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About Us

It’s not what you make. It’s what we make possible together.

Partnering with customers to develop and manufacture life-changing pharmaceuticals has been our highest calling for decades. Customer innovations are brought to life by our people, working with purpose and supported by strong infrastructure that allows us to deliver on promises.

Our History

Lifecore’s Leadership Team

We are proud to collaborate with customers who create products that improve lives. We also recognize the importance of our role and our responsibilities to employees, customers, consumers, and the planet.
James (Jim) Hall

President & CEO

Jackie Klecker

General Manager & Executive Vice President

John Morberg

Chief Financial Officer & Executive Vice President

Darren Hieber

Sr. Vice President of Corporate Development & Partnerships

Matt Augustson

Sr. Vice President of Information Technology

Steve Laninga

Vice President of Operations

Rick Sitarz

Vice President of New Business Development

Phil Sticha

Vice President of Business Operations

Kipling Thacker, Ph.D.

Vice President & Chief Scientist

Scott Collins

Vice President of Finance

Lifecore Foundation

Just as we care about our employees, we care about the communities where we live and work. That’s why, in 1993, we created the Lifecore Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that coordinates volunteer efforts and charitable contributions from Lifecore Biomedical and our employees. We partner with other non-profits to donate goods, raise funds, provide services, and generate awareness for a variety of causes in the Twin Cities metro communities and beyond. Also, in alignment with our corporate position as a leading supplier to the ophthalmics industry, we support non-profits that provide ophthalmic-related services. 

Organizations that have benefitted from our work include the ASCRS Foundation’s Operation Sight, Toys for Tots, Feed My Starving Children, Love INC Carver County, and Make-A-Wish Foundation of Minnesota.

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Tax ID: EN 41-1736832

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Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG)

We are committed to developing our ESG framework based on globally recognized institutions. As stewards of the environment, we engage all levels of the organization to ensure our sustainability initiatives are executed with excellence. These initiatives are communicated within Lifecore through our Continuous Process Improvement team. Read our Environment, Health, Safety, and Sustainability (EHSS) policy.
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Sodium Hyaluronate

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© 2024 Lifecore Biomedical, Inc. All rights reserved.

James (Jim) Hall

President & CEO

Bringing over 30 years of pharmaceutical and combination product manufacturing and development experience, Jim’s expertise has guided us for over 25 years.
During his tenure, Jim has risen from a managerial role to Director, General Manager and Vice President. In 2017, Jim was appointed as our President, overseeing all operations at Lifecore. Jim was appointed to his current position in 2022 when Lifecore’s parent company (Landec Corporation) transitioned to become a standalone (Lifecore Biomedical).

Jackie Klecker

General Manager & Executive Vice President

With over 30 years of industry experience in quality, manufacturing, and development, Jackie has guided our quality assurance for over a decade.
After serving as 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. Jackie was appointed to her current position in 2022 when Lifecore’s parent company (Landec Corporation) transitioned to become a standalone (Lifecore Biomedical).

John Morberg

Chief Financial Officer & Executive Vice President

John was appointed as Chief Financial Officer of Landec Corporation (former parent company of Lifecore) in January 2021. Prior to joining Landec, he was CFO and General Counsel for BL Restaurant Holdings, LLC. Previously, he held roles including CEO, CFO, and board member at Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp; CFO of DEI Holdings, Inc., through its initial public offering and the early stages of being a public company; and Vice President and Controller of PETCO.
John began his career at KPMG and has a Juris Doctor from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and a BBA, Accounting from the University of San Diego. He is a member of the State Bar of California and holds an inactive CPA license. John was appointed to his current position in 2022 when Landec Corporation transitioned to become a standalone (Lifecore Biomedical).

Darren Hieber

Sr. Vice President of Corporate Development & 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.
Darren was the Vice President of Business Development at Catalent Biologics before joining Lifecore in November 2021. He was appointed to his current position in 2022 when Lifecore’s parent company (Landec Corporation) transitioned to become a standalone (Lifecore Biomedical).

Matt Augustson

Sr. 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.
With more than 20 years in the IT industry, Matt is a proven leader in developing, designing, selling, implementing, and architecting end-to-end IT solutions for manufacturing, health care and retail.
Before joining Lifecore, he worked at First Brands Group, Prime Therapeutics, Best Buy, Accenture, Oracle, and Retek. Matt was appointed to his current position in 2022 when Lifecore’s parent company (Landec Corporation) transitioned to become a standalone (Lifecore Biomedical).

Steve 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.

Rick Sitarz

Vice President of New Business 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 New Business Development in June 2015.

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.

Kipling Thacker, Ph.D.

Vice President & 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 Vice President and Chief Scientist.

Scott Collins

Vice President of Finance

With over 20 years of financial experience, Scott has worked across various finance positions with us, 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.