Our Team
Board
-
Barry LambertNon-Executive Chairman
Barry Lambert
Non-Executive Chairman
Barry founded ASX listed company Count Limited, a financial services business, in 1980. Count was one of the largest independent advice providers in Australia and was acquired by
Commonwealth Bank in 2011.Barry was also asked to serve as Chairman of Class Limited and subsequently took Class through to listing on the ASX. Barry also served as Chairman of ASX listed Count Plus.
In 2016 and 2017 Barry and Joy Lambert made significant donations to establish the Lambert Initiative at Sydney University and Lambert Center at Thomas Jefferson University, respectively.
Both of these entities are focused on the research and education of medicinal cannabis and hemp.In 2017 Barry resigned his Chairman positions from Class Limited and Count Plus to become the Chairman of Ecofibre.
-
Eric WangChief Executive Officer and Managing Director
Eric Wang
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director
Eric joined Ecofibre as the CFO and Director in December 2015. He was appointed CEO and Managing Director in December 2017.
Eric has over 25 years of leadership and executive management experience, both as an officer in the United States Army and as a financial services executive in Australia.
Prior to joining Ecofibre, Eric served as Captain and Apache pilot in the US Army for eight years in a range of roles, including Troop Commander, Operations Officer, Executive Officer and
Personnel Officer in the United States and Europe.After leaving the military, Eric moved to Australia to work for the global management consulting firm, Bain & Company, where he specialized in the financial services industry in
Australia and Asia. More recently, he served as the Chief Operating Officer of Perpetual Limited and Director of the APO for AMP Limited.Eric holds a Bachelor of Science from West Point and an MBA from the Tuck School at Dartmouth.
-
Jon MeadmoreNon-Executive Director
Jon Meadmore
Non-Executive Director
Jon is a Brisbane-based commercial partner of law firm, Colin Biggers & Paisley. Jon was named in Doyle’s Guide 2016 and 2017 as a leading commercial lawyer in Brisbane.
Jon is also listed in the 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 editions of The Best Lawyers in Australia in the field of commercial law.
Jon holds a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) in addition to his law degree.
-
Kristi WoolrychNon-Executive Director
Kristi Woolrych
Non-Executive Director
Ms Woolrych has over 20 years’ experience in brand strategy, acquisition, retention, customer experience, eCommerce and retail marketing.
She is currently the Chief Marketing Officer for KFC in Australia and New Zealand with accountability for sales growth, eCommerce and overall brand performance.
Her achievements include consistently delivering record sales grow that KFC across the last two years and strong brand performance, resulting in APAC Effie Awards for Brand of the Year and Marketing Team of the Year in 2020. She has also helped drive KFC’s business vision and strategy for digital transformation, resulting in step-change eCommerce performance and expanded delivery offering.
Prior to KFC, Ms Woolrych worked at Suncorp for over a decade, where she was promoted to the position of Executive General Manager, Brand and Marketing with a team of over 120 people.
Ecofibre Corporate
-
Eric WangChief Executive Officer and Managing Director
Eric Wang
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director
Eric joined Ecofibre as the CFO and Director in December 2015. He was appointed CEO and Managing Director in December 2017.
Eric has over 25 years of leadership and executive management experience, both as an officer in the United States Army and as a financial services executive in Australia.
Prior to joining Ecofibre, Eric served as Captain and Apache pilot in the US Army for eight years in a range of roles, including Troop Commander, Operations Officer, Executive Officer and
Personnel Officer in the United States and Europe.After leaving the military, Eric moved to Australia to work for the global management consulting firm, Bain & Company, where he specialized in the financial services industry in
Australia and Asia. More recently, he served as the Chief Operating Officer of Perpetual Limited and Director of the APO for AMP Limited.Eric holds a Bachelor of Science from West Point and an MBA from the Tuck School at Dartmouth.
-
Alastair BorChief Technology Officer, Ecofibre
Alastair Bor
Chief Technology Officer, Ecofibre
Alastair joined Ecofibre in July 2018 to drive scale, automation and technical capability across Ecofibre.
Alastair is an experienced executive, with a long track record of delivering innovation in both large private and public sector organizations. Alastair oversees both operational and
information technology across Ecofibre.Alastair has an MBA from the Tuck School at Dartmouth and previously worked at Booz, Allen & Hamilton, Perpetual Ltd and Transport for NSW in various senior executive technology and
delivery roles. -
Jonathan BrownCFO and Company Secretary, Ecofibre
Jonathan Brown
CFO and Company Secretary, Ecofibre
Jonathan is a Chartered Accountant with 25 years’ commercial experience. Jonathan is responsible for Ecofibre’s financial strategy and corporate affairs.
