Key Personnel

Rob Robinson, Ph.D.
CEO

Rob oversees the overall operation, resourcing and priorities of Econotech's team to ensure responsiveness, quality and value for customers. His past experience includes roles in commercial service delivery management and workflow optimisation, as well as research into the relationships between wood properties and kraft pulping. He has a B.Sc. in Plant Biochemistry from Massey University, New Zealand as well as a Ph.D. in wood science from the University of British Columbia.

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Sandra Fodor, Dipl.T.
Client Value Manager

Customers know Sandra as a problem-solver and a great resource. She has 30 years of paper-testing experience with Econotech. She has a Diploma of Technology in Biological Sciences from the British Columbia Institute of Technology.

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Zohrab Ahmadi, Ph.D.
Senior Chemist - Contaminant and Unknowns ID

Zohrab has extensive academic and industrial experience in chemistry especially in characterization of unknown specimens using various spectroscopy techniques such as XRD, XRF, AAS and FT-IR as well as chromatography. His know-how in applying chemistry fundamentals to industrial situations has added value when customers don't hold this expertise in-house. He has a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Victoria and a Postdoctoral degree in material engineering from the University of Calgary.

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Liz Baterina, Dipl.T.
Delivery Manager - Chemistry Services

Liz leads the customer facing branch of the Chemistry team, ensuring well-targeted testing and value to our customers. Over ten years' experience in a variety of testing, quality, operational and delivery management roles at Econotech have given her a uniquely informed perspective on our capabilities, and the insight required to bridge lab and industry. She holds a Diploma of Technology in Chemical Sciences from the British Columbia Institute of Technology and is currently completing a degree in Environmental Engineering.

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Patricia Oikawa, B.Sc.
Technical Service Coordinator - Chemistry Services

With a passion for client engagement, Patricia is a primary contact for testing advice, order coordination and work in progress communications. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Mathematics from the University of Alberta.

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Yolanda Cahoon
Lab Delivery Manager - Paper Testing

Yolanda has over 25 years' paper testing experience with Econotech, and before that had her introduction to pulp and paper at onsite mill laboratories. Yolanda's expertise covers the breadth of sample prep and physical/optical testing techniques for hardwoods, softwoods and non-woods including test execution, applicability and experimental design.

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Sab Amirthalingam, B.Sc.
Lab Delivery Manager - Pulping, Bleaching and Dissolving

Having worked in lignocellulosic R&D and standardised testing environments since 2007, and with Econotech since 2014, Sab brings expertise in analytical technologies and experimental design, pulp and paper process and product chemistry, and pulping technologies including specialised areas such as enzyme hydrolysis and fermentation.

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