Announcements & Appointments/
Budding Careers WeedMD Inc. has appointed Deborah Sikkema as the Company’s Chief People Officer. A multi-faceted business leader with 20 years of HR experience in some of Canada’s top-tier organizations, such as Shoppers Drug Mart, Canadian Tire, and Holt Renfrew, Deborah is also appointed to WeedMD’s Compensation Committee alongside its Board of Directors. In addition to Deborah’s appointment, the Company and the Board have also affirmed Stephen Ng as Chief Commercial Officer. He previously held the position of Chief Strategy Officer of WeedMD and Chief Financial Officer of Starseed Medicinal Inc.
BevCanna Enterprises Inc. announced that former PepsiCo and SC Johnson executive Melise Panetta has joined the BevCanna team in the role of Executive Advisor to lead their Global commercial strategy. Melise Panetta is a highly experienced sales, marketing and commercial leader within the consumer packaged goods (CPG) sector, having held senior and executive roles at global companies such as General Mills, PepsiCo and S.C. Johnson. She has also led commercial efforts in the cannabis space as Sproutly Canada’s Chief Commercial Officer. Melise Panetta will leverage this experience to lead BevCanna’s commercial strategy, globally.
Kiaro Holdings Corp., an omni-channel cannabis retailer and distributor, has promoted its current President of Operations, Eleanor Lynch, to the position of Chief Operating Officer. In this role, she will be responsible for leading operations, customer experience and overall execution of the Company’s plans. Ms. Lynch is a retail professional with more than 20 years of retail experience, 10 of which have been in senior leadership roles for various national brands. Prior to joining Kiaro in 2018, Ms. Lynch held the role of National Director of Operations for Lids Sports Group in Canada overseeing store sales and operations that included a portfolio of 145 stores across all provinces.
HEXO Corp. has appointed Trent MacDonald to its executive leadership team in the acting role of Chief Financial Officer. As previously announced, Mr. MacDonald joined the Company in September, and his permanent role as Chief Financial Officer will commence upon the successful completion of Health Canada’s security clearance process for key personnel, which has been initiated. Stephen Burwash remained Chief Financial Officer for a transition period and is stepping down. Mr. MacDonald brings more than 15 years of financial executive experience working for both publicly listed and private enterprises. Most recently, he served as the CFO for Rx Drug Mart.
Christina Lake Cannabis Corp. has appointed of Ryan Smith as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Company. As Controller, Mr. Smith has been responsible for managing the financial actions of the Company. Mr. Smith is a finance professional with a diversified portfolio spanning multiple industries. He previously held senior positions with one of the largest credit unions in Canada, most recently managing a commercial portfolio in excess of $250 million. He gained experience in the telecommunications sector through senior financial roles with Axia NetMedia Corporation and KMM, a U.S.-based national provider of integrated logistics and network services.
Liberty Health Sciences Inc. has appointed George J. Gremse, a member of the Board of Directors, as Interim CEO during the process of identifying a permanent CEO. Gremse has held senior management positions in both Fortune 500 companies and start-ups. He holds a degree in agriculture from Cornell University and an MBA from Baruch College of the City University of New York. Mancebo will work with Gremse to ensure a smooth transition.
Vahan Ajamian has been appointed to the position of Vice President, Capital Markets. Mr. Ajamian joins High Tide after nearly 20 years of financial experience featuring five years of industry experience as one of the first analysts to cover the sector for Beacon Securities. His expert opinions have been frequently quoted by media outlets like CBC, Marijuana Business Daily and BNNBloomberg. Vahan was also named one of the “Rising Stars” in the cannabis investment community by Business Insider for his equity research and analysis.
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Cannabis Prospect Magazine | December 2020
