Executive Team
John Lighton, PhD
President & Chief Innovation Officer
John Lighton is the Chief Innovation Officer and President of Sable Systems International. Dr. Lighton founded the company in 1987 as a graduate student at the University of California-Los Angeles under the urging of his advisor, the legendary George Bartholomew, one of the world’s leading comparative physiologists. Dr. Lighton has merged his passion for electronics with his understanding of metabolism to revolutionize the field of metabolism measurement. Under his leadership, Sable Systems has grown from, literally, his garage into being a global company serving the comparative and biomedical research fields. Dr. Lighton simultaneously served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas from 1995 to 2015 as well as a visiting professor at the University of Zurich. Dr. Lighton has been awarded multiple NSF and NIH grants, is a recipient of a David & Lucille Packard Research Fellowship, and has >100 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Lighton conducted his post-doctoral research at UCLA where he also earned his doctoral degree.
Watch this video which summarizes how Dr. Lighton founded Sable Systems and his contributions to metabolic measurement!
Robbin Turner, MSc
Chief Executive Officer
Robbin Turner has been Chief Executive Officer since 2010. Ms. Turner oversaw the launch of a new product line, Promethion, that initiated the company’s entry into the biomedical research market and established Sable Systems equipment as the performance standard for the market. Ms. Turner started with the company in 2001, essentially serving as Chief Learning Officer before such titles became fashionable. Ms. Turner oversaw diverse functions from manufacturing to marketing. She developed ongoing business relationships including the establishment of the European subsidiary, Sable Systems Europe GmbH, and a worldwide network of distributors. Ms. Turner is a member of the Nevada District Export Council and has volunteered as an Advisor for the UNLV International School of Business. In 1994, Ms. Turner earned her master’s degree in Physiology and her bachelor’s degree in Biology is from the University of Utah.
Rex Jones
Chief Financial Officer
Rex Jones has been Chief Financial Officer since 2012. Mr. Jones facilitated growth in the business by expanding financing options and securing the funding for the purchase of the current building. Prior to Sable Systems, Mr. Jones was Controller for Capital Cabinets, a subsidiary of a Fortune 500 company. He also served as the CFO for AJC International Inc., a food distributor with revenues in excess of $400 million. Prior to AJC, Mr. Jones served as CFO in the biotechnology company, Porton International Inc. With the parent company of Porton based out of London, Mr. Jones managed a Department of Defense contract that was manufactured out of Salisbury, England. Mr. Jones later expanded the $30 million DoD contract to $300 million. Mr. Jones’ early career was in public accounting where he earned his CPA certificate. He earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Brigham Young University.
Taffi Servenack, MBA
Chief Operating Officer
Taffi Servenack has been Chief Operating Officer since January of 2024. Prior to becoming COO, Mrs. Servenack served as Executive Director of Quality and Operations. Mrs. Servenack started with Sable Systems International in October 2020 as the Quality Systems Assurance Manager and has established a robust Quality Management System that is compliant with ISO9001-2015. Mrs. Servenack is a certified AS9100 Rev D/ISO 9001-2015 Lead Auditor, and she has held Lead Auditor status to an international standard since 2000. Mrs. Servenack has been in the Quality field since 1999 and has worked in various manufacturing industries that include R&D, Laboratory, Aerospace, Plastics, and Gaming. Prior to working in the Quality field, Taffi attained a degree in Veterinary Science and worked in large and small animal practices for two years. Mrs. Servenack earned her MBA from Louisiana State University- Shreveport and her degree in Veterinary Science from SUNY Delhi.
Marshall McCue, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer
Marshall McCue has been Chief Scientific Officer since 2019. Dr. McCue started with Sable Systems International in 2018 as a Senior Scientist. Prior to joining Sable Systems, Dr. McCue was a tenured professor in the Department of Biology at St. Mary’s University (San Antonio, Texas) and was a visiting Professor at Nicholas Copernicus University, Poland and Stellenbosch University, South Africa. Dr. McCue was awarded a Ben-Gurion University Blaustein Post-Doctoral fellowship. Dr. McCue earned his doctoral degree in Physiology and Biochemistry from the University of Arkansas and earned his master’s degree in Biology from the University of California-Irvine. Dr. McCue graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in science from the University of Florida.
Cruz Hinojos, PhD
Executive Director of Sales and Marketing
Cruz Hinojos has been the Executive Director of Sales & Marketing since 2022. Dr. Hinojos started with Sable Systems International in 2017 as an Applications Scientist and Field Sales Manager and helped drive the growth of the company’s biomedical research products. Prior to joining Sable Systems, Dr. Hinojos served as an Applications Scientist and Regional Sales Manager at Bruker Optics, a major analytical instrumentation company. He successfully placed Bruker Optics’ biologic analyzer into the biopharmaceutical market. Dr. Hinojos conducted his post-doctoral research in the Cell Biology department at Baylor College of Medicine. He earned his doctoral degree in Integrative Biology at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center-Houston, and he earned his bachelor’s degree in Biology at Texas Tech University.
Andreas Moelich, PhD
Managing Director,
Sable Systems Europe GmbH
Andreas Mölich has been Managing Director of Sable Systems Europe GmbH since 2007, having assisted in founding the company as the European subsidiary of Sable Systems International Inc. During this term Sable Systems Europe was established as the hub for service and scientific support and became the most recognized provider of solutions for metabolic and behavioral research for European customers. Prior to joining Sable Systems, Dr. Mölich held a position as postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Animal Physiology at Humbold-Universität zu Berlin. Dr. Mölich served as a medical corpsman in the German Navy 1986-1988, before enlisting at the university. Dr. Mölich earned his doctoral degree in Natural Sciences from the Department of Animal Physiology at Humbold-Universität zu Berlin and his master’s degree from the Department of Zoology at Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg. Andreas participated in teaching classes and holding lectures on physiological topics.
Thomas Foerster, PhD
Executive Director of Customer Service
Thomas has been Executive Director of Customer Service since 2024. Overseeing all technical support functions, Thomas ensures that customers receive the highest level of service and support. Originally from Germany, Thomas holds a PhD in Animal Physiology from the Humboldt University of Berlin, with his thesis focused on insect respiration. He later moved to the United States for post-doctoral research at the University of Montana, sought for his expertise in data science, data analytics, mathematics, and programming. Thomas began his career at Sable Systems as a Research Scientist, quickly demonstrating his expertise and dedication. His outstanding contributions led to his promotion to Senior Research Scientist, followed by taking on the newly formed Customer Service and Support team as their Manager. Thomas’s blend of technical prowess and commitment to customer satisfaction makes him a key leader in the Sable Systems team.