Cosmetic Technical/Regulatory Forum

Don Frey

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Meredith Petillo

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Craig Weiss

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Karen Yarussi-King

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Angela Diesch

Angela Diesch is an attorney with extensive experience representing cosmetic brands. As a litigator, Angela defends against commercial, product liability, and class action litigation threats. As regulatory counsel, she helps companies reach and maintain regulatory compliance. As outside General Counsel, Angela helps cosmetic companies meet the daily challenges that arise in the dynamic and competitive cosmetic industry. Angela’s unique focus on cosmetics, particularly in the natural and organic sector, includes extensive experience assisting with product packaging and labeling, claim review and substantiation, and third-party certifications. Angela is a Partner with Amin Talati Wasserman, LLP, chairs NSF International’s Joint Committee on the Good Manufacturing Practices for Cosmetics, is a member of the Global Retailers and Manufacturers Alliance, a member of Independent Beauty Alliance, an advisory board member to NOHBA, and author of the blog, CosmeticsAndTheLaw.com. ×

Keith Edgett

Keith Edgett believes that innovation is easy when elicited by deep consumer insight and sound strategy development. He is intuitive and visionary when it comes to seeing business opportunities and bringing diverse teams together by challenging traditional thinking and enabling inspiration derived ideas that drive business advantages.
He is a highly accomplished innovation executive with over 30 years of experience leading global CPG R&D and market research organizations. Keith is a driven leader that inspires action while at the same time remains focused on investment, emerging market opportunities and delivering business results.
A deep passion for new product development has led to a successful track record of commercializing more than 300 new consumer products spanning household solutions, cosmetics, OTC's and medical devices. Diverse category experience and a credible voice in decision making, aligning technical strategies, and establishing multi-year innovation pipelines have been foundational during his career.
He is now serving as Vice President R&D, Regulatory and Program Management for Carma Labs Incorporated, a privately held global skin care company. Previously, as Vice President R&D, Keith led Research & Development and Quality Assurance for Playtex Products Feminine Care and Antiseptic Skin Care Businesses. Additionally, he rose through the ranks of L&F Products, Schering Plough, Kao/Jergens and Kimberly Clark serving in various leadership roles. Keith holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemistry and Biology from Ramapo College and studied business at Long Island University. He currently serves on several IBA Committees.
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Carl Geffken

Mr. Geffken received his undergraduate (B.S.) and graduate (M.S.) degrees in microbiology, public health and clinical pathology and began his career as a faculty member, also at Wagner College in New York City. During the subsequent fifty years he has been employed as a quality assurance professional contributing to major business objectives with Chesebrough Ponds, American Can Packaging, Abbott Laboratories, Chanel Inc. and Beiersdorf North America. He is now a consultant to the cosmetic and skin care industry in the areas of quality assurance and regulatory compliance. His insights are featured routinely in Global Cosmetic Industry magazine and he is a frequent speaker at trade events on the subject of international cosmetic regulations. ×

Tracy Gerstle

Tracy Gerstle is an international trade specialist with the U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration. At ITA she works to support the competitiveness of the U.S. life sciences industries, including cosmetics, health and chemicals industries. Tracy brings broad global experience to ITA, having first served as economic development advisor for small and medium companies in Africa, Asia and the former Soviet Union. Previously she served in policy and stakeholder relations positions with Croplife International and the American Chemistry Council, representing industry in different international and domestic forums on issues including climate change, sustainability, intellectual property and product safety standards. Tracy holds a MA in International Economic Development from Johns Hopkins and a MBA the University of Maryland. ×

Robert Harmala

For 30 years Mr. Harmala has represented clients before legislative and administrative bodies at the Federal, State and Local levels. Areas of representation include, among other issues – Consumer Products Safety, Native American issues, Housing, Animal Safety and Defense/Homeland Security.

Mr. Harmala is the principal and founder of Telegraph Avenue Advisors, a government relations and policy firm based in Washington, DC and Los Angeles.

Prior to founding Telegraph, Mr. Harmala was the Chair of the Government Relations Practice Groups and a Partner at the law firms of Jenner & Block LLP and Kilpatrick Townsend.

Mr. Harmala was of Counsel to the law firm of Venable, LLP where he helped to found that firms Government Relations Practice Group and represented both his own clients and those of the firm. During this time Mr. Harmala utilized his extensive knowledge and network of contacts in lobbying the US Congress, the California Legislature and Attorney General’s Office, as well as the cities of Washington, DC, Los Angeles and Oakland, CA.

Mr. Harmala has also represented foreign governments, including Taiwan, Turkmenistan, the Netherlands Antilles, Ukraine and India, before the United States Congress and the Executive Branch.

From 1995 until joining Venable in 2001, Mr. Harmala maintained a successful solo lobbying practice splitting time between Washington, DC, Sacramento, Oakland, CA and the Netherlands.

Mr. Harmala began his Washington career as a Counsel on the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Operations where he was responsible for issues including the State Department Authorization legislation, oversight of US international relations with international organizations, human rights and specific country focus on Israel and India. At the Committee he maintained a TS level security clearance.

