Irina Lorenzi

Irina Lorenzi is a leading innovator and brand builder in the health and nutrition category. Her 20-year career spans every aspect of marketing, product development, merchandising and brand management across all retail channels. Her early career was spent as a merchandiser and lead buyer for natural foods retailers, including Nature Food Centres and Alfalfa’s Market. She then served as project manager with responsibility for the development and launch of the Nature’s Fresh! Northwest lifestyle superstore, a fully branded innovative natural foods store incorporating a wellness education center, an integrative pharmacy and a spa in one 36,000 square-foot retail space. The Nature’s store was widely acclaimed both within and outside the industry, winning the national award for retail store of the year (all categories) in 1998. Irina then served as brand director for the launch and marketing of PharmAssure, a co-brand developed as part of the GNC and Rite Aid joint venture. She was then appointed senior sales director for the vitamin, mineral and specialty supplements category at General Nutrition Centers, the world’s largest specialty retailer, with responsibility for approximately a third of GNC’s revenue. Most recently, she was responsible as vice president of marketing for all of the Rexall-Sundown supplement lines, including Osteo Bi-Flex, Rexall, Sundown and Sundown Kids.