Canadian researcher, regulator, and long standing ABC Advisory Board member, Dr. Robin Marles, has joined the American Botanical Council (ABC) Board of Trustees. A medicinal plant expert, in 2024 Marles received ABC's prestigious Norman R. Farnsworth Excellence in Botanical Research Award. With decades of experience in botanical research, Canadian government regulation, academia, and international standards-setting, Marles first joined the ABC Advisory Board as an inaugural member in 1996, contributing as a peer reviewer for various ABC publications.

“Having been a keen reader of HerbalGram since Issue #1 in 1983, member of the Advisory Board since its formation almost 30 years ago, and recent contributor, I am very honored to have been elected to continue my association with the American Botanical Council as a member of the Board of Trustees,” said Marles. “ABC’s mission to provide education using science-based and traditional information to promote responsible use of herbal medicine aligns very well with my education, training, and career of 14 years in academia and 20 years at Health Canada researching, teaching, and regulating botanicals.”

ABC also announced it has welcomed the following 14 new members to its Advisory Board:

• Amit Agarwal, Ph.D., CEO of Herb Artizan Pvt. Ltd., Director at Natural Remedies Pvt. Ltd.
• Ann Armbrecht, Ph.D., Author and Anthropologist, Founder and Director of the Sustainable Herbs Initiative (SHI).
• Anthony Booker, Ph.D., Traditional Chinese Medicine expert.
• Anthony "Tony" Cunningham, Ph.D., Ethnoecologist.
• Yuan Shiun Chang, Ph.D., Professor of Pharmacognosy at the Department of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chinese Medicine Resources, College of Chinese Medicine at China Medical University in Taichung, Taiwan.
• Douglas Siqueira de Almeida Chaves, Ph.D., Associate Professor Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro; UFRRJ).
• Stephen Dahmer, MD, Director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine.
• Michelle Embry, Ph.D., Deputy Director of the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI).
• Jed W. Fahey, ScD, MS, Nutritional Biochemist.
• Sanem Hoşbaş Coşkun, Ph.D., Biochemist and Scientific consultant
• Michael Z.C. Li., MBA, MSc, MD, expert in research and development, scientific and regulatory affairs, product development, commercialization, business and market development, and strategic planning.
• Alison D. Pawlus, Ph.D., Principal Scientist and Lead Pharmacognosist at Aveda.
• Evelyn Wolfram, Ph.D., MSc, Senior Scientist and lecturer in the Phytopharmacy and Natural Products Group in the Department of Life Sciences and Facility Management at Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW).
• Funda Nuray Yalçın, Ph.D., MSc, Professor in the Department of Pharmacognosy at Hacettepe University.

The Natural Products Association (NPA) has named Cliff Kendrick as Senior Vice President of Membership Services and Business Development. Kendrick will oversee strategic growth initiatives, elevate member engagement, and expand business development efforts to support the NPA's mission and long-term goals. With over two decades of experience within the nutrition, food and natural products industries, Kendrick most recently served as Vice President of Strategic Business Development at OmniActive Health Technologies.

“I’m honored to join NPA at such an exciting time,” said Kendrick. “I look forward to collaborating with the talented team to strengthen member value, unlock new opportunities, and champion the organization’s vision and mission.”

The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has hired Karin VanSlyke as its Director of Member Services. A former Strategic Partnerships Manager at Informa, VanSlyke is experienced in strategic partnerships and program management within the health and nutrition industry. With a background in managing digital content marketing programs and coordinating high-visibility communications and events, she will look to drive membership growth, retention, and engagement at AHPA while supporting educational initiatives to enhance the overall member experience.

“AHPA is extremely excited to welcome Karin VanSlyke as our new Director of Member Services,” said AHPA President & CEO Graham Rigby. “We are grateful for our ongoing strategic partnership with Informa and believe that Karin's addition to the AHPA staff will only serve to strengthen the relationship between our teams going forward. As our industry grows, so to does the need to support the growth of AHPA and provide excellent service to our members and we are confident Karin can help us do just that.”

INFRA has promoted Danelle Dumais to Chief of Member Operations and Jen LaValley to Chief Financial Officer. Dumais will head all member-facing operations within the organization, including member growth, programs, events and education, field support, and the end-to-end member experience while LaValley will oversee INFRA’s financial strategy and stewardship, assuring the organization remains financially strong, resilient, and well-positioned to support future growth plans.

“These leadership advancements reflect both the scale INFRA has reached and the direction we are heading,” said Pat Sheridan, President and CEO of INFRA. “As our organization grows and becomes more complex, it’s critical that we continue to strengthen how we steward our business while remaining deeply focused on the needs of our members.”

Cambridge Nutritional Foods (CNF) has named Ashley Farmer as its new Chief Executive Officer. Farmer, Who has worked with The Body Shop and Avon, brings over two decades of direct sales and multi-channel knowledge, as well as a deep understanding of spearheading modernization initiatives for a wide range of brands. “As we embark on this new CNF journey, we’re committed to building a business that’s resilient, focused and fully aligned to our vision of continuing to shape the future of nutrition by setting a high standard for evidence-based health, helping people live healthier, better lives.”

Mathew Grand is the new Chief Strategy Officer at Rodale Institute. A former member of Goldman Sachs, Grand is a Certified Public Accountant, the Founder and Managing Partner of Satori North, and previously served on Rodale Institute’s Board of Directors, including as Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee. In his new role, he will look to guide the Institute in strategic financial planning, mission-driven strategy and sustainable food systems. 

“I am honored to return to Rodale Institute at a critical moment for regenerative organic agriculture,” commented Grand. “The Institute’s legacy demonstrates what’s possible when science, soil and society work together, and I look forward to supporting its continued growth, influence and impact.”

PLT Health Solutions, Inc. has appointed Pritesh Shetty as Director of Business Development, APAC. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Biotechnology from SIES College and a Master of Business Administration in Biotechnology Marketing from the Savitribai Phule Pune University’s Department of Management Sciences, Shetty has acquired over sixteen years of sales, business development and project management experience. At PLT, Shetty will direct business development efforts in key Asia Pacific markets, including Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam among other emerging markets in the region. 

“International companies have had great interest in PLT Health Solutions’ ingredients for decades. As we continue our mission to expand our international presence, as a company, we want to develop closer relationships with consumer product companies as they look to develop their next products – a position we hold in North America. Pritesh Shetty has excellent experience in a number of roles in the ingredient business, and we feel he will be an excellent resource for the Asia-Pacific customer community in leveraging our ingredient portfolio to create cutting-edge products,” shared Mark Stephens, Vice President, Global Sales for PLT Health Solutions.

Mike Edwards has joined LifeVantage as its Chief Technology Officer. An industry veteran with over 25 years of experience, Edwards is an accomplished senior executive specializing in technology leadership and enterprise transformation. During his most recent position as Chief Technology Officer at a direct selling company, Edwards led comprehensive enterprise-wide transformation initiatives across eCommerce platforms, artificial intelligence implementation, customer relationship management systems, back-office operations, mobile applications, and customer experience enhancement.

"I'm excited to join LifeVantage and contribute to their mission of helping people activate their health potential," said Edwards. "Having spent over 25 years leading technology transformations, I'm particularly drawn to LifeVantage’s commitment to innovation and their direct-selling model. My focus will be on leveraging cutting-edge technology to streamline operations and create seamless experiences that empower our Consultants to grow their businesses while better serving customers worldwide."