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WWW.AOAC.ORG
301.924.7077
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2017
10:30AM – 12:00PM
Wamwari Waichungo, Ph.D.,
Vice President, Scientific & Regulatory Affairs, The Coca-Cola Company
There are many challenges and opportunities facing the food and beverage industry, including management of a global
supply chain, and meeting consumers’ demand for transparency and instantaneous information in the digital and
social media era. Dr. Wamwari Waichungo will share how The Coca-Cola Company is adapting to match scientific rigor
with a new need for speed and public engagement.
While the need for safe, quality food and beverages is universal, not every region has the same technical resources.
AOAC members are uniquely positioned to close this gap through greater capacity building and outreach. Drawing on
her own personal experiences in Africa and The Coca-Cola Company’s actions around the world, Dr. Waichungo will
invite AOAC members to realize the full power of their potential to change the world. AOAC members are in a
position to ensure all communities benefit from safe, quality food.
ABOUT DR. WAMWARI WAICHUNGO
Dr. Wamwari Waichungo is the Vice President responsible for Global Scientific & Regulatory Affairs for
The Coca-Cola Company. In April 2014, the Board of Directors elected Dr. Waichungo as an officer of
The Coca-Cola Company. Dr. Waichungo leads The Coca-Cola Company’s efforts to evaluate and substantiate
the safety and efficacy of ingredients, products and packaging. Her team is responsible for ensuring the regulatory
compliance of all ingredients, products, packaging, claims and communication in more than 200 countries.
Dr. Waichungo was born and raised in Kenya. She joined The Coca-Cola Company in 2000 as Strategic Marketing
Manager in the Northern African Division based in Nairobi, Kenya. She subsequently held positions of increasing
responsibility including Strategy & Planning Director, Nigeria & Equatorial Africa Business Unit (based in Lagos,
Nigeria); Chief of Staff to Africa Group President (based in Windsor, United Kingdom); Strategy & Business Planning
Director for the North & West Africa Business Unit (based in Cairo, Egypt); and Strategy, Planning & Insights Director
in the South Africa Business unit (based in Johannesburg, South Africa). Prior to joining The Coca-Cola Company,
Wamwari held product and consumer research roles at ConAgra Foods and Campbell Soup Company.
Dr. Waichungo holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics from Montclair State University and an MSc
and Ph.D. in Food Science from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She has also attended the Program for Leadership
Development at Harvard Business School, is a member of the President’s Club at Montclair State University and is a
distinguished fellow of the Monticello Society at the University of Missouri-Colombia.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Refreshing the World:
How The Coca-Cola Company Ensures Quality and
Safety More than 1.9 Billion Servings Every Day