Scoop: A Former Twitter VP Joins NorCal Cannabis As Chief Marketing Officer

The mass migration of executives from established industries into the cannabis industry continues.

Last week, Donald Stewart left an executive director position at Morgan Stanley MS to join Vinzan International Inc., a Toronto-based cannabis trading company.

On Monday, Tim Leslie, a former Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN executive, was appointed as CEO of Leafly, a platform that provides information about cannabis products.

In the latest development in this saga, Benzinga has learned Joel Lunenfeld, vice president of global brand strategy at Twitter Inc TWTR from 2011-2017, has been appointed Chief Marketing Officer at cannabis operator NorCal Cannabis.

Lunenfeld will take his experience at the social media company and apply it to NorCal, being responsible of the build out of the company’s corporate identity, brands portfolio and retail concepts.Lunenfeld will also be in charge of driving revenue and sales though marketing and communications strategies.

The Cannabis Capital Conference returns to Toronto April 17-18!

Why It's Important

Lunenfeld has received a myriad of awards for his work, including the Cannes Lion’s Grand Prix. In 2015, he was inducted into the American Advertising Federation’s Hall of Achievement.

“When I stared at Twitter in 2011, social media was just starting to become a mainstream mode of communication in society," Lunenfeld told Benzinga. "Being able to tell our story and educate people about how and why to use Twitter was our top job. At NorCal, educating people about cannabis and building consumer trust is the most important pillar of our growth as well. It will be our number one job moving forward.”

NorCal CEO Douglas Cortina said it's only the beginning of the migration of top talent: "Much like the tech industry, we are building the plane as we are flying it – and that prospect is exciting for those executives with entrepreneurial vision.”

Earlier this year, NorCal Cannabis closed $27.4 million in its Series A financing round.

Related Links:

Cannabis Tech Company CB2 Insights To Go Public In Canada, CEO Shares Details

One Of America's Top Pharmaceutical Drug Directories Includes CBD Products For The First Time Ever