Apura Ingredients, a supplier of sweetening and taste solutions for the food and beverage industry, has announced the addition of Leo Aguado as senior business development manager.

As food brands continue to respond to evolving consumer demand for reduced sugar and cleaner labels, Aguado will bring a strong blend of commercial strategy, customer relationship management, and market development experience to support Apura’s expanding portfolio, the company comments. His background across ingredient distribution and specialty food solutions positions him to help customers navigate formulation challenges while unlocking new growth opportunities, the company says.

“Leo brings a customer-first mindset and a deep understanding of how ingredient solutions translate into real-world applications,” says Nancy Hughes, president of Apura Ingredients. “His experience working closely with customers to develop tailored strategies aligns perfectly with Apura’s mission to deliver smarter, more effective sweetening and taste solutions.”

Aguado joins Apura with more than 15 years of experience in sales management within the food and beverage ingredients industry. Most recently, he served as senior account manager at Vibrant Ingredients where he focused on strengthening customer partnerships and driving revenue growth. His prior roles at Treatt and Barentz, both ingredient suppliers, further strengthened his expertise in collaborative sales initiatives, solution-oriented selling, and cross-functional teamwork., Apura says. Aguado is fluent in English and Spanish, bringing valuable perspective to Apura’s growing customer base, the company notes.

In his role at Apura, Aguado will support customers across food, beverage, and nutrition categories, helping them leverage Apura’s portfolio of high-intensity sweeteners, flavor modulators, and de-sugared fruit juice concentrates to meet reduced-sugar, taste, and labeling objectives, Apura finishes.

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