Simon Bird

Bird built his career over more than 12 years across the Chemical and Biotech sectors. He began as a production engineer in the UK specialty chemical industry, with a focus on process optimisation, before moving into commercial roles across Europe with Dow Chemical and DuPont. Originally from the Channel Islands, he has long been motivated by a passion for resource conservation and simplicity.

This interest led him to take on the Regional Lead role for Europe & Middle East within IFF’s Food Enzymes business, before being appointed to the Global Business Director role in 2023. He has since been promoted to his current position as VP, Food & Beverage Biosciences — a role that reflects IFF’s broader strategic consolidation of its biosciences capabilities.

His background in legacy DuPont and Danisco enzyme businesses gives him rare institutional depth: IFF’s food enzyme portfolio has its roots in Danisco/DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences, which IFF acquired in a landmark $26 billion merger in 2021. Bird is one of the leaders who carried that heritage forward.

Bird is a commercially astute, technically grounded leader who has helped reframe food enzymes from a niche processing aid into a strategic pillar of sustainable food manufacturing. His progression from production engineer to global VP at one of the world’s largest ingredient companies reflects a blend of scientific credibility, commercial acumen, and a clear sustainability-driven narrative. He is well-positioned as a thought leader for audiences in bakery, food ingredients, clean label strategy, and bioscience-led food innovation.