Roberto Salas
Verified Expert in Management Consulting
Management Consulting Expert
Princeton, United States
Toptal member since June 3, 2026
Roberto is a consumer insights leader with over 15 years of experience in transforming market, sensory, and behavioral data into actionable strategies. His expertise spans syndicated data platforms, AI tools, and foresight methodologies, with notable work at International Flavors & Fragrances and Danone México. Helping brands to innovate through front-end innovation, he scaled consumer intelligence globally, increasing adoption and reducing insight turnaround time by 50%.
Expertise
- Consumer Insights
- Customer Insights
- Descriptive Analysis
- Market Segmentation
- Qualitative Research
- Quantitative Research
- Sensory Analysis
- Statistics
Work Experience
Data Intelligence Lead, Global Consumer Intelligence – Taste
International Flavors & Fragrances
- Integrated syndicated, digital, and proprietary research to detect early consumer behavior shifts and emerging trends across global markets and CPG categories, directly informing consumer-centric growth and innovation strategies.
- Translated complex data into compelling narratives through executive storytelling, workshops, and insight activations, driving decision-making across customers and cross-functional stakeholders.
- Led and mentored regional research teams to deepen understanding of consumer segmentation and consumption occasions, unlocking market opportunities through product renovation, innovation, and differentiated positioning across multiple categories.
- Leveraged generative AI extensively for Design Thinking, insight synthesis, concept ideation, and rapid product and experience prototyping, accelerating innovation workflows and decision speed.
- Scaled and democratized consumer intelligence to an audience of 50+ stakeholders globally by deploying AI-enabled insight platforms and hands-on innovation workshops, increasing adoption and reducing insight turnaround time by 50%.
- Led the development of a comprehensive insights program using social media data and primary research on GLP-1 consumers, activating the insights and culminating in a successful industry-facing webinar resulting in a pipeline growth of over 10%.
Research Fellow, Global Sensory and Consumer Insights (SCI) – Nourish
International Flavors & Fragrances
- Designed and led research frameworks to evaluate proprietary taste and texture technologies, assessing sensory performance and consumer value across categories to support innovation pipelines.
- Delivered evidence-based insights from primary research and syndicated data sources, articulating technical rationale and consumer relevance to align and influence R&D, innovation, and commercial teams.
- Applied design of experiments DOE to optimize ingredient performance and applied multivariate statistical analytics to link formulation changes with sensory effects and consumer preference.
- Pioneered digital and advanced analytics, along with qualitative and quantitative methodologies for insight discovery and foresight, expanding predictive capabilities and improving research productivity by 30%.
- Led global consumer and sensory insight initiatives supporting the launch of three major technology platforms, generating a pipeline exceeding $10 million in sales within the first three years, further differentiating key global customers’ brands.
Principal Researcher, Global Sensory and Consumer Insights – Flavors
International Flavors & Fragrances
- Directed multi-regional strategic research programs and delivered front-end innovation insights for key global customers, meeting commercial objectives.
- Mentored regional teams on best-in-class sensory and consumer research methodologies, enabling deeper insights into product experiences across need states and consumer segments.
- Delivered insights that enabled the launch of new SKUs for three major brands, adding over $5 million to the business and strengthening the company’s position as the partner of choice.
Zone Leader, Sensory and Consumer Behavior (SBS) – Dairy, LATAM
Danone México
- Integrated consumer and sensory feedback into early-stage development by collaborating cross-functionally with marketing, market research, purchasing, suppliers, and R&D to drive innovation, renovation, productivity, and nutritional improvement.
- Spearheaded early consumer insight strategy for the launch of Greek yogurt (Oikos) in Mexico, contributing to the achievement of 10% market share within the first year.
- Led sensory and consumer research to accelerate product development, strengthen methodologies, and build regional capabilities, reducing development cycle time by more than 25%.
- Delivered three high-impact strategic projects in one year, differentiating leading yogurt brands through preference mapping, quality standard optimization, and rapid experimental design.
Education
Master's Degree in Food Science
Kansas State University - Manhattan, KS, USA
Bachelor's Degree in Food Engineering
ITESM - Monterrey, Mexico
Certifications
Creative Problem Solving Facilitator
Susan Newhouse and Associates LLC
Diploma in Strategic Marketing and Market Segmentation
Strategic Management International
Diploma in Marketing
Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM)
International Trade and Marketing, Minor
Kansas State University
Skills
Data & Analysis Software
Tableau
Other
Qualtrics, Statistics, Sensory Analysis, Consumer Behavior, Mentorship & Coaching, Consumer Insights, Descriptive Analysis, Need States, Jobs to be Done (JTBD), Creative Problem Solving, Market Segmentation, Qualitative Research, Quantitative Research, Design Thinking, JMP, XLSTAT, Marketing, Team Leadership, Data Research, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Team Building, Insight activation, Creative Design, Innovation, Future Studies, Design of Experiments (DOE), Multivariate Statistical Modeling, Brand Building, Ideation Workshops, Business, Customer Segmentation, Compusense, Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), Customer Insights, Food Engineering, Foodtech, Large Language Models (LLMs), Capability Build-out, Research, Technical Design, Process Innovation, Innovation Strategy, Flavor Perception, Microsoft, AI Tools
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