ANN ARBOR, Mich., U.S. — Global public health organization NSF International is taking steps to strengthen and expand its senior leadership team with the promotion of an experienced NSF leader and the appointment of two accomplished executives. Tom Chestnut, formerly Vice President of NSF’s Global Food Division, has been named Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) at NSF International while Colette LaForce joins NSF as Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Joel Schellhammer serves in the newly created position of Vice President and Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer (CSIO).
“NSF International has a 75-year legacy of protecting and improving human health around the world,“ said Kevan P. Lawlor, President and CEO of NSF International. “These leadership changes position us for continued excellence and greater alignment in day-to-day operations while adding fresh perspectives that prepare us for a future of innovation and agility in a fast-changing world.“
In the newly created COO role, Tom Chestnut supports the needs of the growing organization and will focus on day-to-day operations across the company – driving consistency and effective execution of long-term strategy, identifying and capturing synergies across the organization and cultivating new ways of working and new business processes. Chestnut joined NSF International in 2006 as Vice President of Supply Chain Food Safety and was promoted to lead the Global Food Division in 2009. Notable accomplishments in the role include achieving NSF‘s leadership position in the global food industry and creating innovative services such as EyeSucceed, a wearable technology solution that enables quick service restaurants and food producers to conduct remote training and auditing programs, reinforce employee hygiene standards and ensure best food safety practices. Chestnut will continue reporting directly to President and CEO Kevan Lawlor.
Colette LaForce joins NSF International as its new Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. Reporting directly to Lawlor, she oversees marketing, communications and regulatory affairs for the global organization. LaForce brings more than 20 years of experience leading global marketing, product marketing, digital, brand and communications teams across the technology and professional services industries. She previously served as Chief Marketing Officer at Fortune 500 technology provider AMD, professional services firm ICF, IT solutions provider Dell Services and consumer digital platform Cars.com.
LaForce earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., where she was a member of the Fighting Irish swim team. She has been named one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology and CMO of the Year, and currently serves as board chair at the agrarian nonprofit Farms Work Wonders.
Joel Schellhammer joins NSF’s leadership team in the newly created position of Vice President and Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer. Also reporting directly to Lawlor, Schellhammer will lead corporate strategy development, mergers and acquisitions, standards development and digital and disruptive innovation. Most recently, Schellhammer served as Vice President of Growth, Value Creation and Digital Innovation at workplace and furniture solutions provider Steelcase in Grand Rapids, Mich. In that role, he led a global team delivering category marketing, product development, customer experience and digital innovation across North America, EMEA and Asia-Pacific regions. He also led strategic planning and mergers and acquisitions across all business units and functions. Prior to Steelcase, he held several roles at consumer products manufacturer Kimberly-Clark, including leading the company’s North American Health and Wellness business.
Schellhammer earned his bachelor’s degree from Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Mich., and later earned a master’s degree in Japanese Studies at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom. He also holds a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Mass.
For more information, media interviews or photos, please contact Thomas Frey, APR, at media@nsf.org or call +1.734.214.6242.
NSF International (nsf.org) is an independent, global organization that facilitates standards development, and tests and certifies products for the food, water, health sciences and consumer goods industries to minimize adverse health effects and protect the environment. Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting human health and safety worldwide. With operations in 180 countries, NSF International is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center on Food Safety, Water Quality and Indoor Environment.
