfolio. 
• Commercially Savvy with Consultancy & Start-up Experience & Ability To Wear Many Hats In A Fast-Paced Environment: With food & beverage industry, start-up & consultancy experience, the work has been cross functional, fast-paced & required the wearing of a holistic business hat from concept to execution, including sales & online marketing, people management & administration. 
• Excellent Written, Verbal & Communication skills: Have successfully presented at internal & external forums; & am a prolific writer & communicator. 
• Exceptional Interpersonal Skills: Networked, partnered & developed effective working relationships with a culturally diverse group of cross-functional internal & external stakeholders. 
• Experienced Team Leader & People Manager: Provided strategic direction, day-to-day leadership, coaching, mentoring, & training to a nutrition science team based in different locations. 

Have a Bachelors Degree in Nutrition; Post Graduate Diploma in Dietetics; & a Masters Degree in Health Communications.