Meet The Team
What Is IFDAT?
Our IFDAT “mission” is to bring the best D&A Testing Industry professionals in the World (both from a supplier and customer perspective) all together in one place to drive forward and discuss quality, best practice and innovation for the benefit of the IFDAT community.
The International Forum for Drug and Alcohol Testing (IFDAT) is a non-profit organisation. We are dedicated to the advancement of global employee drug and alcohol testing systems and processes. In keeping with the international platform, the appointed Board Members of IFDAT cover a global reach: Sweden – Per Bjorklov (chairman), United Kingdom – Matt Taylor, New Zealand – Sue Nolan and United States of America – Kurt Bothner. We also have voted Representatives and a team of amazing volunteers. See below for details.
IFDAT provides a platform for experts from a wide variety of disciplines associated with the drug and alcohol industries to meet and discuss a range of topics focused on current and future developments relevant to employee testing globally. At IFDAT conferences employers, industry providers and other interested parties discuss best practices, new developments, updates in policies and technology, efficiency improvements and other topics relevant to enhancing employee drug and alcohol testing.
Since 2010, apart from the interruption of Covid-19 in 2020 and 2021, the conferences have been held annually alternating between venues in Europe (inc. United Kingdom) and United States / Canada. In addition to the numerous topics covered, these conferences provide an excellent networking opportunity to share knowledge, form global relationships, evaluate new methods and shape the direction of best practice employee drug and alcohol testing globally. Conferences are actively supported and sponsored by Companies from a range of associated industry sectors.
There is no charge for interested parties to become a part of the IFDAT community. The sole cost incurred is when a person registers for the annual conference. In addition, the IFDAT community stays connected via a quarterly Newsletter to which contribution is encouraged and welcomed.
To enable IFDAT to keep moving forward and organise high quality conferences, we have a dedicated Board and team of volunteers. If you feel you have what it takes to help IFDAT – then please drop us an email to info@ifdat.com.
The IFDAT Board
Matt Taylor
IFDAT Board Member
United Kingdom
Matt Taylor
As the current IFDAT Chairperson / President, Matt is also Managing Director of Innovative Testing Solutions (ITS). ITS is a quality led business delivering innovative, evidence based, high quality diagnostic products to customers in the UK, Ireland and further afield. Matt has been described as a “focussed, dynamic and highly motivated entrepreneurial Director” with a deep industry knowledge and over 18 years of “hands-on” experience within the Drugs and Alcohol Policy, Training and Testing sector. Matt has specialist knowledge within Policy, Point of Care testing and Sample Collection – including application of those skills during the last 18 months to COVID testing (PCR & LFD).
- Appointed IFDAT Chairperson in 2022
- Appointed to the IFDAT Board in 2021
- He has given a number of “Key Note Speeches” and presentations at UK and Worldwide conferences and events
- Advised upon and written 100s of UK specific D&A/Substance Policies (from SMEs to PLCs) covering most industries
- Written and delivered Education, Training and “Employee Briefing” sessions to 10000s of Managers, Supervisors and Employees across a wide range of sectors
- An author of various articles published (magazines and online) in areas such as Human Resources and Health and Safety specific to safety critical industries such as Construction, Oil & Gas and Transportation
- A strong believer in “Education NOT Propaganda”
- 2018-Current – Co founder and Managing Director of Innovative Testing Solutions Ltd
- 2015-2017 – Director of The Drug and Alcohol Consultancy Ltd
- 2003-2014 – Co founder and Managing Director of ScreenSafe UK Ltd which soon became the UK’s leading independent “T.P.A.”
- A member of the EWDTS (European Workplace Drug Testing Society) – In 2018/19 he helped to formulate the draft guidelines for Point of Care Testing
Matt utilises his life experiences to successfully and effectively communicate, educate and train people from all walks of life, and at all levels. He lives in Staffordshire, United Kingdom.
Contact: matt@itstestkits.com Website: www.itstestkits.com
Sue Nolan
Sue is the Director of her own consultancy company, DrugFree Sites, New Zealand (NZ), which she established in 2007. Her vision is globalization of workplace drug and alcohol policies and procedures and harmonization of testing guidelines/ standards.
