W. Michael Russell, Ph.D. Email & Phone Number

Minneapolis - St. Paul, Minnesota, US

Responsible for all aspects of business operations, including compliance and HR. Corporate strategy, partnerships and growth.

Helping organizations achieve their innovation and operations goals and deliver business results. Specializing in probiotics, prebiotics, microbiome, functional foods and the gut microbiota in the Food and Beverage, Nutrition, Supplement and Life Science industries.

Madison, Wisconsin, US

Indirectly manage and direct the work of scientists, laboratory associates, and the laboratory space. Direct independent experimental research on microorganisms for the discovery and development of probiotic cultures for the dietary supplement industry.

Davis, California, US

Provide strategic leadership to all aspects of Operations, including Supply Chain & Manufacturing, Product and Product Development, Digital Technology and Corporate Laboratory Operations

Davis, California, US

Davis, California, US

Davis, California, US

Manage new product and process development. Plan and implement the development of new process formulas, establish operating equipment specifications, and improve manufacturing techniques and production of new microbiome products. Lead QA/QC and Food Safety to ensure adherence to the highest quality standards. New ingredient and business development.

Arden Hills, Minnesota, US

• Reported to VP Research and Development, supported a $1.6B business through new product development, cost savings, brand maintenance and new technology projects across multiple product platforms. This included managing.
• Implemented a robust stage gate process across the entire project portfolio where none previously existed.
• Led a cross functional team to implement a new product specification system across all 9 Dairy Foods plants resulting in improved quality and compliance.
• Led the Food Safety Design and Nutrition Labeling group which supported new product development for the $5B Dairy Foods business. Transitioned the group to the Quality and Regulatory department.

• Taught Medical Microbiology J602 for first-year medical students.
• Prepared and delivered lectures, administered and graded exams covering the topics of: principles of pathogenesis, antibiotics and antibiotic resistance, regulation of gene expression, extracellular bacteria, atypical.
• Received the highest instructor evaluation scores of all instructors both semesters taught.

Makati, National Capital Region, PH

• Responsible for managing MJN’s total portfolio of joint development research projects totaling approx. $1.5M with a small, diverse team of three Ph.D. scientists located in the U.S, Europe and Asia.
• Led the sourcing and development of new external technologies aligned with business priorities and market needs.
• Member of the Global Discovery leadership team which managed and prioritized the new product pipeline.
• Implemented a compelling process for Open Innovation for MJN.
• Communicated scientific and strategic information to diverse audiences at multiple levels throughout the organization.
• Developed and executed strategies to capture and leverage intellectual property.

Makati, National Capital Region, PH

• Sought out, identified and championed new ingredient opportunities to support the innovation pipeline and generate positive business results by managing a portfolio of multiple long and short-term external research.
• R&D team leader for the development and launch of a new infant formula, Nutramigen + Enflora LGG.
• Scientific liaison for the FDA GRAS notification for Lactobacillus GG.
• Qualified multiple international suppliers for a live and active culture with rigorous shelf life requirements.

Wilmington, DE, US

• Conceived, planned, and led projects in basic research and product development for dairy starter culture systems, probiotics and related ingredients.
• Established an in-house functional genomics platform leading to enhanced capabilities in culture identification, manufacturing optimization and fundamental understanding of key products.
• Coordinated efforts to secure intellectual property for the L. acidophilus NCFM genome sequence.
• Communicated scientific concepts and results to internal and external customers and to the scientific community through presentations at national and international meetings and through peer-reviewed journals.

Ph.D., Microbiology & Biotechnology

Bachelor Of Science (B.S.), Animal Sciences