Who We Are
Univera’s promise of personal renewal is more than a business. Carrying on the founder’s vision, Univera has assembled a team of talented individuals who share his commitment and passion.
Bill Lee - Chairman and CEO
Randy Bancino - President
Stephen Cherniske, M.S. - Chief Scientific Officer
Ralph Bietz - Chief Global Operations Officer
Matt Rumpsa - Vice President of Business Development
Bill Lee - Chairman and CEO
"We accept and embrace our role in society, in the health and well-being of our Customers and in our responsibility to the planet. In concert with our employees and Associates, we are dedicated to our purpose as well as to business success."
Bill Lee is Chairman and CEO. He serves as the Chairman of ECONET, the parent company for Univera, Naturetech, Unigen, and Aloecorp, succeeding his father, the late YunHo Lee, the visionary founder and former Chairman of ECONET.
Bill founded both Aloecorp, the world leader in Aloe as a natural raw material, and Unigen Pharmaceuticals, a research and discovery company which focuses upon plant extracts.
He is a member of the World Economic Forum and was selected as a founding member of New Asian Leaders. His membership is tribute to the economic achievements of the ECONET companies, and their commitment to the World Economic Forum goals of social responsibility and global sustainability. He also served as the Chairman of the Board for the IASC (International Aloe Science Council). In recognition of his devotion to the IASC, his name was dedicated to the industry Hall of Fame.
Bill is currently positioning the ECONET companies in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Korea, China, and Russia as a world class wellness group. His purpose is to devote the rest of his life in this industry, and to fulfill the mission and philosophy he developed of “bringing the best of nature to mankind” through ECONET’s unique group of vertically integrated natural products companies.
Randy Bancino - President
Randy Bancino is President of Univera. Randy has had a very impressive career in direct selling, including his most recent position as President of International with Mannatech, a publicly traded, global wellness company with sales of more than $200 million. During Randy's tenure at Mannatech he was responsible for nearly doubling their international footprint to 21 countries. Randy drove their international sales and recruiting strategy, and more than doubled the profitability of the international business.
Randy spent over 16 years with Amway and was promoted five times during his Amway career. His last position with Amway was as Vice President, Sales, Marketing & Customer Support. Known for building strong relationships with the field force, Randy was responsible for all of the customer facing activities for Amway's North American business unit with annual sales of $1.1 billion. Randy has also held impactful leadership positions with Profitable Growth Partners, BDO Seidman, Electronic Business Systems, and was an adjunct professor at Western Michigan University.
Randy has an MBA from Western Michigan University and a BS Computer Science from Grand Valley State University.
Stephen Cherniske, M.S. - Chief Scientific Officer
“Univera products produce benefits you can see and feel. We do not ask that you try our products on blind faith. We simply ask for the opportunity to prove to you that life and health can be improved—to a degree that will surprise and delight you.”
Stephen Cherniske bridges the relationship between Univera and its sister company, Unigen in consistently maintaining scientific method and integrity in existing and new endeavors to bring the latest and best natural products to market. He serves as a vital source of valid scientific information for Univera Associates and Customers and continues to work with health care professionals to determine how Univera can meet the heath care needs of patients.
A nutritional biochemist and a health educator, Stephen is the best-selling author of several books on aging and health, including The Metabolic Plan, Caffeine Blues and The DHEA Breakthrough that have collectively sold more than one million copies. Stephen consulted for athletes and members of the U.S. Olympic Team, served on the faculty of the American College of Sports Medicine, taught clinical nutrition at the UCLA Department of Continuing Education in Health Science, and directed the nation's first federally-licensed clinical laboratory specializing in nutrition and immunology.
Before joining Univera, Stephen lectured for Chapman University for nine years, receiving the highest student evaluations in his department. He developed the Anatomy Academy Learning SystemTM, a multimedia course in anatomy and physiology, and wrote a nationally syndicated column on nutrition. He has appeared in numerous magazines including Time, U.S. News and World Report, Oprah, and Self.
Stephen holds a bachelor's degree in Philosophy and Biology from the University of New York in Albany, N.Y. and a master's of science degree from Columbia Pacific University in nutritional science. He is a member of the New York Academy of Sciences and the American Medical Writers Association.
Stephen is married with four children and enjoys a variety of activities including yoga, cycling and sailing. Most importantly, he lives the lifestyle that he promotes. "Information is never sufficient for change. In order to have a positive impact on others, you must provide a credible and sincere example."
Ralph Bietz, PhD. - Chief Global Operations Officer
“I look forward to applying my experience and expertise to developing a best-in-class global operations platform for Univera. The company has an amazing opportunity to be a significant player in the health and nutrition revolution that is still in its infancy in the US. Bringing a robust North American brand to global markets will give Univera the ability to meet its goal of becoming a billion-dollar company. I am honored to be chosen for this position, and to be a part of the ECONET family.”
Ralph brings vast global business experience to Univera and the ECONET companies in areas related to growing markets, company start-ups and grass root operations, financial & business turnarounds, global product launches, and private stock placements. Ralph is an award-winning executive who has been interviewed and lauded by The Wall Street Journal for creating the first on-site custom executive education program in the U.S. by a major university. Ralph has business experience in consumer goods and high technology with Fortune 100 firms. His 34-year career includes senior executive positions in global markets for multinational corporations including The Coca-Cola Company, Monsanto, Hoechst Pharmaceuticals,Seagram’s, Novo Nordsk, and Pepsi-Co’s PNWB.
As CEO for PepsiCo’s PNWB group, he lead the company to generate a growth in market share of 37%, improved financial performance by 50%, and achieved 100% banking covenant performance while winning one President’s Award and two Gold Corporate Awards from PepsiCo for Quality. As founder and CEO of Crystal Cascade Beverage, he created market strategies and developed the business to encompass nine states. And as CEO for the start-up company BioRev, LLC., he expanded their domestic business operations into Japan.
Ralph serves on the Board of Governor’s Executive Committee at Evergreen State College as an Officer, Board Treasurer, and Chairman of the Finance and Investment Committees. He also serves on the Boards of Crystal Cascade Beverage and Harlequin Theatre.
Matt Rumpsa - Vice President of Business Development
Matt Rumpsa is Univera’s Vice President of Business Development. He brings over 25 years of experience in the direct selling industry, holding executive positions in Sales and Marketing, Customer Service and Global Expansion. Prior to joining Univera, Mr. Rumpsa held the position of Vice President of Global Expansion with Mannatech, a publicly traded wellness company. He also led a number of sales and service related functions with Amway, where he spent over 20 years as part of the management team.