- Founding Board member of IFDAT from 2010
- M.Sc Hons in Biochemistry, Post Graduate Diploma of Business, NZQA Certificate in Adult Education & Training
- Currently: Director of DrugFree Sites Ltd, New Zealand (NZ). This company was established by Sue in 2007
- 1971-2007: employed by NZ Institute of Environmental Science & Research Ltd (and its predecessor) as a Forensic Scientist
- 45+ years’ experience as a forensic scientist and expert witness specialising in illicit drugs and toxicology
- Since 1992: New Zealand’s leading expert in Workplace Drug Testing
- Member of Australian/ New Zealand Standard committees responsible for preparing the workplace drug testing standards
- Urine Standard, AS/NZS 4308: 2008 (currently being updated): “Procedures for specimen collection and the detection and quantitation of drugs of abuse in urine”
- Oral Fluid Standard, AS/NZS 4760: 2019: “Procedure for specimen collection and the detection and quantification of drugs in oral fluid”
- Member of Australasian Forensic and Clinical Toxicology (FACTA) committee developing the Australasian Hair Testing guidelines
- Member of TIAFT and Australian/New Zealand Forensic Science Society
- Engaged by World Antidoping Agency (WADA) as Laboratory Independent Observer at two Olympic Games and subsequent auditing of research development proposals
Sue lives in Auckland, New Zealand.
Contact: sue@drugfreesites.co.nz Website: www.drugfreesites.co.nz
Sue Nolan
IFDAT Board Member
New Zealand
Kurt Bothner
IFDAT Board Member
United States Of America
Kurt Bothner
Kurt is the Senior Director of Strategic Accounts at FormFox, which he co-founded and has since sold. His vision has helped FormFox to deliver employee health and safety workflow solutions that connect Program Administrators, Employees, Clinics/Collectors, Laboratories, and MROs.
- Founding Board member of IFDAT from 2010
- Bachelors degree in economics, and Master’s degree in Business/Finance
- Co-founder of Formfox, Inc. a leading technology provider to the drug and alcohol testing industry
- 25+ years’ experience working with forensic laboratories, medical review officers and occupational health clinics to develop better and more automated processes for drug and alcohol testing
- 1995-1998 – Helped pioneer the first virtual private network to deliver drug and alcohol test results electronically to employers and TPAs
- 2001-2013 – participated in US federal advisory committees, which led to the US Dept. of Transportation adopting use of a digital chain of custody document for drug testing
- 2014-2016 – Introduced the nation’s leading DOT physical exam software/workflow, with over half of all DOT exams performed annually on the platform
- Participating member of DATIA, SAPAA and NDASA, and frequent conference speaker on industry technology advancements
Kurt lives in Park City, Utah, USA.
Contact: kbothner@formfox.com Website: www.formfox.com
Bon Idziak
Bon is the former CEO of NetForce Global and 25-year industry professional and subject matter expert on the topics of Background Screening, Drug Testing and HR Technology. A recognized leader in the Screening Industry, Bon is frequently asked to share his expertise at conferences, in educational settings, with industry publications and through various media outlets. Bon regularly consults with major global employers and associations to develop employment screening and substance abuse testing solutions that are cost-effective, compliant and address corporate goals and regulatory requirements.
- Board of Directors/Frequent Presenter for International Forum for Drug and Alcohol Testing (IFDAT)
- Former Chief Compliance and Government Relations Officer for Accurate Background
- Prior Head of Compliance and Government Relations for screening startup Checkr
- Prior CEO of Applicant Insight
- Prior Director of Business Development at First Advantage
- Past President and Board of Directors for the Substance Abuse Program Administrators Association (SAPAA)
- Current Chair of International Legal Committee and Member of Government Relations
- Past Chairman and Board of Directors for the Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA, formerly NAPBS)
- Prior Chair/Active Government Relations Committee
- Treasurer, Board of Directors for the HR Open Standards Consortium (Worldwide)
- Past-Chairman
- Chairman, HR Open Standards Foundation
- President of the Board of Directors for The Sue Weaver C.A.U.S.E., (Commit to Always Using Screened Employees) a 501 (c)(3) non-profit, founded in 2004 to promote workforce screening for in home-service providers.
