Players such as The Vitamin Shoppe, Shaklee, The Synergy Co. and MeriCal have energized their leadership teams with seasoned executives to drive digital transformation, innovation and market expansion.
This period also marks significant advancements in quality assurance and scientific rigor, as companies like Biohm Technologies and TOSLA Nutricosmetics emphasize safety and evidence-based formulations and tap into years of industry experience to fortify their market positions.
On the legal and regulatory front, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have made pivotal appointments, and industry law firm Amin Wasserman Gurnani has bolstered its litigation and prop 65 practice groups to navigate complex compliance and litigation challenges.
Below a look at some of the recent comings and goings in the dietary supplement industry.
The Vitamin Shoppe appointment of Mike Forbes as executive vice president and chief strategy officer to lead enterprise-wide strategy and long-term growth planning, with a focus on digital acceleration, innovation and organizational transformation. Reporting directly to CEO Sharon Leite, his responsibilities encompass digital commerce, performance marketing, customer loyalty, new business development and strategic partnerships, including mergers and acquisitions. Forbes brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in the retail and consumer packaged goods sectors, including CEO roles at MaryRuth Organics, Alter Eco Foods and Safely.
Susan Hazels Mitmesser joined MeriCal as chief science officer to strenghthen the company’s scientific leadership, drive innovation and deepen customer engagement. She joins MeriCal from Pharmavite LLC, where she served as chief science officer, and previously held senior scientific leadership roles at The Nature’s Bounty Co. and Mead Johnson Nutrition.
“I am thrilled to join MeriCal at such an exciting time in its evolution,” Dr. Mitmesser said. “The company’s strong commitment to leading with science, backed by an unwavering commitment to quality and customer partnerships aligns perfectly with my passion for evidence-based innovation that truly improves lives.”
Asma Ishaq joined Shaklee to lead the company’s Liquid Collagen Acquisition Corporation, a newly established subsidiary of Shaklee Corporation which acquired the products and intellectual property of Modere. The new role follows Shaklee’s announcement in July a worldwide exclusive licensing agreement for Liquid BioCell Collagen, a patented, clinically studied collagen supplement developed by Ishaq. A pioneer in the beauty, health and wellness industry, Ishaq previously served as CEO of Modere, the inaugural Chairperson of the Collagen Stewardship Alliance and on advisory boards for the Council for Responsible Nutrition, the Direct Selling Association and the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations. In 2020, she was also named NutraChampion by NutraIngredients-USA.
“I have known Asma for many years and developed enormous respect for how she helped Modere grow through product innovation, Roger Barnett, chairman and CEO of Shaklee states, Asma really helped develop the global ingestible collagen market, and I am excited to have her apply her product development expertise to help Shaklee continue to lead the way on innovation in the wellness sector.” management team."
The Synergy Company appointed Jennifer Briggs as its new CEO to guide the company into its next chapter while continuing its long-time commitment to purity, sustainability and values-driven leadership.
“For over three decades, The Synergy Company has proven that business can be profitable, successful and a dynamic force for good in the world, when guided by integrity and responsibility,” said Mitchell May, founder and chairman of The Synergy Company. “Jennifer’s leadership and her commitment to values-driven business practices reflect the spirit of our culture and our future.”
In her previous roles, Briggs has led values-driven consumer brands across various sectors, including craft brewing, hospitality and multi-unit food retail and has held governance roles in construction and technology. She also serves as Board Chair of the National Center for Employee Ownership and an Executive Fellow at Rutgers University’s Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing.
Hofseth BioCare appointed Paul Bruhn as head of new business development. Bruhn brings over 25 years of experience in healthcare and the medical nutrition space spanning Novartis Medical Nutrition and Nestle Health Science across geographies including Japan, Korea, India, Middle East, Singapore, Canada, Switzerland and Australia.
“I am delighted to contribute to the journey of taking HBC to the next level, particularly given the acceleration of business in Asia, China and across the ANZ region,” Bruhn said. “I believe there is a market need for new clinically backed sources of nutrition, and the specialty ingredients from Hofseth BioCare fill that gap.”
Master formulator Shawn Wells has joined the scientific and strategic advisory board at Tonum Health, where he will advise on innovation, research and development, corporate initiatives and marketing strategies. Wells’ career spans leadership positions as chief Science officer at BioTRUST Nutrition, director of R&D at Dymatize Nutrition and chief scientific officer of NNB Nutrition. He is also a co-founder of Ingenious Ingredients, an incubator for next-generation nutraceuticals with Dr. Ralf Jaeger, Dr. Martin Purpura and Kylin Liao.
“We are honored to welcome Shawn to our Advisory Board,” said Lance Converse, CEO of Tonum Health. “His unmatched track record of innovation, scientific rigor, and consumer trust will accelerate Tonum’s mission to deliver natural solutions that rival the efficacy of pharmaceuticals-without the cost, side effects or long-term risks.”
Biohm Technologies welcomed Liz Goodwin as director of quality and regulatory. Working to ensure that products meet the highest standards of safety and trust. With more than 15 years of experience in the dietary supplement industry, Goodwin brings knowledge across quality systems, laboratory operations, manufacturing standards and product commercialization to support Biohm’s mission of delivering rigorous, science-backed solutions to the marketplace.
