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Executive Interview Series |
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An industry such as ours doesn't just appear, it
evolves over time. Guiding this evolution and ensuring our future
success are key individuals and organizations with vision, energy,
charisma and leadership qualities that stretch the boundaries of what is
possible.
The NPIcenter Executive Interview Series,
conducted by Suzanne Shelton (www.SheltonGroupPR.com)
will introduce you to some of them, in a Q and A style and in scope
covering various channels, sectors and roles.
We welcome suggestions for future coverage.
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 Suzanne Shelton
Suzanne
Shelton, president of The Shelton Group
(www.SheltonGroupPR.com)
, a boutique PR firm in
Chicago, has worked with international and domestic ingredient
suppliers, associations and manufacturers since 1988. Ms. Shelton
assists clients far beyond a traditional PR role by alerting them to
regulatory issues, market sensibilities, industry issues and practices
as well as facilitated networking. Her extensive network is a result of
active participation on boards and association committees, frequent
speaking appearances at tradeshows and a commitment to the natural
products industry. |
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 Executive Interview: Q&A with Jane Drinkwalter
[2009/10/23] [By Suzanne Shelton]
Jane Drinkwalter began her career in the natural products industry in 1973 as a manager of a natural foods store. She expanded her sales career as a broker, manufacturer and eventually sales executive. She helped establish Vitamer Labs as the industry leader of private label supplements for the natural products industry. Jane has been with Vitamer Labs since 1988 and founded VitaCeutical Labs in 1996. She has served as Treasurer and Supply Chair on the National Board for the Natural Products Association.
|  Executive Interview: Q&A with David Seckman
[08/04/2009] [By Suzanne Shelton]
David Seckman, Executive Director and CEO of the Natural Products Association from May 15, 2000 to July 31, 2009, took that association, and the industry, to a whole new level in a number of ways. His acumen on Capitol Hill in particular has been invaluable. Because of his reluctance to blow his own horn, or let anyone else do it for him, most people have no idea of the ways in which we have all benefited from David’s talents, experience and hard work. He will be a difficult act to follow, and we will miss him very much. So on behalf of the industry - David, thank you!
|  Executive Interviews: Q&A with Karl Riedel
[2009/05/28] [By Suzanne Shelton]
It was a shock for the entire industry when Solgar’s Rand Skolnick passed away last July, leaving many to wonder what the future would hold for the company he had led. Bringing in Karl Riedel is as president in October was viewed as a brilliant move by the 62-year old dietary supplement company, and confirmed that the company would continue as an industry leader.
|  Executive Interviews: Q&A with Danny Wells
[2008/08/25] [By Suzanne Shelton]
Introduced into the business working at his parent's health food store in 1960, Danny Wells is a natural products industry veteran of over 40 years. Although he has experience as a retailer, manufacturer and distributor, he is best known as an internationally respected retail consultant. Danny shares with us the perspectives drawn from his nearly 50 years in the industry, and some well informed advice.
|  Executive Interviews: Q&A with Beth Lambert, CEO, Herbalist & Alchemist
[2008/02/11] [By Suzanne Shelton]
The herbal sector of the industry has a number of notable women whose long-term commitment and expertise along with their inclusive and consensus-building management styles have significantly impacted the growth and development of the botanical product category. One of the women in this sector has one way or another had impact on every herbal product manufacturer through her extensive work with AHPA as well as the example set by her boutique herbal company, Herbalist & Alchemist. You may not know Beth Lambert, but you should.
|  Executive Interviews: Q&A with Tracy Taylor, Natural Products Association & Natural Products Foundation
[2007/10/29] [By Suzanne Shelton]
Tracy Taylor has very quietly become one of the people having a significant impact on the natural products industry with the big picture programs that she is helping to design and execute. Her numerous concurrent hats include Senior Vice President of Public Affairs & Strategic Initiatives for the Natural Products Association, she oversees grassroots efforts for the Coalition to Preserve DSHEA, and most recently she has been named Executive Director for the Natural Products Foundation.
|  Executive Interview: Q&A with Jeff Katke, Co-Founder, CEO and Chairman of the Board, Metagenics
[2007/09/17] [By Suzanne Shelton]
The practitioner channel is one of the fastest growing channels of nutraceuticals sales, and no one knows it like Jeff Katke, whose company Metagenics has the premier line of supplements used by practitioners. The company’s significant investment in research coupled with its extensive education program has put the new science of nutragenomics on the map with health professionals.
|  Executive Interview: Q&A with Jack Martin, Partner, Walker Martin and Hatch
[2007/07/11] [By Suzanne Shelton]
Jack Martin became one of the principal lobbyists for the dietary supplements industry after a stint with FDA and as a staff member for Senator Orrin Hatch. As one of the people actually involved in the passage of DSHEA, and still representing our interests on Capital Hill, his recollections of the past and his advice on the present and future are singularly well informed.
