AAK taps Erhan Yildiz as customer innovation director
The new hire previously managed development of new food products at Innophos.
AAK, an ingredient supplier of specialty fats and oils, recently announced Erhan Yildiz, Ph.D., has joined AAK USA, Inc. as customer innovation director. He succeeds Dr. Jeffrey Fine, who retired in early 2026. In his new role, Yildiz will lead the Customer Innovation team to develop forward-thinking fat and oil solutions that meet today’s evolving market demands, AAK says.
“We are pleased to welcome Erhan Yildiz to AAK USA as customer innovation director,” says Octavio Díaz de Leon Carrillo, president Americas, and VP of AAK AB. “Erhan brings a wealth of experience, having held key leadership roles in R&D throughout his career. His depth of expertise, combined with his customer- and solutions-oriented approach, enhances efforts as AAK continues advancing our vision to help manufacturers create food, beverage and nutrition products that are better tasting, healthier, and more sustainable.”
As customer innovation director, Yildiz will lead technical efforts to aim to deliver value-adding fat and oil solutions that combine sustainability with performance. He will also drive co-development projects from concept through commercialization, bridging technical R&D with market demands to support growth across sectors, including food, confectionery, plant-based foods, personal care, and more.
Yildiz joins AAK from Innophos where he managed the development and commercialization of new food products as head of food applications. Over the course of his career, he has held senior leadership roles, including chief commercial officer, head of applications, and advisor. He also spent more than 15 years leading technical services for TIC Gums, an Ingredion company.
He holds a Ph.D. in food science from Rutgers University and conducted postdoctoral work in PMI/chemical engineering at Princeton University. Yildiz has a passion for advancing the field of food science and actively contributes to the next generation of industry professionals by teaching a graduate-level food carbohydrates course at Rutgers University’s food science department as an adjunct professor.
Related: AAK aims to help manufacturers in enrobing applications
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