“Liz’s expertise will be instrumental as we scale Biohm’s technologies—from our proprietary biotic ingredients to our white-labeled microbiome testing platform—and continue partnering with brands and researchers who share our commitment to excellence,” said Sam Schatz, CEO of Biohm Technologies.
Shane Durkee stepped into a new role as CEO of Monterey Bay Herb Company (MBHC), which offers ingredients ranging from whole herbs to powders, custom blends and milling services. Durkee has over 25 years of experience in the consumer health and supplement industries, holding senior roles at Bayer, Swanson Health and Lonza-CHI. He will also continue in his role as founder and CEO of the Path Forward Formulator platform.
Cymbiotika appointed Andrei Najjar as chief marketing officer. Najjar brings over two decades of experience leading brand transformations and high-growth strategies, with leadership roles at PepsiCo, Target, Fullscreen Inc. and Abercrombie & Fitch. Most recently, he served as senior vice president of marketing at Pressed Juicery and will now be charged with leading Cymbiotika’s next phase of growth through cultural storytelling, premium positioning and data-driven omnichannel expansion—accelerating momentum in retail, DTC and international markets. According to Cymbiotika, his mandate is to cement the company as “the definitive leader in modern wellness by integrating performance marketing, influencer ecosystems, global partnerships, ad experiential activations that resonate far beyond the supplement aisle.”
Amin Wasserman Gurnani (AWG) expanded its team with the addition of partners Rebecca Lee and Jennifer Singh to the firm’s litigation and Prop 65 practice groups. Lee advises clients on complex compliance matters and high-stakes litigation, as well as implementation of environmental management systems. Singh is a civil defense litigator with 20 years of experience who specializes in product and chemical regulation and guides clients the complexities of litigation, enforcement actions, settlements, compliance programs, exposure assessments and/or risk mitigation.
“We see momentum on the horizon for Prop 65, the complexity of cases is growing, and we’re scaling our practice to leverage these opportunities,” said Matthew Orr, co-head of the firm’s Prop 65 and Litigation practices. “Bringing on two partners of Rebecca and Jennifer’s caliber reflects our commitment to anticipating emerging trends and providing innovative strategies that enable clients to stay ahead of potential enforcement matters.”
Gencor Pacific promoted several internal team members including Archie Veeravalli vice president of sales, Mariko Hill has been named to director of scientific affairs for the EMEA and APAC regions and Jaswinder (Jassi) Kaur to commercial general manager. Christopher Bailey, Ph.D., will take on the role of business development director for Gencor North America, where he will continue to support the North American sales team while managing accounts and driving growth in the Pet End Use Market, and Svetha Veeravalli has joined as Gencor’s human resources partner.
Mushroom mycelia fermentation company MycoTechnology appointed Dr. Robert Scott to its board of directors. During his over 25-year career, he has managed teams across corporate, academic and nonprofit sectors, including leading R&D at Kraft Heinz, Coca-Cola and Abbott Nutrition. His academic career includes President of Albany State University since May 2025, Associate Dean at Spelman College and Boston College and Assistant Professor of Biology at Norfolk State University.
“Robert’s broad understanding of the food and beverage industry and specifically his beverage category sweetener expertise will be especially valuable as we commercialize and bring to market our revolutionary new ingredient, Honey Truffle Sweet Protein, which is naturally derived from the honey truffle and delivers a uniquely clean taste profile with minimal off-notes,” said Rob Case, chairman of the Board at MycoTechnology.
Spencer Lynn joined the team at PricePlow as vice president of operations and partnerships where he will be charged with developing new and existing partnerships with brands, contract manufacturers, suppliers and retailers. Lynn previously held roles with Compound Solutions, KOS, Seedly and AN Supps.
Amano Enzyme USA Co. Ltd. announced Atsuya Hirano as its new vice president to drive the company’s strategic initiatives and market presence in the Americas. Since joining Amano in 1990, Hirano has held positions across divisions and international subsidiaries, most recently as general manager of domestic business and chief of Tokyo office and previously served as technical sales manager in the United States.
Lorne Lucree joined the scientific board of TOSLA Nutricosmetics to strengthen the scientific rigor behind multi-functional formulations and accelerate the company’s commitment to evidence-based, high-performance products that resonate with consumers.
“I’m so excited to help support their quest to blur the line between what you apply and what you ingest, paving the way for inside-out innovations that help consumers look—and feel—amazing!” Lucree shared in a statement.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) appointed Sean Keveney as chief counsel at the FDA. Keveney most recently served as acting general counsel of HHS, where he led the department’s legal team. A career public servant with previous senior roles in the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, Keveney clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit for Judge William Garwood, an appointee of President Ronald Reagan.
Robert Foster, the department’s principal deputy general counsel, stepped into the role of acting general counsel of HHS, and he will remain FDA chief counsel for food, research and drugs. Earlier this year, President Trump nominated Michael Stuart, a member of the West Virginia Senate and former United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, as general counsel of HHS.