Bon lives in Belleair Beach, Florida USA with corporate office in San Ramon, CA USA.
Contact: bonidziak@gmail.com
Bon Idziak
IFDAT Board Member
USA
Markus Timosaari
IFDAT Board Member
Sweden
Markus Timosaari
Markus is the CEO of DrugtestScandinavia, a Swedish-based alcohol and drug testing company founded in 2006 that offers oral fluid, urine and hair testing services in Sweden and many other European countries. In addition to drug testing, Markus has worked with people with substance abuse problems which is where a big part of his motivation and inspiration to work preventively within alcohol and drug testing industry came from.
- Bachelor’s degree in business
- Bachelor’s degree in healthcare
- 9 years’ experience from drug testing industry
- Provides drug testing services and consultation for some of Sweden’s largest and most safety-sensitive companies
- Co-operates with collection sites in a number of European countries
- Has trained hundreds of collectors in drug testing
- Drug test coordinator at DISA Sweden 2014-2016
- CEO at Drugtest Scandinavia since 2016
- Participated in IFDAT conferences since 2016
Markus lives in Stockholm, Sweden and having been born and raised in Finland and worked in Norway and Sweden he brings a Nordic perspective to IFDAT.
Contact: markus@drugtestscandinavia.se Website: www.drugtestscandinavia.se
Per Bjorklov
Previously the long standing Chairman of the organizing committee, Per has had a long and prominent career within the Drugs and Alcohol testing sector (and others) including:
- Founder & Previous Chairman of the IFDAT board
- Co-founder and previous President of EWDTS (European Workplace Drug Testing Society)
- Managing Director, Disa Global Solutions
- CEO Drugtest Scandinavia
- Marketing Manager, Karolinska University Laboratory, Huddinge
- Executive Managment Education, Stockholm Business School
- Biology and Geography, Uppsala University
Per wrote the first European collection guidelines for EWDTS. His vision for a better global drug testing industry and society led to his creation of the International Forum for Drug and Alcohol Testing.
Born in Uppsala, Sweden, Per studied teaching, information and marketing at the University of Stockholm and biology and geography at the University of Uppsala. In 1991 he began his work at the Department of Pharmacology at Karolinska University Hospital in Huddinge (Stockholm) on the “workplace drug testing” project. Per was the initiator of the first European Symposium on Drug testing and the European Workplace Drug Testing Society. Per took the initiative to start the IFDAT conferences back in 2005 together with Dr Anthony Wong (R.I.P.) from Brazil, Sue Nolan from New Zealand and Kurt Bothner from USA.
Per has now retired from his business career to spend more time with his family in Stockholm, Sweden. He will always be an Honorary member of the IFDAT team.
Per Bjorklov
Honorary IFDAT Board Member (Retired)
Sweden
The IFDAT Representatives
Dr Filipe Lino
IFDAT Representative
Brazil
Felipe joined the IFDAT team as our South American representative in 2021.
- 2004-2019: Degree in Biomedical Science, Master’s Degree in Pharmacology & Toxicology, 10 years scientific research, Executive MBA
- 2014-2020: Chemist, Country Manager & Executive Director of Omega Laboratories inc, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Active in implementing hair drug testing
- 2020-2021: Business Development Director of Laboratory Sodre, Lins, SP, Brazil
- 2021-current: Founder Partner and Executive Director of Agente RS, Canaos, RS, Brazil
- Principal Areas of Knowledge: Toxicology, Pharmacology, Biochemistry, Molecular Genetics, Business
- Member of SoHT, ABRATOX, CRBM and SBTOX
Felipe lives in Canaos, RS, Brazil.
Contact: felipe.biomedicina@gmail.com
The IFDAT Volunteers / Committee members
Eveline Vaessen
IFDAT Volunteer / Conference Committee member
Netherlands
Eveline Vaessen
Working at the European Livestock Diagnostic Center (ELDC) in Kerkrade, the Netherlands, in charge of marketing, I spend my hours/days with the company’s websites, organizing newsletters and meetings, and preparing video’s and other visuals to support out products.
For IFDAT I help create and design the newsletter and I also manage the “mailing list”. I also manage and maintain IFDAT’s website.
Email: eveline.vaessen@eldc.eu