Mr. Harmala has also been both a professional and informal advisor to various Democratic campaigns at the national (Obama Presidential 2008), Senate (South Dakota, Kentucky, Wyoming) and House (California) levels over his career. ×

Aliza Karetnick

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Robert Kiefer

Robert Kiefer is the General Manager of REACH24H USA Inc., located near Washington, DC in Reston, VA. REACH24H USA is a subsidiary of REACH24H Consulting Group, a global regulatory consulting company headquartered in Hangzhou, China with offices in Taiwan, South Korea, Ireland, UK and USA. REACH24H provides chemical regulatory compliance services for companies trying to navigate the regulatory maze in China and Asia-Pacific countries, EU, UK, and North America. In addition, REACH24H offers expanded services for the pesticide, cosmetic, food & food contact, and pharmaceutical industry sectors.

REACH24H is an IBA Preferred Partner for China cosmetic regulatory services. Because of REACH24H’s global footprint and that it offers Chinese Supplier Chain Management services, Robert also sits on IBA’s Supply Chain & Sustainability Resource Committee.

Robert’s career spans almost thirty years in Washington, DC working for two major trade associations in the chemical and formulated products industries. Prior to joining REACH24H, Robert served as Director of Regulatory and Technical Affairs for the American Chemistry Council (ACC), and before that with the Consumer Specialty Products Association (CSPA now HCPA) where he served as Director of Scientific and International Affairs. He has extensive regulatory advocacy experience in domestic and global chemical control regulations, trade policy, hazard communication, consumer products, and pesticides.

Robert earned a BS in Biology from James Madison University.

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Dan Kolhoff

Dan Kolhoff is an attorney with 20 years of experience with consumer product companies, handling international development and regulatory affairs. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara and his law degree from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago. Dan has worked at Herbalife, Nestle USA, Murad, and Guthy-Renker and currently oversees Regulatory Affairs for John Paul Mitchell Systems. The scope of products he has worked on includes cosmetics, OTCs, foods, supplements, medical devices and consumer products. ×

Dr. Frederic Lebreux

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Vic Mencarelli

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Kerry Tassopoulos

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Debbie Waite

Debbie is a dedicated professional with more than 25 years of industry experience in Cosmetic Regulatory Affairs. Her expertise includes regulatory oversight for several multi-million dollar product line launches. She is adept at helping clients structure their marketing claims to make the strongest compliant claim possible, and ensuring product warnings are meaningful and concisely worded. With more than 20 years’ MSDS responsibility, the SDS she authors are truly meaningful and compliant without being overly cumbersome. Her attention to detail ensures that product formulations are thoroughly reviewed and packaging artwork is fully compliant and consistent. ×

Jordan Wells

Jordan joined the National Stewardship Action Council (NSAC) at
its formation in 2015 and currently serves as the organization’s
Special Projects Manager II. NSAC is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit
organization that will advocate for a Circular Economy anywhere
in the U.S.
At NSAC, Jordan assists the Executive Director on managing and
growing the organization. She is responsible for the organization’s
communications including the website, webinars, listservs, and
social media. She also assists the Executive Director on managing
all the organization’s daily internal operations and is lead on grant
proposals and project management.
Jordan is passionate about policy and legislation and enjoys
advocating for producer responsibility policies and all that entails, including development of
strong coalitions to advocate for policy change. She has given presentations to audiences in
numerous states and nationally, in a variety of venues including conferences, workshops,
webinars, and luncheons.
Jordan works closely with corporations to advance producer responsibility and product
stewardship, including but not limited to Smarter Sorting, U-Haul International Inc., Walgreens,
Inmar Intelligence, and REI. She excels at building partnerships, connecting people through
projects, and other win-win initiatives. She supports the Director by participating in coalitions like
the American Sustainable Business Council’s Sustainable Packaging Working Group. She is
expert at developing promotional campaigns from scratch including creation of logos and taglines
to executing public relations campaigns, such as facilitating virtual, national press conferences.
In 2020, Jordan helped plan and participated in the California Foundation on the Environment and
the Economy’s “California’s Recycling Challenge” Study Trip to Washington and Oregon. The
trip was attended by the California State Treasurer, four California State Legislators, the California
Medical Association, and representatives from waste haulers, producers, and more.
Jordan received a Bachelor of Arts in Sustainability from San Diego State University (SDSU) and
studied abroad at the University of Oxford. The Sustainability Department awarded Jordan the
Outstanding Graduate Award for 2014 based on her GPA and extracurricular activities.
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Michael Wenk

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Holly Young

Working in the cosmetics packaging industry for over 40 years, starting as a “Gal Friday” and working her way up from typesetting & mechanicals to designer to company owner to today where Holly is considered an expert on global packaging graphics regulations for the health & beauty industry. Her clients include large international companies such as Chanel & Coty, as well as many mid-size & start-ups, all with the same issues and concerns on complying with packaging graphics regulations for the USA, Canada, EU and “Global”.

Ms. Young has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors (“ICMAD”), she has been inducted into the New Jersey Packaging Executive Club’s Packaging Hall of Fame, and she was named Woman of the Year in Business by the New York Woman’s Chamber of Commerce.

Ms. Young is a favorite speaker on regulatory graphics for the health and beauty industry at many events including ICMAD Webinars, Master’s Classes at F.I.T. & F.D.U., H.B.A., Cosmoprof and The Center for Professional Advancement.

Holly is involved in the following trade and business associations: Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors (ICMAD), Personal Care Products Council (formerly CTFA), Canada Cosmetic, Toiletries and Fragrance Associates (CCTFA), Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW) and the New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners (NJAWBO).
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