Prior to joining Ecofibre in 2016 Jonathan worked for AMP, the London Stock Exchange and Ferrier Hodgson in a variety of roles including corporate strategy, M&A, senior finance roles
and insolvency and reconstruction.Jonathan has a Bachelors Degree in Accounting and a Graduate Diploma in Advanced Accounting. He also holds a Graduate Diploma in Finance and Investment from FINSIA.
-
Alex Capano Chief Science Officer, Ecofibre
Alex Capano
Chief Science Officer, Ecofibre
Dr. Capano holds a BSN and an MSN from the University of Pennsylvania, as well as a BS in neuroscience from the University of Miami. She earned her doctoral degree at Thomas Jefferson
University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude and was awarded the Sandra Festa Ryan award for Outstanding Creativity and Innovation.Dr Capano was the first doctoral candidate of any discipline who focused on cannabinoid science under the guidance of the Lambert Center for the Study of Medicinal Cannabis and Hemp at
Thomas Jefferson University.Dr. Capano is currently a faculty member of the Lambert Center and a Senior Fellow in the Institute of Emerging Health Professions. Her clinical practice as a family nurse practitioner
includes primary care, with a focus on sexual and reproductive medicine. -
John RyanChief Strategy Officer, Ecofibre
John Ryan
Chief Strategy Officer, Ecofibre
John joined Ecofibre in 2015 and is responsible for developing the Company’s product range and establishing its market presence in the United States. His focus also includes the regulatory
compliance aspects for Ananda Health.John is also responsible for direct-to-consumer, retail and non-pharmacy wholesale sales.
Prior to joining Ecofibre, John ran his own venture capital investment and advisory firm which focused on the biotech sector. John holds Series 7 and 63 licenses and is a graduate of
Arizona State University. -
Robin SheldonGeneral Counsel and Joint Company Secretary, Ecofibre
Robin Sheldon
General Counsel and Joint Company Secretary, Ecofibre
Ms Sheldon has 29 years experience in corporate law. Prior to joining Ecofibre, Ms. Sheldon was employed by Thomas Jefferson University as Sr, VP of Jefferson Strategic Ventures, VP of its Innovation Pillar and Associate Counsel.
Prior to Jefferson, Robin was a partner at Fox Rothschild, LP, where she specialized in mergers & acquisitions, private equity and intellectual property issues, especially in the biotech area. She was the General Counsel of Half.com, Inc. (acquired by eBay, Inc.), Associate Counsel for Sanchez Computers, and Counsel for SEI Investments. Robin has been an adjunct professor at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law, and frequent lecturer on the ethics of Intellectual Property. She has served on the board of directors, and has been secretary, of Global Links – a nonprofit dedicated to putting US medical surplus to productive use around the world-for over 25 years.
Ananda Health
-
David NeuChief Executive Officer, Ananda Health
David Neu
Chief Executive Officer, Ananda Health
Senior Healthcare Executive and Co-Founder of the Neu Center for Supportive Medicine and Cancer Survivorship
David Neu is the former president of AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation and Good Neighbor Pharmacy, one of the largest global pharmaceutical sourcing and distribution services companies
helping both healthcare providers and pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturers improve patient access to products and enhance patient care.Mr. Neu has served on the board of directors of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), and is the former chairman of the Healthcare Distribution Alliance (HDA). Mr. Neu is
a board member of the People’s Portfolio, a national organization committed to fighting discrimination and human rights. Additionally, Mr. Neu is a member of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer
Center Advisory Council and Co-Founder of the Neu Center for Supportive Medicine and Cancer Survivorship at SKCC. He also serves as chair of the executive committee at the USC School of
Pharmacy and is a patient advocate on the PULA board for the National Cancer Institute.In 2010, David and his wife, Esperanza, co-founded the Neu Family Foundation to support causes related to health and education to include establishing scholarships for students in need. In
the last three years, together they were recognized as Philanthropists of the Year by the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Greater Philadelphia, were the recipients of Jefferson
Health’s Presidents Award, and were honored with an Honorary Doctorate by Wingate University. Mr. Neu has a passion for collaborating with high-impact agencies to affect change in the
community.In 2013, Mr. Neu received the Alumni of the Year Award from Pepperdine University where he earned a Masters of Business Administration Degree.
