About us

Thomas R. Hirsch, DDS
Founder, Board Member

Dr. Hirsch is the original inspiration, co-founder and developer of the Isolite family of dental isolation devices from Zyris. His passion for dentistry built a successful multi-decade cosmetic practice in Malibu, CA and extended to ten years as an instructor of clinical dentistry at his alma mater, the University of Southern California. His exuberant smile and infectious enthusiasm can often be found in the Zyris booth, in his trademark Converse sneakers.

James A. Hirsch
Founder and Board Member

James is Tom's younger brother, co-founder and chief designer of the patented Isolite mouthpiece and family of dental isolation devices. He is a graduate of California State Univerity-Northridge and an IDEA Gold Award winning industrial designer; finding joy in fusing new technology with years of experience in electro-mechanical design and plastic injection molding. He thrives on innovating game-changing solutions to clinical issues, and often finds inspiration in the fresh ocean breezes of long distance sailing adventures.

Sandra Hirsch
President and CEO

Sandra is the third founding member of Zyris, pairing decades of experience as a financial manager and CPA with a zeal for entrepreneurship sparked by her B. S. in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. Under her leadership as President and CEO, the company has grown from a struggling start-up to the world leader in dental isolation, distributing Isolite products throughout North America and in over 20 countries overseas. Sandra is defined by her family, the Zyris team, and unwavering resolve to forever change the experience of dentistry for patients and clinicians.

John Horton
Chief Operating Officer

A member of the Zyris team since 2015, Chief Operating Officer John Horton brings decades of experience in building and scaling amazing companies to breakthrough success. His lifetime pursuit of both personal and professional excellence has benefited many companies with household names: Microsoft, Skype, GoToMeeting, Estee Lauder, Allergan, Costco and Baccardi. John holds a B. S. in Finance from Sonoma State University, and reveals his deep passion for the Star Wars universe with a large scale model of an X-Wing fighter on his desk.

Adam Ontiveros
Vice President, Operations

Shaun Valentine
Vice President, Product

Kelly Fuller
Vice President, Customer Success

Passionate about ensuring customer success, Kelly leverages over 20 years in services leadership with rapid company growth at Yardi Systems and Procore. Kelly and her team prioritize quickly onboarding our customers so they can experience incredible product benefits. With a focus on driving value and outcomes tied to customers’ business objectives, Kelly loves to see positive impact for our customers’ practices and patients! Kelly enjoys building teams and investing in people. She values kindness, integrity and hard work. Kelly earned her BS from Santa Clara University and is happiest in the mountains or on the ocean adventuring with her family.

Paula Mann
Vice President, Marketing & Sales

With over 15 years of experience in the dental industry, Paula is the newly appointed Vice President of Marketing & Sales at Zyris Isolite. Paula's career began at Kavo/Kerr, where she made her mark as a highly successful Marketer focused on medical devices in both hospital and dental settings. She then served as the Marketing Director at VITA, driving initiatives in CAD/CAM and Digital Dentistry solutions. Before joining Zyris Isolite, Paula played a key role at DenMat, leading product marketing, product development, and the digital marketing platform. At Zyris Isolite, Paula is committed to advancing the company's innovative solutions, ensuring they meet the evolving needs of dental professionals worldwide.

Christina Stowell
Vice President, People & Culture

Christina leads the People & Culture initiatives at Zyris, where her team drives employee engagement, talent acquisition, and professional growth. With a wealth of HR leadership experience, she’s committed to building a collaborative and empowering company culture. Christina is a SHRM-SCP certified professional with a Bachelor’s in Human Resource Management, dedicated to aligning Zyris’s people strategies with the company’s growth in dental care technology.