Bell Flavors & Fragrances has promoted several team members at the company’s headquarters in Northbrook, Ill. They include:
Khalid Akel - VP of ManufacturingAkel has over 20 years of experience in the food flavors operations management. Most recently, he was director of operations, responsible for the Northbrook facility. Akel has held several senior management and engineering positions in the flavor industry such as plant manager, director of operations and vice president of supply chain and operations. In his new role, Akel is responsible for production, engineering and maintenance, purchasing, food safety and quality. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois, Chicago.
Noreen Lally - VP of Global RegulatoryLally joined Bell Flavors & Fragrances in 2010 as director of regulatory affairs and has been instrumental in establishing new policies, developing new programs and high-level decisions on behalf of Bell. Noreen has over 25 years’ experience in the flavor and fragrance industry. She also worked at Wrigley Gum after graduating from college. She holds a bachelor’s degree in physics; bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a master’s degree in chemistry, as well as a certification from Michigan State University in international regulatory affairs.
Chris Warsow - Director of Culinary Applications, Corporate Executive ChefWarsow joined Bell Flavors & Fragrances in 2007 and has served as Bell’s Research Chef. Warsow has driven Bell’s culinary platform at Bell by working closely with his team and many customers to develop new technologies and push the growth in this category.
Warsow has been a chef for the industry’s ingredient side for the last 15 years after spending almost a decade in the restaurant industry. Chris holds an AAS in Culinary Arts from Schoolcraft College, as well as a BS and MS in food science from Michigan State University. His graduate studies concentrated on muscle food microbiology and meat processing.
Currently, Warsow operates and leads Bell’s Culinary Center which is an incubator for culinary-driven product development. He has designed and built Bell’s Culinary Center by helping to improve its presence as a leading flavor supplier. He has also help to facilitate Bell’s culinary immersion programs and improved savory offerings through a culinary approach.
Robert Barrera - Flavors, Sr. Principle Technical Scientist Barrera joined Bell Flavors & Fragrances in 1986. He has served in roles from compounder to scientist to mentor using his experience and expertise with Flavorology, an interactive course used to educate consumers. Most recently, he served in the position of Sr. Director Technical Services. He will continue to work closely with Bell’s global teams, procurement and raw materials, troubleshooting with operations and regulatory to keep Bell’s business growing.
Robert Schmehil - Project ManagerSchmehil joined Bell Flavors & Fragrances in 2015, most recently serving in the position of flavor lab manager. He graduated in 2011 from Illinois State University with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences. Schmehil is certified in HACCP.
