Nilesh B. Karava

Dynamic leader with extensive experience in Food & Beverage industry, specializing in transformational innovation and sustainability initiatives. Demonstrated success in building high-performing teams and achieving operational excellence through strategic projects such as a long-term milk supply strategy and capacity expansion. Proficient in regulatory compliance and stakeholder management, ensuring quality and safety throughout the product development lifecycle. Aspirations include leveraging expertise to drive further advancements in sustainability practices within the industry.

• Board of Directors, Agriculture Future of America (AFA), Kansas City, KS.
• Coca-Cola NA (CCNA) +1 award for excellence in Innovation and New Value Creation, 05/01/20.
• CCNA ovation award, 11/01/19.
• Selected to represent technical team to Multicultural EDGE program, 2018.
• Certified Expert and Advanced Level Thermal Processer at The Coca-Cola Company (via NC State University), 2017.
• Six Sigma Green Belt certified, 2016.
• Research Assistant, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA, 2005-2007.
• Manjula Bagmal Scholarship for an outstanding academic performance, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India, 2000-2001, 2001-2002, 2002-2003 & 2003-2004.

• Member, Institute of Food Technologists, Chicago IL. Also, member, NE-IFT & SE-IFT and India chapters.
• Member, International Dairy Foods Association, Chicago, IL.

• U.S. & International Patent - Enhanced hydration beverages with improved taste, 63322736, TCCC.
• U.S. & International Patent - Fast hydration formulations and methods, 81370909, TCCC.
• U.S. & International Patent - Systems and methods for bottling still flavored water, 81348756, TCCC.
• U.S. Patent - Stable creatine beverages, 62/890,722, TCCC.
• U.S. Patent - A Process for Spray Drying Botanical Food, 61/560,467, Decas Cranberry Products Inc.
• International Patent - A Process for Spray Drying Botanical Food, PCT/US2012/041291, Decas Cranberry Products.
• Karava N. B. and Mahoney R.R. Heating chicken breast muscle reduces the amount of dialyzable iron after extraction and digestion. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2011 Oct 19; 22007597.
• Karava N. B. and Mahoney R.R. 'Lyophilization decreases the formation of dialyzable iron by extraction and digestion of chicken breast muscle', Inl J Food Sci Nutr. 62(4), 2011.
• Karava N.B. Shinde R. M. and Mahoney R. R. Production of dialyzable iron during In vitro digestion and extraction of mycoprotein, Food Chem, 03(074), 2007.
• 'Effect of cooking on iron bioavailability of chicken muscle in-vitro', a research poster presented at The Institute of Food Technology (IFT) Annual Meeting and Food Expo, Chicago, IL, USA, July 2007.
• 'Production of dialyzable iron during In vitro digestion and extraction of mycoprotein', a research poster presented at The Institute of Food Technology (IFT) Annual Meeting and Food Expo, Orlando, FL, USA, June 2006.

• Currently leading fairlife Technical, Innovation and Stewardship team across US and Canada to generate value for the business through product, packaging and technology innovations, procurement, manufacturing capacity expansion, quality & sustainability and addressing media adversaries through legal and PACs teams.
• Technical governance lead for the fairlife business, which is over $3bn in revenue with widespread manufacutring operations.
• Serving as Board of Directors and representing The Coca-Cola Company on Agriculture Future of America's board.
• Led a global technical team to expand the smartwater, vitaminwater, PowerAde and AHA product's portfolio in multiple markets across Europe, Asia, and Latin America that rsulted in multi-million $ revenue for the portfolio.
• Played a pivotal role from technical perspective in TCCC's initial investment and full acquisition of Body Armor brand.
• Designed, developed, patented, and commercially implemented a novel process that challenged industry norms to manufacture still flavored beverages in collaboration with cross-functional technical team. The process provides best in class taste profile of still flavored water beverages and is first of a kind in-market.
• Led a cross-functional technical team to launch a new sparkling water brand AHA from inception to flawless commercialization. AHA entered a highly competitive & crowded market, gaining 10% share in first year.
• Played a pivotal technical lead role in Simply brand expansion into reduced sugar juices and plant based beverages.
• Designed, developed and patented the formulation to stabilize creatine in RTD sports beverage with a six-month shelf life. This is first low pH RTD beverage containing stable form of creatine in the industry.
• Led a team to launch alkaline and antioxidant platform for smartwater brand in record five months from concept to commercialization. This was first ever expansion of the brand since its inception and adopted globally, resulting in making smartwater a billion dollar brand.
• Led a R&D team to integrate acquisition of VEB brands (Hubert's, Hansen's, Blue Sky etc.) into TCCC system by reformulating and reducing the ingredient COGS.
• Designed, developed, and patented a process to manufacture a spray dried botanical food.
• Worked in collaboration with universities, medical centers, and researchers to design clinical trial protocols to showcase efficacy of company's newly developed products.