Sofia Ehlde, Executive Vice President Food Innovation, is the global lead of innovation at Oatly – the world’s original and largest oat drink company. She has been a key person at Oatly throughout the company’s journey, since the early years in the late 90’s.

After a MSc degree in Food Engineering from Lund University, Sofia explored early-stage food technology innovation with a small research start-up company in Lund, before joining a management trainee programme at Nestlé Sweden. After five years at Nestlé, mainly focusing on R&D within the field of food nutrition, Sofia was recruited to the start-up company in Lund that was to become Oatly.

Being part of building Oatly from a start-up to a global company – with products now available in more than 30 countries - Sofia has gained a broad experience within various fields of the business. Not only within innovation and R&D, but also production and operations management. Sofia is passionate about empowering the plant-based revolution through food innovation. By creating and providing great tasting, healthy and sustainable food products, she, like everyone at Oatly, wants to make the shift to a more sustainable and healthier lifestyle easy and attractive for people.