Imran Afzal

Imran Afzal serves as Chief Executive Officer of the National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC), where he leads its strategic mission to accelerate sustainable protein innovation across the United Kingdom. With more than 25 years of experience in research and development and open innovation within the food industry, Imran has held senior roles at PepsiCo-where he directed R&D open innovation strategy and innovation programmes across Europe, similarly at Mondelez and managed private label brands at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Asda.

He is also the founder of Worth The Squeeze Ltd., a consultancy dedicated to advising start-ups and global food enterprises on strategic growth and innovation.

Renowned for cultivating high-impact collaborations across academia, industry, and policy, Imran has spearheaded hundreds of successful product launches and transformative partnerships. Under his leadership, NAPIC is advancing scalable, future-focused protein solutions by connecting cutting-edge research with practical implementation to reshape global food systems.