-
Jerry NewtonChief Operating Officer, Ananda Health
Jerry Newton
Chief Operating Officer, Ananda Health
Jerry is an experienced Deere and Company and private equity executive. Jerry grew up on a family farm in the Arkansas River Valley before building a career in power generation at Entergy
Corporation, progressing to the executive level at Deere and Company, and most recently serving as Chief Operating Officer for Solomon Corporation, an Oaktree Capital portfolio company,
which underwent a successful sales process in 2019.Newton brings a passion for Ecofibre’s mission coupled with a deep understanding of high performance cultures, operational excellence, and successfully ‘scaling-up’ organizations on
aggressive growth trajectories.Newton was the Outstanding Mechanical Engineering graduate from the University of Arkansas in 1995, and received his MBA from the Tuck School at Dartmouth in 2000. He and his family will
be relocating to the Lexington, KY area in coming year. -
Chuck Schneider Chief Revenue Officer, Ananda Health
Chuck Schneider
Chief Revenue Officer, Ananda Health
Chuck is responsible for managing sales of the Ananda Health business in the United States, with a specific focus on the independent pharmacy segment.
Chuck has 26 years’ experience in the healthcare sector and has served in senior leadership positions in sales, marketing and business development with companies such as AbbVie, Allergan
and Kos Pharmaceuticals.Chuck has focused on serving the independent pharmacy sector, first as Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for American Pharmaceutical Ingredients and as Chief Revenue Officer at Pharmacy
Development Services (PDS).Chuck holds a Master of International Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.
-
Brent BallardVice President of Strategic Accounts, Ananda Health
Brent Ballard
Vice President of Strategic Accounts, Ananda Health
Brent has more than 30 years of sales and business development experience throughout the healthcare industry, from Fortune 500 healthcare companies to medical device start-ups taken from
concept through IPO.Brent has deep relationships with pharmaceutical firms, medical wholesalers, health systems and physician organizations that have been cultivated over his career.
As an entrepreneur at heart, Brent has launched a clinical research company, a medical products manufacturing and distribution company, and is an advisor to several innovative medical and
healthcare companies.Brent is dual US/Canadian citizen, with undergraduate degrees in Finance and Marketing, an MBA, and a second Master’s degree in Management Information Systems from the University of South
Florida. Brent and his family reside in Sarasota, Florida. -
Georgie RistVice President of Global Accounts, Ananda Health
Georgie Rist
Vice President of Global Accounts, Ananda Health
Georgie is a highly driven and passionate Dietitian and business professional, with over 15 years’ experience in the healthcare industry. From working as a clinical dietitian, in research,
running her own consultancy practice through to business development, sales, marketing and media communications for both start-up companies and Australia’s leading health and wellness
brands, Swisse and Blackmores, domestically and internationally.Georgie has worked closely with Australia’s leading health retailers, pharmacies and wholesalers, to implement nutritional genomic testing, health services, education and sales initiatives
for consumer and practitioner-only nutraceutical brands.Georgie’s recent sales role within the Blackmores Group as National Account Manager, was instrumental to the success of their practitioner-only brand, BioCeuticals, driving significant
growth in the pharmacy channel, resulting in becoming the fastest growing brand in the Australian vitamin and dietary supplement category. Georgie also managed and championed international
expansion of Australia’s #1 practitioner-only brand into the United States as Country Manager, becoming the face of BioCeuticals USA, working across all areas of the business from
warehouse logistics, operations, sales, events, wholesale distribution and managing healthcare practitioner relationships.Georgie has also worked as Media Spokesperson for the Dietitian’s Association of Australia (DAA), with a Biotechnology start-up company launching Australia’s first dedicated Nutritional
Genomic dietetic clinic and held dual roles as vitamin brand manager in addition to heading up national education and training for Swisse Wellness.Georgie completed Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics from Monash University, Australia.
