Inside Nordic Naturals: Meet Mark, IT Magician and Clean-Oceans Advocate

by Claudia Burgin

Name: Mark Timares

Role: IT Manager

Years with Nordic Naturals: 4.5

What do you do at Nordic Naturals, and what do you like best about your job?

As IT Manager, I work with the rest of our IT Team and partners on projects such as building websites, internal applications, and systems integrations. I enjoy the challenge of helping our business grow and serving our customers, and I really like working with the people and leadership team here. I also like that as part of my job I get to learn about science and health, and about why we formulate and manufacture our products the way we do. Because one has to understand the science—why triglyceride form matters, for example, or why careful manufacturing in a low-oxygen, nitrogen-rich environment matters—to really understand why our products are uniquely superior.

Where did you grow up? How have the places you’ve lived influenced you?

I grew up in L.A., near Hollywood, where I gained an appreciation for arts and entertainment. I was always drawn to the outdoors and winter sports, so I moved to Colorado where I went to university and worked for a consulting firm. I spent close to 20 years there. I think I gained an appreciation there for different viewpoints—another slice of America apart from the coasts. I also lived in Hawaii, on the windward side of the Big Island. What I gained there was an appreciation for living more simply. In Hawaii, it doesn’t matter what you wear or what you drive. Family and friends matter most. Many Hawaiians tend to catch their own fish and grow their own food, and there’s something healthy and beautiful about that. Santa Cruz is also a beautiful place to live. I love the small-town vibe and the close proximity to a great metropolitan city.

What is something about you that few people know?

That I’m a watersports fan. I like to snow ski, surf (badly), and sail. I’ve also scuba dived since 1977, and in that time I’ve seen the ocean reefs changing. You no longer see the beautiful, alive, brightly colored reefs that you did 20 or 30 years ago. There are environmental reasons for that, such as warming oceans and acidity, which are ultimately related to human uses and abuses of resources. Over time I’ve witnessed the reefs looking a lot sparser and less alive, and that has made a big impression on me.

What Nordic Naturals products do you take? Any observations you’d like to share?

My wife and I take Ultimate Omega 2X and Omega Curcumin, and I take Omega LDL daily. My stepdaughter takes our Melatonin Gummies. We all feel these products help us a lot. I can’t think of any observations to share that wouldn’t go against DSHEA regulations [FDA rules for marketing supplements], so I’ll stop there.

What does living “healthfully” mean to you?

To me living healthfully is about eating to fuel your body and mind, and being aware of the personal and global impact of your food choices. I think a lot about the commercial marketing power in America, and how so much of it promotes unhealthy eating habits. I’m not a huge activist to be honest, but I do think it’s powerful to look at what you’re eating and what you’re using in terms of resources, and how your personal habits affect the environment and the people around you and, ultimately, the entire planet.

The work that The 5 Gyres Institute does is a good example of that. I first became aware of the gyres—these giant floating garbage patches—in 2007. Since then I’ve been intellectually interested and concerned about plastics pollution. Because Nordic Naturals is a sponsor for 5 Gyres, I have the fabulous opportunity to join them on one of their research expeditions this summer. I hope to stay involved thereafter.

Watching this 5 Gyres Ted Talk really motivated me to start refusing single-use plastics like straws and cups. These things never go away, and it’s so easy to live without them. I encourage everyone to watch it.