Manuel Ortega

Manuel Ortega is an accomplished professional in the food industry with extensive experience in research and development (R&D). Currently serving as Vice President of R&D at Bob Evans Farms, Inc. since November 2021, Ortega previously held the same title at Hostess Brands from February 2020 to November 2021 and at Jack Link's Protein Snacks from June 2017 to February 2020. Prior roles include Director of Innovation at FOCUS Brands and Director of Food Innovation & Technology & QA at KFC Latin America & Caribbean. Ortega's career began at Yum! Restaurants International, where various titles were held, including Director and Senior Manager of Food Innovation and Technology. Additional experience includes a tenure as Senior Scientist at General Mills and Associate Food Technologist at Kraft Foods Group. Ortega holds a Master of Science in Food Science from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña.