Our Exceptional People are Key to Our Success
Phyton Biotech’s internationally renowned team of multidisciplinary innovators are at the leading edge of development, manufacturing and commercialization of high-value phytochemicals.
Colin Marr
President, Phyton Biotech Ltd.
As President of Phyton Biotech Ltd., and operating from corporate headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas, Colin Marr provides overall leadership to the Phyton Biotech organization across Europe, North America and Asia, representing DFB Pharmaceuticals and its shareholders through strategies for growth and investment in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
In 2016, Colin joined Phyton Biotech in the Vancouver operations as Vice President, Business Development to bring renewed growth of Phyton Biotech’s capabilities and assets. Before joining Phyton Biotech Colin enjoyed many years with BioVectra Inc. as Director, Business Development and prior to that with its subsidiary as Director of Business Development with Atlantis BioActives Corporation. Colin has also held the position of Vice President Sales and Marketing with Island Critical Care, Director of Biotechnology and Life Sciences with Enterprise PEI and Director of Development with the PEI Food Technology Centre.
Colin holds a Master of Science in Oceanography from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec and a Hons. BSc. in Physiology/Pharmacology from Western University in London, Ontario.
Jackie Labbe
VP Sales & Marketing
Phyton Ltd.
Jackie Labbe BSc.BM
Vice President Sales and Marketing, Phyton Biotech
Jackie Labbe is responsible for leading the identification of strategic initiatives that utilize Phyton Biotech’s unique technology and assets to drive growth. Through working with stakeholders and commercial partners, Jackie is responsible for strategic planning and execution to support the expansion of Phyton Biotech’s technology and products in the Pharmaceutical, Traditional Medicines, Food Ingredients, Cosmetic, and other, industries. Jackie is also solely responsible for leading API sales, marketing, and the branding of Phyton Biotech, aligned with the vision to expand Phyton Biotech’s technology and products into new markets and geographies.
Jackie has strong business acumen, is resourceful, and passionate about developing relationships that are based on mutual commitment, transparency, and the drive to achieve goals that contribute to Phyton Biotech’s growth.
Ms. Labbe has been leading API Sales and Business Development at Phyton Biotech since 2010 and has been instrumental in its success.
Prior to joining Phyton Biotech, Jackie held various senior management roles in biotech and software development companies, including international Regulatory Affairs at Dey LP in California, and was a key contributor to the development of the new generation EpiPen, as well as Development Director for Electronic Arts in Vancouver.
Jackie holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Phoenix and has dedicated the majority of her professional career to leadership roles in biotech companies.
Kai Schütte
Managing Director, Operations
Phyton Biotech GmbH
Kai Schütte
Managing Director, Operations, Phyton GmbH
Kai Schütte has served as Managing Director of Phyton Biotech’s development and manufacturing site in Germany since 2015 and is responsible for all operational aspects, which includes leading business development for Phyton Biotech’s fermentation-based development services.
Kai has a long association with the organization and extensive experience with all aspects of its technology, having held various management positions since 1995. He has been instrumental in establishing Plant Cell Fermentation (PCF®) as a commercially viable and broadly applicable technology for supply of plant-derived compounds and for assuring Phyton Biotech’s global leadership in that field.
Kai holds an engineering degree in Biotechnology from the Technical University of Applied Sciences in Berlin and a business engineering degree from the Open University of Hamburg.
Kevin Lu
VP BD – Partnering
Phyton Ltd.
Kevin H. Lu
Vice President Business Development, Phyton Biotech
Kevin Lu leads the business development activities at Phyton Biotech, including working with global clients on new product development, applying Phyton Biotech’s specialty fermentation technology, partnership development, joint-venture formation, and new market territory expansion.
Kevin has more than 15-years of working experience in the pharmaceutical industry under GMP in both North America and China, which covers manufacturing, process development & validation, R&D, quality, data management systems, engineering, facility design, and sales & marketing.
Kevin holds a Bachelor of Science in Marine Science, which focuses on chemistry and engineering from the Tianjin University of Science and Technology.
Stephen Ball
VP BD – Strategic Growth
Phyton Ltd.
Stephen Ball
Vice President Business Development – Strategic Growth, Phyton Biotech
As a recent member of the Phyton Biotech team, Stephen is responsible for the identification and development of new business opportunities and state-of the-art technologies that are critical to Phyton’s strategic growth. Stephen will expand Phyton’s business portfolio for specialty fermentation projects covering Pharmaceutical, Herbal Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nutraceutical, Cosmetic and Food Ingredients industries.
