Wixon announced Sara Sarnstrom joined the company as director of regulatory affairs, reporting to Peter Gottsacker, president. A seasoned regulatory professional, Sara will lead compliance efforts across vendor management, quality assurance, and regulatory affairs to ensure alignment with domestic and global regulatory requirements while supporting operational scalability and business continuity. She brings more than a decade of food industry experience in food safety, regulatory compliance, and risk management to her new position.
“We’re pleased to welcome Sara to Wixon,” said Gottsacker. “Her extensive credentials are a valuable addition to our regulatory team and an asset for our customers.” Sara holds a master’s degree in food safety from Michigan State University and maintains the following professional certifications: Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI), Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP), and International Food Law.
Advancing Systems-Based Compliance Models
As director of regulatory affairs, Sara will focus on advancing systems-based compliance models that integrate regulatory, supplier, and quality data to enable robust, risk‑based decision making. This future-focused approach emphasizes data harmonization, cross‑functional visibility, and proactive risk identification to enhance regulatory readiness, strengthen preventive control programs, and support informed, defensible compliance decisions in today’s dynamic regulatory landscape.
“Sara’s appointment is part of our long-term strategic plan to ensure continuity in this critical area of our business,” explained Gottsacker. “We are currently in a transition phase where she is working collaboratively with her predecessor, VP of QA and Regulatory, Tim Sonntag, ahead of his planned retirement in the third quarter. This approach allows us to continue delivering the high level of service and expertise our customers rely on.”
Mr. Sonntag will retire in August after 40 years with Wixon. “We are grateful for the lasting impact he has made on our business and his exceptional service to our customers over the years,” said Gottsacker. “We wish him all the best in his retirement.”
