NSF’s President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kevan Lawlor Announces Retirement; Pedro Sancha to Succeed Lawlor as President and CEO

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – NSF (NSF) announced today that President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kevan P. Lawlor has decided to retire in 2022 and Pedro Sancha will become the organization’s next President and CEO.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, the leadership team, and NSF’s 3,000 team members, we would like to thank Kevan for his impact and leadership over his 36 years with the organization,” said NSF’s Board Chairman, Richard E. Rabbideau. “I am also excited to announce Pedro Sancha will join NSF as our next President and CEO. Pedro brings extensive global experience in the industrial and services industries, as well as the strategic and leadership skills needed to take the organization through its next chapter.”

“I am thrilled to join NSF as this important time in its history during such a significant time for human health,” said Sancha. “The pandemic has demonstrated how critical it is for our societies to count on independent, science-based testing, inspection and certification organizations such as NSF. With its world-class expertise in food safety, water quality, health sciences and sustainability, NSF is uniquely positioned to fulfill its mission of protecting and improving human health and the environment on a global scale.”

Sancha joins NSF from Ecolab where he was senior vice president and general manager of the Industrial Digital Group. In this role, he spearheaded the digital transformation of Ecolab’s industrial group, with a focus on advanced Internet of Things, cloud-based analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, eCommerce and remote asset monitoring. Prior to this role, he led the Global Light Industries division of Ecolab and joined the organization as vice president of strategy and business development.

Prior to Ecolab, Sancha worked for Shell where he was general manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, as well as increasing roles of responsibility in Asia. He began his career as a business consultant with Arthur Andersen. Sancha has master’s degrees in engineering from the Polytechnic University of Madrid and the Ecole des Ponts Paristech, and a master’s of business administration from Harvard University.

“Kevan has played a significant role by bringing international prestige to NSF and led us to become a global organization at a heightened level. His leadership in our industry, and as a former Chairman of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), has helped governments, regulators, industry partners, customers and consumers by creating many health standards and independent evaluation services which are used throughout the world today,” said Rabbideau.

“I am grateful to have spent the past three decades with this wonderful organization and honored to have had the opportunity to lead it for the last 18 years. I want to extend my sincere appreciation to our employees who are deeply committed to our global mission to protect and improve human health,” said Lawlor. “I would also like to thank our customers, partners, communities and the Board of Directors for their ongoing support. What we have been able to achieve is nothing short of amazing, and I look forward to what’s next for this incredible organization.”

NSF (nsf.org) is an independent, global organization that facilitates standards development, and tests and certifies products for the food, water, health sciences and consumer goods industries to minimize adverse health effects and protect the environment. Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting human health and safety worldwide. With operations in 110 countries, NSF is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center on Food Safety, Water Quality and Indoor Environment.

For more information or media interviews, please contact Allison Gammel at media@nsf.org.