Meet The PLT Team

Our Executive Team
Seth Flowerman
President & Chief Executive Officer
Meet Seth
Seth Flowerman
President & Chief Executive Officer

Seth guides PLT’s mission to discover and commercialize best-in-class ingredient technologies that positively impact consumer health and wellbeing. As the head of PLT’s Leadership Team, Seth is responsible for overseeing growth initiatives and managing strategic partnerships. He is passionate about entrepreneurship and is proud to be the third generation owner of PLT following his father Paul Flowerman, and grandfather Marvin Flowerman. Prior to PLT, Seth was the President & CEO of Career Explorations – a staffing firm he founded in 2003 that was acquired in 2010. Seth holds an MBA in Strategic Operations, and a B.S. in Applied Economics & Management from Cornell University, and is a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) Metro Chapter.

Devin Stagg
Chief Operating Officer
Meet Devin
Devin Stagg
Chief Operating Officer

Devin is passionate about innovation and the way it can both grow businesses and improve people’s everyday lives. In his role as COO and member of the company’s Executive Team, Devin is responsible for leadership and management across the organization and driving PLT's growth initiatives. He also develops and manages strategic partnerships that are essential to maintaining PLT’s ingredient innovation pipeline.

An alumnus of Harvard Business School, Devin received a B.A. in Economics from Cornell University, and spent two years as a banking analyst at Citigroup in Equity Capital Markets, advising corporate clients on initial public offerings and other equity transactions. He was also a key participant in a staffing start-up that was successfully sold in 2010.

Outside of the office, Devin is an avid scuba diver and mountain biker and is an active supporter of PADI AWARE and marine conservation.

Paul Flowerman
Chairman Emeritus, Executive Director People and Planet
Meet Paul
Paul Flowerman
Chairman Emeritus, Executive Director People and Planet

Paul Flowerman, Chairman Emeritus & Executive Director of the PLT People and Planet Initiative, began working at the company in 1976. He was responsible for transitioning the company from an importer/distributor into an ingredient-based solutions provider to consumer products companies – via partnerships developed with manufacturers around the world. Paul has been a leader and an advocate within the Natural Products in developing many of the standards that are today an increasingly important part of the transparency and quality transformation that is affecting the industry today. Mr. Flowerman steered the Harmonium Choral Society through the 2008-2010 financial crisis as board chair is active in Princeton University alumni social initiatives, and was also a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Malaysia.

Our Thought Leaders
Serdar (Sam) Yildirimlar
Chief Financial Officer
Meet Serdar (Sam)
Serdar (Sam) Yildirimlar
Chief Financial Officer

As an active outdoor person, healthier and happier lives are important to Sam. As PLT’s CFO, he brings over 30 years in international business experience to helping the company forge relationships all over the world. Sam received his Bachelor’s and served in the military in Turkey before settling in the United States after receiving an MBA from Adelphi University. He’s been working in financial positions at PLT for two decades now and is one of our happy veterans.

Outside of work, Sam and his family are accomplished skiers having braved slopes around the world.

Sid D. Hulse
Vice President of Product Development
Meet Sid
Sid D. Hulse
Vice President of Product Development

Sid Hulse is the Director of New Product Development at PLT Health Solutions and has spent his 30+ year career in human and animal nutrition and health – with a particular emphasis on helping to deliver high-value ingredients into formulations. He has held sales, marketing and management positions at Valensa International, Zila Nutraceuticals, Archer Daniels Midland, Degussa International, and American Cyanamid as well as sales and marketing consulting posts at FMC, Alpharma, Nepera, and Nichimen.

Outside of work, Sid enjoys working in the yard (while affectionately naming his big landscaping equipment - Big Red ( his snowblower) and Red Ryder ( his lawn tractor). Also in his free time, he enjoys scuba diving, bike riding, dogs, getting together with family especially traveling to see his Granddaughters in FL and son in North Carolina.

Rima Patel
Vice President of Quality
Meet Rima
Rima Patel
Vice President of Quality

Rima will admit to being passionate about advancing safety, quality and trust in the natural products industry. She has spent a career on it – having been Regulatory Affairs & Scientific Support Manager at Azelis, a Regulatory Affairs Consumer Health Specialist at Symrise, and as a Food Safety & Quality Assurance Technician at Flying Food Group. She was awarded a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Nutritional Sciences from Rutgers University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in Project Management. Certifications include FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food (PCQI), FSPCA Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP), FSPCA Food Defense Awareness, NOAA Seafood and HACCP, and Servsafe.

Outside of work Rima enjoys traveling, fashion, food, dancing, and hiking.

Mark Stephens
Vice President of Sales
Meet Mark
Mark Stephens
Vice President of Sales

As the Vice President of Sales at PLT, Mark Stephens brings an extremely positive attitude and high level of energy to his sales team. Mark leads by example & his commitment to excellence and ensuring that his team provides the highest level of service and support is what makes Mark and outstanding senior sales management professional. Mark earned a BA from The Pennsylvania State University in Liberal Arts/English (Phi Beta Kappa), and a Master of Science in Management from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He began his career in a variety of marketing and brand management roles at Warner-Lambert Company where he managed several consumer Health Product brands, including Listerine and Benadryl. He had several roles during his tenure at PepsiCo, including Market Development Manager, Director of Retail Sales Strategy, and Vice President of On-Premise Strategy. He also served as CEO for Bookbinders Foods Company and Multi-Flow Industries before coming to PLT Health Solutions as Vice-President Sales, where he is responsible for Sales Strategy and Management for US and Canada. He also personally manages the PLT business for The Natures Bounty Company and Iovate.