-
Alex NanceDirector of Operations, Ananda Health
Alex Nance
Director of Operations, Ananda Health
Alex joined Ananda Health in September of 2017 and is responsible for the overall management and delivery of the Ananda product range. He helped to develop the current facility and is also
responsible for all aspects of quality control and planning.Alex’s background is in toxicology and chemical production. Prior to joining Ananda he worked at Ethos Laboratories as Laboratory Production Manager and Dubois Chemicals as a chemist. Alex
holds a Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences from The Ohio State University. -
Samantha Timmermann Director of Marketing, Ananda Health
Samantha Timmermann
Director of Marketing, Ananda Health
Samantha is the Ananda Health Director of Marketing responsible for crafting the brand identity and go-to-market strategies across the group’s brands. She is fiercely committed to helping
consumers and retailers navigate the CBD marketplace and positioning Ananda Health as the trusted voice and resource for evidence-based education and world-class hemp products.As a cross-functional team, Samantha’s department also contributes to product development and crafts tools to support sales enablement, including the AnandaMine Knowledge Base, Ananda
University eLearning, and annual CBD360 events.Her passion for accessible, high-quality healthcare can be traced back to her youth where she worked in her family-owned pharmacy and witnessed the power of educating consumers and
providing innovative solutions to help them live their fullest lives.Prior to joining Ecofibre in 2018, Samantha built the marketing department at Pharmacy Development Services where she spent significant time creating training programs and strategies to
help independent pharmacies increase profits and maximize patient outcomes.Samantha holds a bachelor’s degree with a double major in management and marketing with an emphasis on communications from Maryville University in St. Louis, Missouri.
-
Jerry Barnette, Jr.Independent Pharmacy Advisor, Ananda Health
Jerry Barnette, Jr.
Independent Pharmacy Advisor, Ananda Health
Jerry grew up in the Appalachian mountains of eastern Kentucky. He attended the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy , where he received his BS degree in 1985. After college, he
worked as a clinical pharmacist at St. Claire Medical Center In Morehead, Kentucky while starting a family.In 1994, he purchased his first independent retail location. Since then he has started, bought and sold over 20 pharmacies. He currently is owner or partner in 14 pharmacies and one DME
store.Jerry believes in the power of partnerships. Through his management company, RLC MANAGEMENT, he is helping numerous pharmacists realize their dream of ownership. RLC Management also helps
other pharmacy owners with management, purchasing, accounting and taxes.
Ananda Food
-
Kieren Brown Managing Director, Ananda Food
Kieren Brown
Managing Director, Ananda Food
Kieren became the MD of Ananda Food in March 2018 with a remit to grow the newly established Australian food business.
Kieren is an experienced executive with over 23 years’ experience within the UK, Spanish and Australian food industries, specialising in the operational and technical disciplines in short
shelf-life fresh produce.Kieren’s last role was with Australia’s largest supplier of pre-packaged salads. As the GM of National Operations, he oversaw several hundred staff across four sites in four states, with
turnover of over $230 million per annum. Prior to that, Kieren worked overseas for Heinz and has deep experience with some of the largest retailers – including Woolworths, Coles and Marks
and Spencer.Kieren holds a BSC (Hons) in Microbiology from University of Wales Aberystwyth.
-
Adam Cantwell VP Global Production, Ananda Food
Adam Cantwell
VP Global Production, Ananda Food
Adam has been with Ecofibre since 2009 and has over 20 years of experience in the project management of construction and agricultural operations.
Adam has deep experience in the growing, processing and harvesting techniques required to successfully produce industrial hemp.
Adam is responsible for providing operational oversight and project management support across all functions and geographies of Ecofibre’s business with a specific focus on hemp production
and processing. -
Kalie Borsato Director of Sales Operations, Ananda Food
Kalie Borsato
Director of Sales Operations, Ananda Food
Kalie joined Ecofibre in 2017 as US Financial Controller, relocating to Kentucky before moving into her current role as Sales Operations Director. Kalie is responsible for optimising the
sales process through systems integration and deployment, supporting sales enablement across the Ananda Health group. Growing up on a banana farm in regional Far North Queensland, Kalie
brings a passion for sustainability in the agriculture industry.Before joining Ecofibre, Kalie worked as a Chartered Accountant at KPMG Sydney in both Corporate Audit and Transaction Services with a focus on the technology, media and telecommunications
sector. Prior to this, Kalie lived and worked throughout the Middle East with prominent International brand development agency, Avantgarde specialising in brand activation.Kalie holds a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration as well as a Masters Degree in Commerce, majoring in Finance and Accounting.
