WASHINGTON — The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the leading trade association for the dietary supplement and functional food industry, has named Todd Johnson, senior director of Field Sales at i-Health, a subsidiary of DSM, as the new chair of CRN’s Retailer Relations Forum (RRF).

Succeeding Tom Mondragon, now CEO of Welly, Johnson will lead the RRF in fostering industry-retailer connections; generating new and growing existing business; and helping to expand education opportunities with retailers and other stakeholders.

Todd Johnson

Composed of senior sales and customer officers from CRN member companies, the RRF offers a venue for CRN members to stay informed on retailers’ priorities, initiatives, and expectations for the dietary supplement and functional food categories. “CRN’s RRF provides a unique platform for industry and retailers to share perspectives and priorities,” said Johnson. “I look forward to my leadership role and finding new opportunities for the dietary supplement industry to engage, influence, and build strong relationships with the retail community.”

Johnson has over 30 years of experience within the CPG industry and has worked with i-Health, a purpose-led company with leading brands such as Culturelle, AZO, and Estroven, for nine years. He is primarily responsible for co-leading the sales team within the United States, managing strategic customer teams, and is integral to initiatives within the probiotic and women’s health categories.

“CRN is thrilled to welcome Todd as our new Chair of the RRF,” said Steve Mister, president and CEO, CRN. His leadership will be critical in helping member companies to build business opportunities and to share educational information about the supplement industry and its products with retailers. Todd’s appointment comes at a particularly opportune time, given his company’s involvement in probiotics and the launch of CRN’s probiotics retailer education campaign.”

CRN’s current initiative, “Probiotics: What’s Inside is Alive,” educates retailers and customers about the intricacies of these living organisms, helping retail buyers to better curate their offerings and improve retailer handling of probiotics. The education program provides information about how probiotics require different labeling practices, unique storage and handling requirements, and how they offer a variety of health benefits to consumers.

“As public interest grows and product innovation expands, the probiotics category is exploding,” said Johnson. “Enhancing education opportunities around probiotics will provide needed clarity for industry, retailers, healthcare practitioners, and consumers to understand the differences among probiotic products offered in stores and how to purchase high-quality probiotics from responsible companies.”