Mark is an avid climber (sport, rock, and high-altitude expedition climbing in Bolivia and Europe). He likes all things Indian (music, food, culture) and splits his time between his Philadelphia-area home built in 1708 and time with his partner in Manhattan.

Steve Fink
Vice President of Marketing
Meet Steve
Steve Fink
Vice President of Marketing

Steve Fink is PLT Health Solutions Vice President of Marketing. He brings over a decade of marketing, product development and commercialization experience to PLT, and today oversees new product launch efforts, supports PLT’s innovation partners with marketing strategies, and works closely with PLT customers in developing concepts for consumer products featuring PLT ingredients. Prior to joining PLT, Steve was the Global Marketing Business Manager for Ajinomoto North America where he led that organization’s B2B and B2C marketing initiatives for branded bulk amino acid portfolios, R&D pre-scale pharmaceutical ingredient portfolios, and retail sports supplements portfolios. During his tenure, he spearheaded the company’s launch of the AjiPure active lifestyle retail nutrition brand. Earlier in his career, Steve practiced law as a patent, trademark, copyright and intellectual property attorney.

Outside of the office, Steve pours his resources into the things he loves most – his family (especially storytime with his daughter), his loving Irish Setter, traveling, skiing, scuba diving, music, and movie trivia. He really misses his 1967 Pontiac GTO too.

Jen Murphy, MS, RD
Director of Innovation & Clinical Development
Meet Jen
Jen Murphy, MS, RD
Director of Innovation & Clinical Development

Jen Murphy is Director of Innovation & Clinical Development at PLT Health Solutions. Jen brings a decade of experience and expertise in ingredient development and a strong foundation in clinical design and claims substantiation, having helped guide innovation and commercialization strategies for hundreds of products. Immediately prior to joining PLT, Jen was R&D Manager in Technology and Product Innovation at GNC, where she worked on new product ideation, product formulation, and the development and substantiation of claims. While at GNC Jen also led their ingredient discovery program, which focused on identifying best-in-class, clinically supported ingredients to drive new product innovation. Jen received her Master of Science, Clinical Nutrition from the University of Pittsburgh.

Outside of work, Jen’s interests include music, photography, hiking, cooking, houseplants, and metaphors

Jeremy Appleton, ND
Director of Medical and Scientific Affairs
Meet Jeremy
Jeremy Appleton, ND
Director of Medical and Scientific Affairs

Jeremy Appleton is the Director of Medical and Scientific Affairs. As a licensed naturopathic doctor with an extensive background in natural medicine and education, Dr. Jeremy Appleton brings relevant experience driving new product ideation and development, business development, and education for natural products and ingredients to PLT. Immediately prior to joining PLT, Appleton was Vice President of Science & Education at Klaire Labs. Previous engagements included Director of Scientific Affairs for Nature’s Way and Integrative Therapeutics (Schwabe North America). He is a graduate of Reed College, National College of Natural Medicine, and completed his residency at Bastyr University, where he was also on faculty. A supplement industry veteran, Dr. Appleton also previously served as Nutrition Department Chair at the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, OR and is the author of numerous articles on evidence-based natural medicine.

Outside of work Jeremy's interests include hiking, playing music, winemaking, and cooking.

Jay Martin
Director of Global Sales
Meet Jay
Jay Martin
Director of Global Sales

Jay brings over 30 years of expertise in the health and nutrition industry with a wide range of large and small companies, providing critical experience and perspective that helps drive success and significant business growth. Jay's experience includes all aspects of global marketing and sales with industry leaders such as Pharmavite, Weider/Schiff, Kellogg, Abbott Labs, Merck KGaA, Shaklee, InterHealth and Lonza AG/Ltd. Today, Jay is focused on leading and expanding PLT's international business growth. Jay has an MBA from USC (University of Southern California) and a BA from Bard College in New York.

Outside of the office, Jay enjoys global travel for both business and pleasure and exploring the diverse sights, foods, cultures, and sports the world has to offer. Jay is also passionate about motor sports of almost any kind.

Stephen Cook
Director of Supply Chain
Meet Stephen
Stephen Cook
Director of Supply Chain

Stephen brings with him over 20 years of experience in supply chain and manufacturing experience in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industry. With far-reaching expertise in manufacturing, purchasing, quality control, business process improvement, planning, packaging, distribution, forecasting, and operations. Stephen's experience includes all aspects of supply chain management with industry leaders such as QuVa Pharma and The Nature’s Bounty Company / Solgar Vitamin and Herb (Natural Products Group). Today, Stephen is focused on enhancing processes, streamline operations, expand growth, and increase productivity, while reducing costs. Stephen has an MS from Kean University, NJ, and a BS from Susquehanna University, PA.

Outside of the office Stephen has a passion for lacrosse and coaches for his town’s Girls Lacrosse teams as well as being an active participant in the NJ Lacrosse Club and the Old Dog's Lacrosse League NJ. He is an active participant in the Annual Walk for Alzheimer's cure and Shootout for Soldiers which is a nationwide 24-hour Lacrosse game to support Veterans.

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