Benjamin van Auken

About Benjamin van Auken

I\'ve spent more than 20 years doing one thing well: turning bold ideas into products people actually choose on the shelf.As Senior R&D Director at The Campbell\'s Company, I lead innovation for the Snacks division and Design-to-Value (DtV) across both Snacks and Meals & Beverages—a portfolio spanning Goldfish, Pepperidge Farm, Snyder\'s of Hanover, Kettle Brand, Cape Cod, and Campbell\'s Chunky, Rao\'s, and iconic Red & White condensed soups.My work sits at the intersection of consumer insight, food science, and commercial execution. I partner closely with senior leadership to ensure R&D isn\'t just a support function—but a true growth engine, driving value through innovation, cost discipline, and scalable execution.What I\'ve built over my career- High-performing R&D organizations that move fast without sacrificing rigor- Innovation pipelines grounded in real consumer understanding, not trend-chasing- Process and product engineering capabilities that bridge the lab and the plant floor- Durable cross-functional alignment across Marketing, Supply Chain, and OperationsBefore Campbell\'s, I led technical project management at The Clorox Company across brands like Kingsford, Hidden Valley Ranch, and Soy Vay. I spent over five years at Pepperidge Farm developing and commercializing consumer innovations, and began my career at General Mills building deep expertise in encapsulation, high-pressure extrusion, and strategic food technologies across RTE cereal, yogurt, fruit snacks, and baking mixes.At heart, I\'m a builder—of products, teams, and capabilities. I\'m most energized when R&D has a seat at the strategy table and is directly shaping the business\'s future.If you\'re working on innovation, R&D strategy, or food science challenges in the CPG space, I\'d welcome the connection.

Experience

1. Sr R & d Director of Snacks Innovation and Enterprise Design to Value (Dtv)

   The Campbell's Company

   Sep 2025 — Present

   Oversee the front-of-funnel innovation pipeline, building an insights-driven new consumer product from concept through stage-gate.Lead Campbell’s Snacks innovation strategy and enterprise R&D Design-to-Value (DtV) program.Partner with divisional commercial leadership to align R&D investment with strategic growth priorities and portfolio architecture.Architect and drive framework to deliver cost optimization and reformulation wins across a multi-site manufacturing network.Lead enterprise R&D career talent strategy

Education

• University of St. Thomas

  BA, Liberal Arts and Pre-Engineering Core

• University of Minnesota

  BS, Chemical Engineering