|  Executive Interview: Q&A with Harvey Kamil, President and CFO, NBTY
[2007/05/14] [By Suzanne Shelton]
Harvey Kamil, President and CFO, who has been with NBTY since 1982, was named President in January 2002. The company which he helped build is now by far the largest supplement manufacturer, operating internationally and with subsidiaries in every channel through which supplements are sold. The company wields tremendous influence, and buying power. Through all the company’s growth and acquisition Mr. Kamil has stayed personally involved in many areas of industry. He is currently a board member of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, the Coalition to Preserve DSHEA and the Natural Products Association (formerly NNFA).
|  Executive Interview: Q&A with Michael McGuffin president of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA)
[2007/02/19] [By Suzanne Shelton]
Michael McGuffin, president of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), has been active in the herbal industry since 1974. He began with a retail store and evolved into herbal product manufacturing when he started McZand Herbal with Janet Zand. By playing a number of roles in the herbal products industry, he has a unique perspective on a very specific area of the supplements industry. As AHPA celebrates its 25th Anniversary this year, we made use of Michael’s frequent flights between Washington DC and California to get his perspective on current issues.
|  Executive Interview: Q&A with Phil Vigeant, President and co-owner, Reliance Private Label Vitamins
[2007/01/08] [By Suzanne Shelton]
The rapidly growing Private Label supplements category is changing, with the focus beginning to shift from the traditional low end ”me too” offerings PL always implied to high quality, innovative products. We don’t often hear from these manufacturers, as their role is typically behind the scenes, and yet they represent a significant category. Reliance Vitamins is an interesting case study in that their focus on products with branded ingredients and on product innovation is starting to impact the entire category. Additionally, Reliance is unusual in the level of their involvement in industry advocacy vis a vis the size of the company. We recently sat down with co-owner Phil Vigeant to take a look at this category in general and Reliance Vitamins in particular.
|  Executive Interview: Q&A with Michael Funk
[2006/11/13] [By Suzanne Shelton]
A pioneer in the natural foods industry, Michael Funk started the distributor Mountain People’s Warehouse in 1976. As President of MPW, he built the company into the leading natural food wholesaler in the west. In 1996, he co-founded United Natural Foods, to form the largest natural food distributor in the country. As President and CEO of UNFI, Michael has led the company to sales of over $ 2.5 billion US. He is active in many industry groups, and working to keep the integrity in the organic sector while addressing the needs of a small, idealistic industry that has now become big business.
|  Executive Interview: Q&A with Sharon Sherman President/co-founder - PetGuard
[2006/10/09] [By Suzanne Shelton]
One of the most recent categories in the Health Food channel to experience double digit growth is pet products, and as a cofounder of Pet Guard 25 years ago, Sharon Sherman is largely responsible. She also has a history of industry leadership: Sharon has been very active in the NNFA SE division (SOHO) for well over 30 years, beginning as a retailer in 1972. After many years on the regional board, she now serves on the Natural Products Association (formerly NNFA) national board.
|  Executive Interview: Q&A with Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD
[2006/09/08] [Interview by Frank Lampe and Suzanne Snyder • Photography by Jonathan Kinnair]
Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg stands out as arguably the premier researcher studying nutrition and its impact on health and aging. He says that nutritional research should not be just a science, but also an agenda. His observations in this interview, conducted by our good friend Frank Lampe, along with Suzanne Snyder (managing editor of Alternative Therapies), as our guest interviewers, strike me as right on target, particularly Dr. Blumberg’s comments of how the media covers supplement news and why relying on what he refers to as ‘gold standard’ research (randomized controlled studies) for supplements is impractical and misguided. We offer this interview, which will also be in the September/October issue of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine magazine, because it is information from which the dietary supplements industry can benefit.
|  Executive Interview: Q&A with Sandy Gooch
[2006/08/03] [By Suzanne Shelton]
If you know what it means to ask “is it Goochable?” you have probably been in the natural products industry for a dozen years or more. For those who don’t know it, the term “Goochable” was shorthand for “is the product clean enough to pass the rigorous standards of Mrs. Gooch’s Natural Foods Markets?” That was once considered the litmus test for whether or not a broker would take on a product or a distributor would stock it, because if it wasn’t Goochable, it was less likely to be a success.
|  Executive Interview: Q&A with Derek Hall, Vice Chairman & Chief Executive Officer – ECONET Inc.
[2006/07/07] [By Suzanne Shelton]
Derek Hall has been a significant player in the supplements industry for the last 13 years, but as a quiet and subtle presence not usually visible to those outside his immediate circle. His vision of the future as one that requires integrity and room for human values and needs is impressive for a CEO coming out of the pharma industry.
|  Executive Interview: Q&A with James Tonkin
[2006/06/09] [By Suzanne Shelton]
James Tonkin describes himself as a “private sector brand management and development professional.” Over his 33 year career, he has worked with such brands as 7UP, A&W Root Beer, Crush, and Clearly Canadian and evolved into more natural offerings such as Essentia Water, Inc., and Hound Hydrators Pet Water for PETsMART. He is widely considered the ‘go to guy’ for anything beverage related.
