Global public health organization NSF Internationalpromoted two members of its senior leadership team to Senior Vice President:  Mr. Tom Chestnut has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Global Food Division and Ms. Chandana Kathuria has been promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer/Lean Program Leader.

Tom Chestnut has more than 25 years of food safety experience and eight years with NSF International, most recently serving as Vice President of NSF’s Global Food Division.  He has helped hundreds of companies operating in the global supply chain strengthen their quality assurance and food safety programs by providing auditing, testing and certification solutions to global food safety standards.  He also has led the NSF Food Division through multiple acquisitions expanding NSF’s food safety services internationally to include agriculture, food processing, packaging, technical, consulting and retail services.

Chestnut is highly regarded throughout the food safety industry and environmental health community. As an environmental health professional with expertise in food safety and quality, he helped establish the Food Safety Leadership Council and has been awarded Industry Sanitarian of the Year by the National Environmental Health Association. He has served on the Board of Directors and as Vice Chair of the Conference for Food Protection, as President and Vice President of the Industry Affiliate National Environmental Health Association, and as Advisory Board Chair for the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Prior to joining NSF, Chestnut worked at Darden (parent company of Red Lobster, Olive Garden and Bahama Breeze) for more than 20 years, serving as Vice President of Total Quality and International Director of Product Safety and Quality, where he led food safety initiatives with suppliers in Asia, Mexico and Latin America. He earned his bachelor’s degree in environmental health from Illinois State University in Normal, Ill., with graduate studies in administration and management at the University of Illinois. 

Chandana Kathuria has over 24 years of information technology (IT) experience, which includes 11 years at NSF developing and implementing a global IT strategy  to support the increasing needs of NSF and its client base. The framework she implemented and continuously advances is the foundation that has enabled NSF to successfully expand its global infrastructure.  As the architect of NSF’s IT strategy, Kathuria aligns IT systems of 38 business units into one integrated solution of business and scientific applications for internal and external users. Some of Kathuria’s achievements include streamlining the timeliness of audit services with specialized proprietary software and developing a Web-based supply chain management software application, Aspirago, which is now offered through an NSF subsidiary.

She also serves as NSF’s Lean Program Leader, overseeing enterprise-wide Lean initiatives to improve client satisfaction, reduce cost and eliminate inefficiencies and waste. Kathuria helps to establish best practices for NSF while working toward continuous improvement initiatives.

Prior to joining NSF International, Kathuria led Pfizer’s Discovery Research Informatics & Global Program Management and Discovery Technologies Program and managed product development for healthcare technology solutions provider CSC Healthcare Group.  She holds a master’s degree in computer science and engineering from the University of Toledo and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Delhi College of Engineering.

“Tom and Chandana have both played instrumental roles in helping NSF International and our clients grow and compete globally by providing the food safety and IT solutions they need today and in the future to further public health,” said Kevan P. Lawlor, NSF International President and CEO.

Source: NSF International