Frank L. Jaksch Jr
Co-Founder & CEO
Frank L. Jaksch, Jr., co-founded ChromaDex in 1999 and has served as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) since 2000. Under his leadership, ChromaDex has focused on developing a strong natural products and services business, expanded into international markets and built an impressive roster of Fortune 500 customers.
Prior to founding ChromaDex, Mr. Jaksch served as the International Subsidiaries Manager of Phenomenex, a life science supply company, where he managed the company’s international subsidiary and international business development divisions. His broad expertise includes analytic chemistry, biochemistry, processes and product development for natural products, legal and regulatory practices, agriculture and botany.
Mr. Jaksch holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Biology from Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana. He is a member of the American Chemistry Society, the American Herbal Products Association, the American Botanical Council and the NSF Joint Committee for Dietary Supplements.
Tom Varvaro
Chief Financial Officer
Tom Varvaro has more than 18 years of finance and operational experience. Prior to joining ChromaDex, he served as CFO for Fast Heat, Inc., a global supplier to the plastics, HVAC, packaging and food processing industries. In this role, he was responsible for all financial matters including accounting, risk management and human resources. He has also held accounting and information technology roles at companies such as Maple Leaf Bakery, Inc., where he provided oversight to the company as it transitioned from a single facility to a national leader in specialty food products.
Tom's hands-on experience in integrating acquisitions and overseeing new facility startups has provided him with a strong background in intellectual property (IP), contract and employment law. His work with manufacturing organizations has given him the opportunity to successfully implement plant automation, reporting and bar code tracking initiatives. Tom also has extensive experience with information technology, having held leadership roles in this arena as well.
Tom holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Illinois, Urbana, and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Mark Jost
VP of Operations
Mark Jost has spent more than 30 years providing support and strategic counsel to businesses in the areas of production and logistics, general and operations management, strategic and tactical planning, business and product development, sales, marketing and customer service. Joining ChromaDex® as the Vice President of Operations in 2008, Mr. Jost is responsible for operation of the Boulder laboratory facility and supply chain activities associated with the commercialization of ChromaDex proprietary products.
Before beginning his tenure at ChromaDex®, Mr. Jost served as the Executive Vice President of Corporate Development at SION Power, a developer of high-energy, rechargeable lithium sulfur batteries. In this role, he oversaw a multitude of departments, including marketing, sales, business development, human resources, finance, and information technology.
He has held various other executive and management positions during his career, including Senior Vice President of Global Water Programs at NSF International—where he handled production and logistics for the company’s water products testing and certification business—and leadership positions within Eagle Picher Industries.
Mr. Jost holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Metallurgy and Material Science from Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
