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James (Jim) G. Hall
Chief Executive Officer
Bringing over 30 years of pharmaceutical and combination product manufacturing and development experience, Jim’s expertise has guided us for over 20 years.
During this time, Jim has risen from his managerial role up to Director, General Manager and Vice President. In 2017, Jim was appointed as our President, overseeing all operations at Lifecore.
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John D. Morberg
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Morberg was appointed as Chief Financial Officer of Landec Corporation in January 2021. Prior to joining Landec, Mr. Morberg was CFO and General Counsel for BL Restaurant Holdings, LLC, a national restaurant chain. Previously, over a ten-year tenure at Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp, he held various roles, including as the CEO, CFO and board member. -
Jackie Q. Klecker
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
With over 30 years of industry experience in quality, manufacturing and development areas, Jackie has guided our quality assurance for over a decade.
After serving as our Director of Quality from July 2010 to June 2014, Jackie went on to become our Senior Director of Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs from June 2014 to June 2018. In 2018, she was appointed as our Vice President and General Manager.
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Darren M. Hieber
Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Partnerships
Darren is responsible for developing Lifecore’s corporate strategy, bringing us two decades of pharmaceutical experience specifically focused on business development in high-growth environments.
Darren has a passion for strategic business development, executive-level business support, and driving results. Most recently, Darren was the Vice President of Business Development at Catalent Biologics before joining Lifecore in November 2021. -
Kara Morley
Senior Vice President of Human Resources
Kara is responsible for leading the human resources function at Lifecore, bringing over 25 years of HR experience.
Kara began her HR career in the staffing industry and quickly moved into corporate HR where she has supported teams in the banking, services, retail, CPG and distribution industries.
Most recently Kara was the Vice President of HR at Werner Electric before joining Lifecore in October 2021. -
Matt Augustson
Senior Vice President of Information Technology
Matt partners closely with the company’s business functions to deliver enterprise solutions that will support growth and future-proof the company while seeking operational excellence and harnessing data for business insights. -
Rick Sitarz
Vice President of Commercial Development
Responsible for new business development, marketing, strategic planning and project management, Rick brings over 30 years of biotech experience to Lifecore.
After leaving his previous role as Vice President of Peripheral Interventions Marketing at Boston Scientific, Rick joined us as our Vice President of commercial development in June 2015.
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Kipling Thacker, Ph.D.
Vice President and Chief Scientist
Kip is the co-inventor of the process Lifecore uses to make sodium hyaluronate. He has held various research and business development positions with Lifecore from 1981 to 2000, when he then served as our Director of New Business Development.
In 2004, he was appointed as our Vice President of New Business Development, and in 2010 he rose to his current position as our Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President. -
Scott J. Collins
Vice President of Finance
With over 20 years of financial experience, Scott has worked across various finance positions with us from January 2001 to July 2007, including as our Financial Controller from 2007 to 2009.
In 2010, he became our Senior Director of Finance for seven years before his appointment as our Vice President of Finance. -
Steve W. Laninga
Vice President of Operations
Bringing over 20 years of pharmaceutical manufacturing experience to Lifecore, Steve began his career as an engineer and moved into leadership positions in engineering and operations within the pharmaceutical industry.
After leaving his previous role as Vice President of Operations and Site Lead at Perrigo, Steve joined us as our Vice President of Operations in January 2020. -
Phil Sticha
Vice President of Business Operations
With more than 26 years of tenure at Lifecore, Phil has extensive knowledge of all areas within the organization. He served as Senior Director of Manufacturing for more than 20 years prior to joining the New Business Development team as a Senior Director. In 2022, Phil was appointed to his current role focusing on business operational excellence.