Bell Flavors and Fragrances is proud to announce the promotions of three team members, and hiring of seven new employees. Please join Bell in congratulating the promotions of Nicole Iwicki to senior sensory scientist, and Joann Molloy and Valerie Seaholm’s promotion to regulatory analyst.

Bell also welcomes to the family Jordan Rammelsberg, research chef; Cyndie Lipka, principal flavorist; Megan Paul, sensory technologist; Dana Sanza Chen, senior flavorist; Ciara Baloun, regulatory project manager; Paul Lai, senior sensory scientist; and Prisca Lumbu, regulatory compliance specialist.

Nicole Iwicki has been a key member of Bell’s Sensory & Consumer Insights Team for over four years. In her new role as senior sensory scientist, she will lead the Flavor Division’s projects and streamline overall Sensory processes.

Joann Molloy joined the Bell team in 2007 as a Kosher, Halal and CDA Administrator. Joann then transitioned to the role of senior documentation administrator, maintaining her subject matter expertise through support of Kosher and Halal flavor submissions.

Valerie Seaholm joined Bell in 2012 as a senior documentation administrator and had an immediate impact thanks to her exceptional organization and computer skills. She manages the CDA program for Bell along with supporting the data surveys of RIFM, FEMA and IFRA.

In their new roles, both Joann and Valerie will continue to ensure that the Regulatory team is on track to accomplish their goals while continuing to maintain a focus on the customer.

Jordan Rammelsberg joins Bell’s Culinary and Applications Team as a research chef. Jordan comes to Bell from Gamay Food Ingredients in New Berlin, WI where he was a Food Scientist that developed and tested shelf-stable dairy products. Jordan holds a B.S. in Culinology with a Minor in Nutrition from Southwest Minnesota State University. Jordan is an active member of the Research Chefs Association and was the recipient of the RCA Higher Education Scholarship in both 2014 and 2015.

Bell welcomes back Cyndie Lipka to the Sweet Creation Team as a principle flavorist. Cyndie has over 25 years of experience in the flavor industry developing and duplicating elegantly layered flavors for a variety of markets, including confectionary, chewing gum, and beverages. Cyndie is a trained sensory panelist with over 7 years’ additional experience on Perfumer & Flavorist ‘Organoleptic Characteristics of Flavor Materials’. Cyndie is an active member of the Society of Flavor Chemists (SFC), Chemical Sources Association (CSA), Women in Flavor & Fragrance Commerce (WFFC) and FEMA. Cyndie served on the Board of Directors for the SFC, a Two termed president of CSA, and is currently a board member of the WFFC. In 2017, Cyndie received the Flavorist of the Year Award from the WFFC and Bell is excited to have her join the team.

Megan Paul comes to Bell after three years at Trillian Food & Nutrition in Little Chute, Wi, and will serve as a sensory technologist. Megan earned her B.S. in Food Science with a minor in Organizational Leadership and Supervision from Purdue University. Megan will lead Sensory Panel scheduling, preparation, and execution for both the Flavor and Fragrance divisions.

Dana Sanza-Chen has joined the Bell Flavor Creation Team as a senior flavorist. Dana has 20 years of experience in the flavor industry, creating and duplicating sweet flavors primarily for the beverage market. Dana is an active member of the Society of Flavor Chemists (SFC), holding a variety of positions including Chicago Meeting Coordinator (2013-2014), Membership Committee (2015-2019) and most recently, Membership Committee Co-Chair (2019-present).

Ciara Baloun joins the Bell family as a regulatory project manager at the Northbrook location. Ciara previously spent time in Regulatory at Kerry and Silesia Flavors supporting TTB, Organic and the Non-GMO Project Verification Programs. Additionally, Ciara has experience in flavor quality with certifications in PCQI, HACCP, BRC internal auditing, and food defense programs.

Paul Lai joins the Bell Sensory & Consumer Insights team with nine years of experience in sensory and consumer research, most recently at Kerry. He will lead Sensory & Consumer research projects on the Fragrance side of the business. Paul earned his M.S. and B.S. in Food Science with a double minor in Packaging Science and Horticultural Science from the University of Florida.

Lastly, Bell welcomes Prisca Lumbu to the Regulatory team as a regulatory compliance specialist. Prisca joins the company from Mars Food as a Labeling and Certification Specialist. Prisca holds a BS in Food Science and Human Nutrition from the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign.