Yulex is led by a team of experienced experts in medical devices, agriculture, biotechnology, alternative energy, manufacturing, engineering, and sustainable practices.
Jeffrey A. Martin
Director, President and Chief Executive Officer, Yulex Corporation
Jeffrey Martin is a seasoned executive from the biotechnology and medical device industry. Under Martin’s leadership, Yulex Corporation became the first commercial enterprise to produce biobased, medical-grade latex that is safe for people with latex allergy as well as a variety of other green and sustainable products based on the arid crop guayule that is native to the U.S. Southwest.
Yulex Corporation currently produces Yulex® Natural Rubber, a safe material for medical devices and is expanding its product line to incorporate catheters, surgical and exam gloves, dental dams, condoms, balloons and other products using natural rubber and latex. Other green products from guayule in the future include biofuels, electrical power, building materials and adhesives.
Prior to co-founding Yulex, Martin was corporate officer and Vice President of Sales for Safeskin Corporation, a leading manufacturer and marketer of latex medical devices. Martin joined Safeskin prior to its successful IPO and was instrumental in positioning the company as "The Best Small Company in America" (Forbes Magazine, 1996). At Safeskin, Martin was responsible for the acquisition of Tactyl Technologies, where he was elected a director in 1996, and Advanced Quality Leadership in 1997.
Martin launched the sales operations of London Rubber Company’s (Regent Medical) U.S. startup in 1986, which subsequently became a global leader in the surgical glove market. Martin also held positions as both a scientist in R&D and a sales executive with the Professional Healthcare Group of the Kimberly-Clark Corporation, and the Ethicon division of Johnson & Johnson, Inc., in the Polymer Development Department.
Martin has a formal education in engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology where he was recently inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Engineering Alumni.
Jim Mitchell
Vice President, Chief Operating OfficerJim Mitchell is responsible for commercializing Yulex’s new proprietary technologies and bringing guayule latex products to market. Mitchell’s innovative technology solutions increased operational efficiency for Yulex’s facility and equipment by nearly 500% in 2008. Bringing over two decades of extensive international business development with startup and early growth technology-based organizations, Mitchell previously worked for a Xerox spin off as chief marketing and business officer.
Mitchell received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering at University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Masters of Business in International Marketing from the University of Sydney.
Rodolfo Manzone, Ph.D.
Vice President Market Development
Rodolfo Manzone, Ph.D. joined Yulex in May 2011 as Vice President Market Development. Prior to Yulex, Dr. Manzone served for 11 years as Executive VP and Chief Technology Officer of Abtech Industries, Inc., an elastomer-based technology company specializing in wastewater recovery and pollution prevention technologies. He currently holds several domestic and international patents on AbTech technology. Prior to AbTech, Dr. Manzone spent several years with EniChem SpA, a global energy and petrochemical company. He relocated to the company's US headquarters, EniChem America, to manage the North American thermoset elastomers operations. During this time, Dr. Manzone successfully converted an established commodity business into a vibrant specialty markets operation. Dr. Manzone then joined Enichem Americas TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomers) as Director of Marketing and Business Development. Rodolfo received a PhD in Polymer Science from Genova State University, Genova, Italy and a degree in International Marketing from Bocconi University, Milano, Italy.
Eduardo Gonzalez, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Director of Research and Development
Eduardo Gonzalez, M.Sc., Ph.D. joined Yulex in June 2011 as Director of Research and Development. Dr. Gonzalez is responsible for novel materials development, technology innovation and product development efforts at Yulex. Prior to Yulex, he served on the Scientific Staff at Special Devices, Inc. where he developed high performance materials and new processing technologies for the aerospace, defense and automotive industries. Previously, Dr. Gonzalez worked with new polymeric composite materials as a Manager of various R&D groups at the Polymer Technology Institute, where he was also a Professor. At the Applied Chemistry Research Center in Saltillo, Mexico, his focus on emerging technologies led him to publish work on guayule natural rubber. Dr. Gonzalez currently holds several patents in the industrial and international markets. Dr. Gonzalez received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Bradford, England and his M.Sc. in Physical Chemistry from the National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico.
Victor M. Covone
Director of Engineering
Victor M. Covone is Director of Engineering for the new Yulex manufacturing facility in Chandler, AZ. He joined Yulex in 2008 as Process Engineer. He is responsible for the development and optimization of the company's proprietary processing and material technologies. Covone has been critical in optimizing the Yulex pilot plant's performance by reducing process steps by 72%, process time by 78% and facility labor by 37%. He oversaw the Dry Rubber Project, spearheaded the development of more cost efficient harvesting techniques, and has saved millions in capital during the design and execution of the new Yulex commercial facility. Previously, Covone worked for more than 12 years for Alfa Laval, a world leader in separation, heat transfer and flow equipment. As Regional Sales Manager, he secured a 92% market share in his territory, leading to the Alfa Laval Market Segment Award in 2007. Covone received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Metropolitan University, Caracas, Venezuela.
Leif P. Christoffersen
Director of Biomass Integration
Leif P. Christoffersen joined Yulex as the Director of Biomass Integration. He will be responsible for advancing Yulex's energy, efficiency and biomass initiatives. Prior to Yulex, Christoffersen played a key role in establishing the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation (EOWBF) with whom he maintains an active advisory role. He also spent over five years at the Diversa Corporation (Verenium Corporation and BP Biofuels), where he managed bioprospecting collaborations, as well as managed Diversa's grants program, coordinated their scientific advisory board, and supported their international business development efforts. Christoffersen has also served as a climate change adviser to the Executive Director of UNEP at COP1 and COP2 of the Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC). At the start of his career, he worked with subsistence farmers in Costa Rica and Kenya to support and promote agroforestry practices, which included setting up exportation of organic produce. Christoffersen holds a degree from Hobart College (BA, Economics) and the University of California, San Diego (MBA, Rady School of Management).