Juan Antonio León

• Led R&D strategy across LATAM (Mexico and Colombia), managing a team of 10 scientists/engineers and a $1.2MM USD budget, aligning innovation with business objectives.
• Delivered ~$2MM USD annual revenue growth through product innovation, new business development, and customer-centric solutions.
• Supported Tier 1 global customers (Colgate, Henkel, P&G, L’Oréal, Unilever), collaborating on regional and global innovation initiatives.
• Acted as a technical-commercial leader, translating customer and market needs into scalable product solutions.
• Led cross-functional execution across R&D, commercial, operations, and QC, including product optimization and consumer issue resolution.
• Supported LATAM plants (Matamoros, Ecatepec, Manizales) in implementation, process optimization, and continuous improvement.
• Reported to VP of Product Development & Quality and Regional GM LATAM, contributing to strategic discussions and regional decision-making as part of the extended leadership team.
• Developed and coached regional teams, building capabilities and fostering a high-performance culture focused on innovation, execution, and business impact.

Key Responsibilities:

• Led R&D activities across LATAM for Nonwoven, Advanced Packaging, and Durable Goods business units, managing a team of 10 scientists/engineers and an $800K USD budget.
• Generated ~$1MM USD annual revenue growth through innovation and customer-driven solutions.
• Partnered with commercial teams to align product development with market needs and growth opportunities.
• Acted as a technical interface with customers, translating application needs into development strategies and enabling commercialization.
• Led cross-functional teams to deliver projects from concept to launch.
• Reported to VP of Product Development and Regional GM LATAM, supporting regional strategy and execution.

Progressed through multiple R&D roles across LATAM and global scopes within a leading FMCG organization, building strong expertise in product development, innovation, and regulatory.

Key roles include:
R&D Manager Jr. – Global Product Development
Senior Scientist – Global Technology Center
Regional Researcher – LATAM Technology Center
Early roles in Quality Control and Regulatory Affairs.

Key Achievements:

• Led a global strategic initiative to optimize the dishwashing category across US, EU, and LATAM, delivering ~$6MM USD annual margin improvement, while contributing to broader initiatives generating ~$10MM USD total business impact.
• Delivered 20+ successful product launches across Personal Care and Home Care categories.
• Partnered with Marketing and Consumer Insights to translate consumer needs into product strategies and innovations.
• Led focus groups, in-home visits, and consumer testing, embedding consumer-centricity into development processes.
• Applied DOE and statistical tools (Minitab, JMP) to optimize formulations and accelerate development timelines.
• Translated consumer and technical insights into business decisions and commercialization strategies.
• Operated within regional and global frameworks, contributing to multi-market initiatives and maintaining regular interaction with senior stakeholders.