Executive Team

The executive team at NSF plays a crucial role in shaping and executing our strategy and operations, aligning them seamlessly with our corporate mission.

Pedro Sancha, President and Chief Executive Officer

Pedro Sancha, President & Chief Executive Officer

Pedro Sancha is the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NSF. He also sits on the NSF Board of Directors. Sancha joined NSF in March of 2022. As CEO, he is responsible for providing leadership and strategic direction to NSF, working alongside our 3,000 talented team members to improve human and planet health by leveraging science-based principles, strategic partnerships and data-driven insights. Sancha has extensive global experience in the industrial and business services industries and has lived, and worked in Northern Africa, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the US. He previously served as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Ecolab’s Industrial Digital Group and led its Global Light Industries division. Prior to joining Ecolab, Sancha spent 14 years with Shell, where he held senior leadership positions in general management, sales, marketing, supply chain, strategy, and business development. He began his career as a management consultant with Arthur Andersen. Sancha holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and Master’s Degrees in engineering from the Polytechnic University of Madrid and the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussees in France. Sancha is a member of the University of Michigan School of Public Health’s Dean’s Advisory Board.

Jose Luis Borrero, VP and Chief Financial Officer

Jose Luis Borrero, Vice President & Chief Financial Officer | NSF

Jose Luis Borrero has served as NSF’s Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since 2023. In this capacity, he has direct oversight of the accounting, controllership, tax and risk management functions, and is also responsible for financial planning, analysis and corporate development activities to advance NSF’s mission and growth. Borrero is a proven CFO with a history of delivering results and creating value for companies like ChemTreat, Deluxe Corporation, 3M, The Quaker Oats Company (PepsiCo), Coca-Cola and Gillette (Procter & Gamble). In each role, he created financial strategies and operational optimization that propelled the business forward to accelerate transformation and growth. Borrero earned a Bachelor of Science Management with a concentration in Finance from Tulane University.

Scott Morris, SVP International Markets and Laboratories

Scott Morris, Senior Vice President, Emerging Markets & Laboratories | NSF

Scott Morris serves as Senior Vice President of NSF’s International Markets and Laboratories. In this role, Scott is tasked with driving growth and operational excellence across NSF’s portfolio of businesses in Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Greater China. In addition, Scott is responsible for ensuring the highest level of scientific testing, quality and customer service across NSF’s global network of laboratories. Morris brings more than two decades of experience in the Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) industry. Before joining NSF, he served as a President with Eurofins Environment Testing, where he oversaw sales and operations across the US. Morris also previously held the position of Chief Operating Officer at TestAmerica Laboratories, Inc. Morris earned his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Planning and a postgraduate degree in Town and Country Planning from the University of Birmingham, UK. He also holds a postgraduate degree in Business Administration from the University of Warwick in Coventry, UK.

Dave Purkiss, VP Water

Dave Purkiss, Vice President, Water | NSF

Dave Purkiss is the Vice President of NSF’s Water Division and has over 35 years of experience in water treatment and distribution systems and product certification. Since joining NSF in 1987 he has helped develop NSF Standards and Certification programs and managed NSF’s first joint venture with the Water Research Centre in the UK. Purkiss has held previous leadership roles at NSF including General Manager of Municipal Water, General Manager of Plumbing Products and Managing Director of NSF-WRc. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Michigan State University and has taught high school chemistry for several years. Purkiss is a member of the Board of Directors of the Washtenaw County Shelter Association and is the current Chair of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) Polyelectrolytes Standards Committee.

Sarah Krol, VP Food and Nutrition

Sarah Krol is Vice President, Food and Nutrition at NSF. In this role, she is responsible for NSF’s global Food and Nutrition division, which includes primary food production/agriculture and fisheries, food manufacturing and distribution, product claims certifications such as Organics/Non-GMO (including NSF’s subsidiary Quality Assurance International), and nutrition and wellness (including supplements and cosmetics). Her teams ensure the safety of the global food supply chain and brand protection for the world’s most recognized food and nutrition companies. Krol’s decades of expertise include leading the strategic development of food safety programs and global operations. She joined NSF in 2006, focusing on regulatory compliance. Since then, she has been instrumental in developing NSF’s food equipment, consumer products and Organic certification businesses. Most recently, she served as Senior Director, Food Supply Chain Solutions, leading global strategy for the seafood, agriculture, food processing and packaging sectors. Krol holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Western Michigan University.