|  Executive Interview: Q&A with David Seckman, NNFA Executive Director/CEO
[2006/05/05] [By Suzanne Shelton]
As the National Nutritional Foods Association celebrates its 70th anniversary, it is perhaps at its most relevant and effective point thus far. Under the experienced and tireless leadership of David Seckman, it has moved headquarters to Washington DC and greatly expanded its presence on Capitol Hill with undeniable impact on legislators, developed numerous successful advocacy programs, increased its financial stability, grown its membership to record levels, collaborated to launch NNFA Japan and NNFA China, fostered a closer working relationship with its natural allies, and developed an atmosphere of cooperation and trust among its members that had been missing. It is no surprise that David is receiving the Efforts of Behalf of Industry award from NBJ in July, although he gives all the credit to his staff and board. Whatever it is called, clearly NNFA will continue to have vision and relevance for the foreseeable future.
|  Executive Interview: Q&A with Senator Orrin Hatch
[2006/02/16] [By Suzanne Shelton]
The previous Executive Interviews have all been with people within our industry. This very special interview is with someone outside our industry, but without whom most of us would not be in business. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) has been a tireless champion of the dietary supplements industry: he co-wrote and introduced the bill that became DSHEA in Congress, helped shepherd it through Congress, and has stood up for the industry in the face of repeated assaults in the legislative branch of government, as well as giving the regulatory agencies the occasional hot foot when they are particularly slow to enforce the law.
|  Executive Interview: Q&A with Randy Dennin, Chairman of The International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplement Associations
[2006/01/27] [By Suzanne Shelton]
Randy Dennin is an industry veteran who has been more influential in working for access to dietary supplements, and expanding and protecting the supplement business on a global scale, than perhaps any other individual. In 2002 the NNFA honored Randy with its Crusader award, which recognizes individuals who have made notable contributions to the natural products industry above and beyond commercial success. His many years with Capsugel provided a platform to work within, and several times create, trade associations that help keep us all in business and able expand operations overseas. He also has a heart of gold.
|  Executive Interview: Q&A with Katherine DiMatteo, Executive Director, OTA
[2005/12/23] [By Suzanne Shelton]
The organic sector has been growing at exponential rates over the past decade, with a wide variety of organic products becoming available in main stream supermarkets, organic flowers the hip new gift to send, and the most conventional of people buying organic milk. Read the next Executive Interview with Katherine DiMatteo, the Organic Trade Association’s executive director.
|  Executive Interview: Q&A with Dr. Andrew Weil
[2005/11/18] [By Suzanne Shelton]
As a frequent guest on Larry King Live, Oprah, and The Today Show, Dr. Weil provides valuable information and insight on how to incorporate conventional and complementary medicine practices in one's life to optimize the body's natural healing power. Suzanne Shelton speaks with Dr. Weil about his message, his activities to educate and fund research in integrative medicine and his perspective regarding the dietary supplements industry.
|  Executive Interview: Q&A with Bob Ullman
[2005/09/09] [By Suzanne Shelton]
The history of the supplements industry entails a dance between FDA, FTC, Congress, trade associations and attorneys representing industry manufacturers. Several individuals figure prominently, but no one for as long as Robert Ullman.
|  Executive Interview: Q&A with Al Powers, President, NOW Health Group
[2005/08/05] [By Suzanne Shelton]
30 years ago Al Powers joined the NOW Foods organization primarily as a retailer involved in the Fruitful Yield chain of health food stores. For over 20 years he focused on the NOW Foods products. He is currently the President of the NOW Health Group and shares his thoughts on the industry and his experiences.
|  Executive Interview: Q&A with Susan Haeger
[2005/07/08] [By Suzanne Shelton]
Susan has been working to move the natural products industry forward for more than 20 years. Her efforts of behalf of the natural, organic, health and wellness industry have encompassed consumer packaged goods marketing, public relations, non-profit consumer advocacy, regulatory affairs and market development for publishing, conferences and trade shows in both domestic and global markets.
|  Executive Interview: Q&A with Barry Perzow, Co-Founder, President and CEO Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacies
[2005/06/15] [By Suzanne Shelton]
In June 2000, Mr. Perzow founded Pharmaca, a growing chain of integrative pharmacies which some have predicted are a crucial piece of fixing the health care puzzle. The company has just completed a $7.5 million financing round. Pharmaca operates pharmacies that offer conventional and natural health solutions.
|  Executive Interview: Q&A with Steven Mister, The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN)
[2005/05/24] [By Suzanne Shelton]
The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a Washington D.C. -based trade association representing ingredient suppliers and manufacturers in the dietary supplement industry. With the recent departure of CRN President Annette Dickinson and the subsequent hiring of new President & CEO Steven Mister, many of us are curious about current priorities and how the new President will focus his energies. This interview with Steven Mister may help answer some of those questions.
|  Executive Interview: Q&A with Terry Lemerond, EuroPharma
[2005/05/04] [By Suzanne Shelton]
Terry Lemerond is one of those industry legends who, while not as visible as some industry leaders, has had pivotal impact on our businesses and products. He founded and ran Enzymatic Therapy for many years, which became a standard bearer for quality and integrity in the supplements industry.
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