-
Peter Osborne Strategic Advisor
Peter Osborne
Strategic Advisor
Peter serves as Chairman Asia Pacific for US probiotic company Seed Health Inc., is an External Advisor for Bain & Company, sits on the Advisory Board of the Australia-China Research
Institute and is a Director of the Dorji Lingpa Foundation in Bhutan.From 2009 to February 2020 Peter was Managing Director Asia for Blackmores Limited, Australia’s leading ASX listed natural healthcare company. Peter was responsible for growing Blackmores’
Asia business to over A$ 200 million, and employing 1,000 staff in subsidiary companies in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea and China, joint venture in Indonesia,
distribution partnerships in Japan, Vietnam, Kazakhstan and Pakistan and overall strategy for Blackmores’ growth objectives in Asia.Prior to working for Blackmores, Peter was Australia’s most senior trade diplomat in China as the Minister (Commercial) in the Australian Embassy Beijing. Peter also previously held
Australia’s Senior Trade Commissioner positions in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taipei, was the Trade & Investment Director of the South Pacific Forum Secretariat in Fiji and also served as
the South Pacific Expert Adviser on trade development to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the UN Commission for Sustainable Development.In June 2017 Peter was appointed as Vice Chairman of the China Association for Quality Inspection (CAQI) Advisory Committee – the first and only foreign citizen to hold a CAQI committee
position. CAQI is a high-level non-profit Chinese organisation with responsibility for product quality inspection under the supervision of China’s State Administration for Market
Regulation.Peter currently lives in Taipei.
Hemp Black
-
Jeff Bruner President, Hemp Black
Jeff Bruner
President, Hemp Black
Jeff founded The Quantum Group, Inc. in 1985 later transitioned into Quantum Materials, LLC in 2017 and then founded TexInnovate, Inc. in 2017 which was later sold to Ecofibre.
At Quantum Materials Jeff was responsible for the development and innovation of a wide range of high-performance textile applications across a range of industries to include office
furniture, automotive seating, truck tires, road construction fabrics, filtration, composite yarns & fabrics, medical implants, outdoor furniture and many other highly engineered yarns
and fabrics.Jeff is a leading textile engineer and inventor of solutions to meet industry needs for high specification applications.
-
Mark Sunderland Chief Innovation & Sustainability Officer, Ecofibre
Mark Sunderland
Chief Innovation & Sustainability Officer, Ecofibre
Mark is the Robert J. Reichlin High-Performance Apparel Chair, Director of M.S. Global Fashion Enterprise and Director of B.S in Textile Material Technology at Thomas Jefferson University.
Mark holds a BS and MS from Philadelphia University.He is responsible for the leadership and development of commercial technologies related to the hemp-derived textiles industry. A leading textile engineer, strategist and entrepreneur in
high performance materials and product development, Mark has over 30 years of experience in the field of engineered advance textile materials and apparel products.Mark was COO/partner of a textile manufacturing company with a facility in Philadelphia and contracted manufacturers globally, producing fabrics and apparel for the advanced fabric
performance and fashion apparel retail market. His specialties include technical fabrics, warp knits, weft knits, seamless, full and integrated knitting, weaving, soft composites and
non-wovens. -
Tom Carberry VP Merchandising + Design, Hemp Black
Tom Carberry
VP Merchandising + Design, Hemp Black
Tom has a 20 year history in the retail industry covering men’s, women’s, kid’s, accessories, and home merchandising, product development, sourcing, design, and business management.
He has held senior merchandising roles at Brooks Brothers, Urban Outfitters, Abercrombie & Fitch, Timberland, Aéropostale, and Lands’ End. He began his career at Gap, Inc. in the
Retail Management Program.Tom has a B.A. from Yale University in Architecture and Urban Studies, and an M.B.A. from Thomas Jefferson University.
-
Lee Williams, Ph.D. VP R&D, Hemp Black
Lee Williams, Ph.D.
VP R&D, Hemp Black
Lee B. Williams holds a Doctoral Degree in Nanomaterials with a research concentration in polymer chain alignment. He has been driving research and development on twin screw extrusion at
Triad Polymers, LLC since 2010. His research interests include performance polymers, high-speed twin-screw extrusion, direct extrusion, biomimetics, metamaterials, and crystallography.During his tenure at Triad Polymers, he has developed novel performance polymer composites. These include magnetic materials, low coefficient of friction materials, hydrophobic materials,
and thermally stabilized volatiles in thermoplastic melt. He excels at extrusion line design and optimization. -
Mac Cheek VP Sales, Hemp Black
Mac Cheek
VP Sales, Hemp Black
Mac comes to Hemp Black with over 30 years of experience as a senior international sales and management executive. He has extensive experience in sales and product development across many
geographies including Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, and in the United States.He has spent the majority of his career in the fibre, textile, and apparel business. His experience has primarily revolved around performance and textile fibres in new and high-growth
oriented markets.Mac is responsible for the business development of Hemp Black across a range of supply chain and commercial partners primarily in the business to business segment.