Chris Malone, VP Food Retail and Assurance

Chris Malone, VP, Food Retail & Assurance

Chris Malone is Vice President, Food Retail and Assurance at NSF, responsible for NSF’s global Food Retail (Food Service Restaurants and Grocery), Commercial Food Equipment and Food Advisory Solutions businesses. Malone also leads NSF’s Management Systems Certification, Information Security and Digital Solutions businesses. Additionally, he provides executive oversight for the global Audit Delivery team, driving operational excellence in support of all certification and auditing activities. Malone previously served as Senior Vice President, North America for SGS’s Knowledge Division (previously the Certification and Business Enhancement Division), where he grew the business across several segments, including Food. He also owned and operated his own testing and engineering business and worked at Intel Corporation in operational and technology leadership roles. Malone holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Arizona State University and a Master of Business Administration from Georgetown University.

Jeff (“JD”) Deming, VP Life Sciences

Jeff (“JD”) Deming, VP Life Sciences

Jeff (“JD”) Deming is Vice President, Life Sciences at NSF. JD is responsible for managing a global team of quality, regulatory, and clinical experts in the pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device and IVD industries. His team provides full product lifecycle advisory, clinical trial capabilities, and pre/post-market submission support. Prior to NSF, JD served the last 25 years in executive quality and regulatory leadership positions at Becton Dickinson, Johnson & Johnson, GE Healthcare, Abbott, and Medtronic. JD holds a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration from Drexel University and subsequently obtained advanced degrees in business administration and healthcare administration. Prior to entering the industry, JD practiced clinically as a pre-hospital emergency healthcare provider.

Mel Cash, VP and Chief Commercial Officer

Mel Cash, VP and Chief Commercial Officer, NSF

Mel Cash is Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at NSF. In this role, she is responsible for accelerating growth across NSF’s global markets through commercial go-to-market strategies, sales enablement, brand awareness, program innovation and customer success. She oversees global teams including Brand and Communications, Marketing, Commercial Excellence, Web, Innovation, Standards Development, Toxicology and Government Affairs. Cash has more than two decades of marketing and sales enablement experience in the food and beverage industry, working with some of the most recognized names in the business. Most recently, she served as Chief Growth Officer of Amy’s Kitchen. Prior to that, she served as Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer at Nestlé, where she helped grow brands such as Stouffer’s and Sweet Earth in North America, and at Kellogg Company, where she led the Special K and MorningStar Farms brands. Cash holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Michigan. She is a member of Chief, a network for executive women.

Sean Etheridge, VP and Chief Legal Officer

Sean Etheridge, Vice President & Chief Legal Officer

Sean Etheridge is the Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at NSF. Etheridge advises and counsels the NSF leadership team and Board of Directors on the legal, risk and compliance aspects of global business and policies. He acts as NSF’s Corporate Secretary and oversees the company’s ESG, quality, risk and compliance programs. Etheridge brings over twenty years of legal experience to NSF. Before joining NSF in 2022, he served as Vice President and Corporate Secretary at Stryker Corporation, where he held legal leadership roles overseeing business development, public company reporting, securities offerings and corporate governance. Etheridge earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School, preceded by a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Michigan.

Cynthia Kadela, VP and Chief People Officer

Cynthia Kadela, Vice President and Chief People Officer

Cynthia Kadela is Vice President and Chief People Officer at NSF. She is responsible for leading and providing direction for the overall People strategy for the organization. Her team is accountable for ensuring a world-class experience for all NSF team members, including attracting and retaining the best talent and promoting NSF’s core values. Kadela’s expertise includes over 20 years of partnering with business and function leaders to align HR strategy and organization structure with company goals, establishing strong pipelines of diverse talent, setting HR policies and procedures, designing global compensation programs, and creating engagement plans. Kadela joined NSF in 2024. Prior to that, she spent most of her career in a variety of HR leadership roles at Ecolab. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Finance and Business Administration from Lewis University.