John W. Howell earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Nebraska in 1997. Shortly after, he began his career in the industry by joining Sybron Biochemicals in Salem, VA, which was later acquired by Novozymes A/S in Copenhagen, Denmark, and rebranded as Novozymes Biological Inc. This company manufactured various microbial solutions for cleaning applications. John started in the R&D group, where he developed microbial-based detergents and investigated numerous supportive technology platforms, including Bacillus spp. mediated inhibition of bacteria and fungi. In 2008, he transitioned to technical services, focusing more on customer interactions and education.

In 2013, John joined Novonesis' (formerly Novozymes A/S) enzyme-based business, where he led the development and transformation of the market for enzymatic-based medical device reprocessing detergents and industrial cleaning applications. He collaborated with companies such as Stryker and Ecolab to develop new products.

In 2022, John moved to the commercial side as a global business development manager, continuing his focus on medical and industrial cleaning applications. He worked with his technical counterparts to relaunch and develop portfolios for both applications. John emphasizes challenging the status quo with more impactful value-based messaging and collaborating with technical teams to create ways for customers to visualize cleanliness.