UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe announces new President: Natalia Filipposyants

UNESDA, the European trade association representing the soft drinks industry, announced the appointment of Natalia Filipposyants, Senior Vice-President and General Manager at PepsiCo International Beverages, Europe, as the new President of the association. Her two-year term takes effect immediately.

Upon her appointment, Ms Filipposyants stated: “I am honoured to take on the role of President of UNESDA and lead the soft drinks sector in strengthening recognition of ist role and value for Europe. Our industry supports more than 1.8 million jobs and generates €242 billion in revenue across agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, retail and hospitality, contributing significantly to local economies across Europe.

As a sector, soft drinks are part of everyday consumption occasions across Europe, and we are operating in a context where expectations are evolving rapidly and economic and regulatory pressures are high. Consumers are increasingly focused on broadening choices, transparency, functionality and environmental impact, and this is reshaping how our sector innovates, communicates and invests. In response, we are accelerating transformation, with a growing portfolio of low and no sugar options and continued investment in sustainability, responsible business practices and product innovation that meets changing consumer needs without compromising on taste, quality or enjoyment.’’

Ms Filipposyants added: ‘’I am fully committed to working with all our members and EU stakeholders. It is my ambition that, through UNESDA, we keep working in constructive partnership with policymakers and other key partners to deliver measurable impact and ensure a stable and supportive EU regulatory and market environment that enables our sector to evolve and continue to support jobs, investment and innovation for a more competitive, sustainable Europe.”

Nicholas Hodac, director general of UNESDA, commented: ‘’I warmly welcome Natalia as our new President. Under her leadership and together with our closely connected membership, we will continue to demonstrate the active role of our sector in supporting balanced beverage choices and driving innovation, sustainable growth, and prosperity for Europe.’’

‘’Finally, I want to sincerely thank our former President, Andrew McMillin, for his strong commitment and the important contribution he has made to advancing our sector’s priorities and strengthening our focus on innovation, growth and regulatory simplification as a new EU mandate was getting underway’’, concluded Mr. Hodac.