NSF International has announced the retirement of Bob Pietrowski PhD, a 40-year veteran of the pharmaceutical and medical device industries who has served as vice-president of NSF International’s Global Health Sciences Division since 2013. He is being replaced by Martin Lush.
Martin Lush, who previously led NSF International’s pharma biotech business, will be appointed global vice-president of NSF Pharma Biotech and Medical Devices based near York, UK. In this role, Lush will design and execute the business strategy for NSF International’s global pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device services, reporting to Lori Bestervelt PhD, executive vice-president and chief technical officer of NSF International. Bestervelt will oversee the organisation’s dietary supplement, beverage quality, and cosmetics and personal care products certification and GMP services.
"Bob Pietrowski’s character, expertise and leadership are unparalleled in the global health sciences industries," said Kevan P Lawlor, CEO and president of NSF International. "He has been an important part of our organization’s growth during the last decade. His impact on NSF International and the industry will be felt for many years to come."
"Bob’s vast knowledge and extensive experience in biologicals and biotech manufacturing has been invaluable to NSF International and our teams involved in R&D, quality control and product management," Dr Bestervelt said. "He has been a trusted colleague, leader, mentor and friend to so many of us. We wish him well in his retirement."
Dr Pietrowski’s official retirement date is January 31 2017. He joined NSF International in 2007 to lead the organization’s training, auditing and consulting programmes for the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. In 2013, he was named vice-president of NSF International’s Health Sciences Division reporting to Bestervelt and serving the pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, dietary supplement, cosmetics and beverage industries. Under his leadership, Health Sciences became NSF International’s fastest growing division consistently year after year.
Prior to NSF International, Dr Pietrowski served as Managing Partner of the pharmaceutical/biotech consultancy David Begg Associates near York, UK, which NSF International acquired in 2007. His career in the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries dates back to the 1970s.
Martin Lush has been appointed global vice-president of NSF Pharma Biotech and Medical Devices, also reporting to Bestervelt. A veteran of the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, Lush currently leads NSF International’s pharma biotech services. Previously, he served as a Senior Partner at the pharmaceutical/biotech consultancy David Begg Associates near York, UK, which NSF International acquired in 2007.
In addition, Lush has worked for several pharmaceutical manufacturing firms, holding senior leadership positions in the areas of quality assurance, quality control, development, supply chain, corporate auditing and governance. He is certified as a Qualified Person in the European Union (EU).
During his career, Lush has helped educate regulatory inspectors from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the World Health Organization and seven other regulatory agencies. His areas of expertise include human error prevention, behavioral change, aseptic manufacture and biotechnology products and processes, and he has helped design, build and validate 18 sterile processing manufacturing plants. In addition to his leadership role at NSF International, Lush is actively involved in pharmaceutical consultancy, education, remediation prevention and support, and due diligence.
"Not only does Martin have years of direct industry experience in a variety of key roles, he has a passion for quality, modernizing attitudes about quality, creating cultures of quality and developing systems to help clients prepare for the future," Lawlor said. "With experience in more than 55 countries on five continents, he is truly a global thought leader in the health sciences."
"I think we can expect great things from Martin Lush, who brings unique talents and expertise to this important leadership role," Dr Bestervelt said. "We’ve all benefited from Martin’s deep knowledge of the pharmaceutical / biotech industries and I look forward to working with him, and learning from him, in the years to come."