Stefan Palzer studied food engineering and marketing. He obtained a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the Technical University of Munich and was appointed Professor for Food and Chemical Engineering by the Universities of Hamburg, Stuttgart, Sheffield, and Copenhagen.  Stefan Palzer joined the Nestlé Group in 2000 and held positions of increasing responsibility in R&D. In 2016, he was appointed Head of Nestlé Research in Lausanne. Stefan Palzer joined the Executive Board of Nestlé S.A. as Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer in January 2018.