Barbra Johnston, Founder

Barbra founded Natures Formulae in 1991 and pioneered the natural health and wellness industry in Western Canada. Her unwavering commitment over the years to bring customers a natural option for health and cosmetics has been instrumental in the growth of many customers’ product lines. Jim Rohn’s original quote “”It is the set of the sails, not the direction of the wind that determines which way we will go” has guided her throughout the businesses transformation.

Barbra holds an Associate Degree in Science from Ricks College, Idaho and a Bachelor of Science Degree from Brigham-Young University, Utah, having majored in merchandizing and marketing.

Barbra believes that family and community relationships are an important part of a healthy lifestyle, and makes every effort to incorporate these values into the business. Barbra has worked with the Science Council of British Columbia, British Columbia Minister of Agriculture and Agriculture Canada, Natural Health Products Program with Health Canada and is currently the Chair of Kelowna’s Community Futures board.

Dylan Bartlett, Sales Manager

Dylan has extensive sales and marketing experience along with a strong entrepreneurial spirit having successfully led his own company for ten years prior to being it acquired. He has collaborated with hundreds of customers over the past two decades to grow their respective businesses. Dylan understands that aligning the customers’ needs with products that Natures Formulae specialize in manufacturing always results in delighted customers.

Dylan likes to have fun, enjoys most sports (except baseball, which he finds boring) and actively gives back to the community. His favourite quote is “Success is not final; failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts,” by Winston S. Churchill. He believes that hard work (and good coffee) are the key ingredients to forging strong partnerships.

Tia Boedeker, R&D/QA Manager

Tia has been with Natures Formulae since 2015 and successfully manages the R&D and Quality Control teams. She graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Science degree. She strives for excellence from her teams to ensure products are formulated innovatively and manufactured to the highest of standards.

Tia enjoys the challenge of working with a diverse group of people and departments in order to create industry-leading products. She resonates with Colin Powell’s quote “There are no secrets to success. It is the results of preparation, hard work and learning from failure.” Her favorite part of the job is that no two days are the same and that there is always something new to discover in the natural health product industry.

In her free time, Tia enjoys global travel as well as riding her horse in the beautiful Okanagan.

Alison Yesilcimen, President

Alison is a visionary and passionate executive offering 20+ years of experience in technology, media and manufacturing. She is well known for her innovative ideas and extensive knowledge from launching tech start-ups to leading multi-million-dollar companies. She enjoys collaborating with customers and her team to deliver exceptional service and products.

She recently earned a Master’s Degree in Global Management to compliment her executive level experience and challenge her growth mindset.

Alison likes to spend her free time giving back to the community. She can be found reading her children’s book to elementary school children, mentoring start-ups in the tech sector, or volunteering to speak at post secondary events.

Her favourite quote is “It always seems impossible until it is done,” by Nelson Mandela which is so poignant as natural product development can be very complex. She is proud of Natures Formulae’s specialized teams as their passion, patience and perseverance affirms their desire to overcome any obstacle to deliver high quality products to the customer.

Daniel Paul, Operations Manager

Daniel has been instrumental in transforming Natures Formulae since 2014. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science majoring in Microbiology from the University of British Columbia. His extensive knowledge in quality control, lean manufacturing and process improvement allows him to excel as the Operations Manager. Leading by example and encouraging a positive work environment Daniel, motivates his teams to achieve their full potential.

Daniel and his team are dedicated to the delivery of high-quality products.
He lives by Taiichi Ohno’s quote “Progress cannot be generated when we are satisfied with existing situations.” He strives for continuous improvement and is always looking for ways to make the manufacturing and procurement processes more efficient.

When not at work, you can find Daniel enjoying the hot summer sun or exploring the Okanagan.

Jeff McFarlane, Procurement Manager

Jeff is a procurement professional who works with customers, sales and operations groups that sees his role as making all their goals possible. He has over 15 years of experience in materials management and procurement.

Jeff believes that data driven decisions, communication and planning are the foundation of being successful. He appreciates Fitzhugh Dodson’s quote “Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.” He is always looking to learn new skills and keep up with industry trends. He earned a Journeyman Parts Technician Ticket from SAIT and recently obtained his CPIM designation from APICS.

Since moving to the Okanagan in 2016, Jeff and his family have been enjoying the many outdoor activities in Kelowna and he can often be found on one of his favorite golf courses.

Victoria Pearson, Controller

Toria started her career at Natures Formulae in 2014 as the accountant. Currently, as Controller, she enjoys working with her team to ensure that accounting, regulatory, admin and information systems function well to support ongoing growth in the company. Toria upholds accuracy, efficiency and integrity as key values for her team.

Having grown up in the beautiful Okanagan, Toria is delighted to have the opportunity to continue living and working in Kelowna. She is excited to be a part of the local manufacturing sector in an area better known as a tourist destination. After work relaxation includes hiking, biking and beaches in the summer and ski slopes in the winter – Okanagan living. She lives by her favourite quote “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us,” from The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien

Toria graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of British Columbia – Okanagan in 2011 and continued on to complete a Diploma in Accounting through Sauder School of Business in 2014.