Katie Hernandez

The Future is My Day Job

Katie is an Unreasonable Mentor.

Katie Hernandez is Senior Vice President of Global R&D for H3/H4 Innovation at Mars, leading innovation for the Mars Snacking portfolio. With 26+ years in CPG Innovation + R&D at Quaker Oats, PepsiCo, Wrigley and Mars, she has lead consumer-focused innovation across iconic brands, beginning her career as a packaging engineer and evolving through marketing and R&D leadership roles.

Katie’s broad expertise spans innovation, product and packaging development, with key leadership roles in the U.S., Mexico, and the Americas. She is passionate about uncovering consumer needs, building strong teams, and delivering breakthrough innovations.

Based in Chicago, Katie enjoys yoga as a practitioner and teacher and values health and wellness alongside her family life with her husband Tony and daughter Lola.