Stephen has worked in the biotechnology industry for over 20 years and most recently for Natural Products Canada, where he supported the start-up ecosystem through evaluating early-stage technologies, recommending direct investment opportunities, and supporting their business plan development. Prior to Natural Products Canada, Stephen held the role of Director of Sales & Marketing at BioVectra Inc. and was responsible for managing BioVectra’s strategic partnerships and competitive intelligence to ensure continued growth of the business.
Stephen holds a M.Sc. in Biochemistry and an MBA from Saint Mary’s University.
Dr. Gilbert Gorr
Chief Scientific Officer
Phyton Biotech GmbH
Dr. Gilbert Gorr
Chief Scientific Officer, Phyton Biotech GmbH
As Chief Scientific Officer and Head of R&D, Dr. Gilbert Gorr is responsible for all development projects regarding new plant-based cell cultures. In addition, he leads the technical support of Phyton Biotech’s patent prosecution processes, as well as the identification, preparation, and filing of new patent applications. In 2009, Gilbert cofounded Emcid Biotech GmbH where he served as managing director and CSO until realizing a successful exit in 2013.
Prior to Emcid, Gilbert served as CSO of Greenovation Biotech where he was also a shareholder. Gilbert is the inventor/co-inventor of 11 patent families comprising of secondary metabolites produced by plant cell cultures, expression technologies, molecular tools, and glyco-engineering – including antibody optimization. So far, his work has resulted in more than 250 granted patents and numerous scientific publications.
During his career with his teams and multi-national collaborators, Gilbert has been successful in securing research grants funded by state, federal, and international organizations such as the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the European Union, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
After receiving his doctorate degree in natural sciences at Hamburg University for his work on the moss bioreactor/BryoTechnology, Gilbert was Post Doc at the School of Veterinary Medicine Hannover where he worked in the area of pharmaceutical development with special emphasis on dermatology.
Bryan Radu
General Manager
Phyton Biotech Canada
Bryan Radu, CPA, CGA,
General Manager, Phyton Biotech Canada
As the General Manager, Bryan Radu is responsible for the day-to-day GMP commercial operations for the production of commercial Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients and implementation of the strategic objectives for Phyton Biotech at its Canadian facility.
Bryan has been with Phyton Biotech since 2011 when he joined as Phyton Biotech’s Controller and assumed the General Manager role in 2018. Prior to his role with Phyton Biotech, Bryan was the Controller at a small industrial automation company after spending 11 years with a fireplace manufacturer, all in the Vancouver area of British Columbia.
Bryan holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Laurentian University, as well as a professional accounting designation from the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada.
Lee Perkins
Senior Director of Finance and Administration
Phyton Ltd.
Lee Perkins
Senior Director of Finance and Administration, Phyton Ltd.
Lee Perkins is responsible for the finance and administrative functions at Phyton, overseeing accounting, financial planning and analysis, budgeting, treasury, human resources, and administrative operations. She partners with the executive leadership team to support strategic initiatives, drive operational excellence, and ensure the company’s financial strength and long-term success.
Since joining the DFB and Phyton organization in February 2013 as Accounting Manager, Lee has held positions of increasing responsibility, ultimately being named Senior Director of Finance and Administration in 2024.
Lee holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Tim Cowan
Senior Director, Corporate Quality and Regulatory
Phyton Biotech Canada
Tim Cowan
Tim Cowan is responsible for the Quality Assurance, Quality Control, and Regulatory Affairs activities at Phyton Biotech, LLC. He is responsible for ensuring the quality of Phyton’s APIs, the compliance of the Phyton Biotech site, and the management of Phyton Biotech’s regulatory filings. Tim has been in this role since 2009.
Tim holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of British Columbia. Early in his career, and before transitioning into quality assurance, Tim was an analytical chemist in the petrochemical, metallurgical, and pharmaceutical industries. He has more than 20 years of pharmaceutical quality assurance experience with companies such as QLT and Natural Pharma Canada.
Ralf M. Obersteller
Managing Director,
Finance and Administration
Phyton Biotech GmbH
Ralf M. Obersteller
Managing Director, Finance and Administration, Phyton GmbH
As Managing Director Finance and Administration, Ralf Obersteller joined Phyton Biotech in 2026. He is responsible for finance, controlling, procurement, and human resources at Phyton’s manufacturing site in Germany.
Ralf brings more than two decades of international experience in finance and controlling across a broad range of industries. He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering and Management from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and is a Certified Management and Financial Accountant (IHK).
Prior to joining Phyton Biotech, Ralf held senior finance leadership roles in the building materials and automotive supplier industries. Throughout his career, he has worked for both multinational corporations and medium-sized enterprises, gaining extensive experience in financial management, business partnering, and operational excellence.