Ron Pillsbury has joined NOW Foods, Bloomingdale, IL, as chief operating officer, overseeing operations at all company facilities. Additionally, Aaron Secrist has been promoted to director of quality assurance/quality control and R & D and Rick Sharpee, PhD, has been promoted to director of science and nutrition.
 
COO Ron Pillsbury, an experienced general manager in the nutraceutical and food industry for over 30 years, most recently worked for Pharmavite. He has been instrumental in driving best in class practices including sales and operation planning and lean practices. Mr. Pillsbury has managed a variety of business teams ranging from demand/supply planning, procurement, multiple manufacturing sites, engineering, technical operations, customer service, and logistics. He has also worked with McCain Foods and the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company.
 
Director of quality assurance/quality control and R & D Aaron Secrist joined the NOW science team in 2011 as quality and regulatory manager. A noted industry quality and regulatory expert, Mr. Secristhas over 20 years of experience in the dietary supplements industry. He has provided regulatory consulting services in the industry, including conducting GMP audits under the Natural Product Association’s GMP certification program, and was director of quality and R&D for Nature’s Way. He is a frequent speaker at industry dietary supplement GMP education seminars and is known for his insistence on rigorous standards. His expanded responsibilities will include directing the activities of NOW’s quality assurance, quality control, regulatory affairs and R&D.
 
Director of science and nutrition Rick Sharpee has been with NOW Foods since he joined the company as scientific research manager in 2010. Prior to joining NOW he spent six years as Enzymatic Therapy’s vice president of product development and manufacturing process development, and four years with Abbott Labs as director of pharmaceutical research and development. He has 25 years of experience in research, product development, GMP manufacturing and technical market support in the dietary supplement, animal health and pharmaceutical industries.  
 
Michael Lelah, PhD, who joined NOW as technical director in 2004 and played a significant role in developing NOW’s stellar quality program, has left the company to pursue other opportunities. NOW thanks him for his many contributions to the company and the industry, and wishes him the very best in future endeavors.