Cannabis Movers & Shakers: Flora Growth, Valens, Metrc, Treez

Flora Growth Welcomes Cannabis Regulatory Veteran Holly Bell As VP Of Regulatory Affairs

Flora Growth Corp. FLGC has tapped regulatory veteran Holly Bell to serve as vice president of regulatory affairs.

Bell agreed to play a critical role in Flora's domestic and global expansion strategy and lead government relations in key international markets. She will oversee the regulatory strategy supporting the advancement of Flora's cultivation, distribution, and pharmaceutical programs, including the company's regulatory submissions and interactions with government authorities worldwide.

Bell previously served as the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' first Director of Cannabis. At the time, Bell worked with leading regulators throughout the state to create the first commercial hemp program in Florida and develop an extensive educational series on the program.

"We look forward to bringing Holly's expertise to our growing roster of industry standouts and working closely with governments worldwide to break down the barriers to the cannabis trade," Luis Merchan, president and CEO of Flora Growth said.

Valens Co. Names New Board Chair

The Valens Company Inc VLNS VLNS recently announced that it has separated the roles of chair and CEO and appointed Andrew Cockwell to serve as its new chair of the board, effective immediately.

The move comes on the heels of the company's recent NASDAQ listing and its commitment to governance best practices including transparency and accountability.

"As we look ahead, the separation of Chair and CEO combined with having a majority independent Board are critical pieces of the puzzle in delivering value not just for our shareholders but for our entire organization," Cockwell said.

Cockwell is the managing partner of Ursataur Capital Management, a private equity firm he founded in 2009 that strategically invests in Canadian mid-market companies across various industries.

Previously, he was a founding partner of ReichmannHauer Capital Partners in 2006, while he also served in the private equity and corporate finance practices at global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company.

Tyler Robson has stepped down as chair in full support of this decision and will remain on the board and as the CEO of the company.

Metrc Announces Changes To Its Management Team

Metrc revealed that Jeff Wells, co-founder and chair of the board of directors, has transitioned from CEO to chief visionary officer. In his stead, Michael Johnson, a Metrc veteran who has been serving as president and chief financial officer, has been appointed as CEO, effective immediately.

The company also announced that Lewis Koski, who has served as chief operating officer since 2019, has been promoted to chief strategy officer.

Additionally, Steve Asma, operations and customer experience leader joins the Metrc team as senior vice president of customer experience.

"This is an exciting time for Metrc, with technology advancements at the forefront that will pave the way for more sophisticated programs that maintain safe and secure markets," Wells said. "As we rapidly expand our business, we feel it's the perfect time to restructure and expand our leadership team."

Treez Strengthens Senior Management Team With New Appointments

Treez recently expanded its management team with new executives named to oversee people and HR, marketing and product functions.

Jeannette Opalski was appointed to the new role of vice president of people. She brings more than 20 years of HR experience in the business and technology sectors to her new role at Treez. She will oversee the company's people strategy to attract, develop and retain talent as the company expands its hiring across the U.S., Canada and India.

John Ucciferri is named vice president of marketing. With more than 17 years of serving in a variety of management roles in marketing, Ucciferri most recently was vice president of marketing at ShopKeep, a point-of-sale and payment processing provider for retailers and restaurants.

Treez veteran Joey Sterling is being promoted to vice president of product. Sterling is one of the company's earliest employees and has served in a variety of management roles across software implementation, product management and sales at Treez in the past four years.

"We are excited to add such strong leaders to these critical roles in our management team," John Yang, CEO of Treez said. "Jeannette, John and Joey are tenured, skilled and experienced leaders that will elevate Treez to our next stage of growth."

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