California Cannabis Enterprises Names New COO

Vertically-integrated cannabis company California Cannabis Enterprises (CCE) has hired Daryl Kato as its new Chief Operating Officer. He will report directly to CCE CEO Kyle Kazan.

“With two decades of experience leading and driving revenue, profitability and shareholder value across multiple consumer packaged goods sectors, Daryl will help ensure CCE scales in the most strategic way possible -- particularly as we enter more opportunistic markets and rollout new branding partnerships that define cannabis’ role in the consumer health, wellness and lifestyle sectors,” said Kazan.

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Kato served as chief financial officer and board director at Nissin Foods, the creators of the original instant ramen and one of the largest prepackaged food companies in the world. Before Nissin Foods, he co-founded and grew a digital out-of-home advertising company to more than $5 million in annual sales and successfully led the asset sale of the company in 2015.

Daryl comes to CCE having completed major business transformation initiatives with Nestle Professional NSRGY, Farmer Bros Co FARM, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc MUFG and Deloitte.

In his new role, Kato will oversee CCE’s company-wide operations and work to accelerate growth across its companies and brands, which include Glass House Farms, Glass House Farms’ manufacturing arm, retailers The Pottery, Bud & Bloom, and The Farmacy, Glass House Brands, Roam Escapes, along with third-party partnerships with influencers like recently signed American singer-songwriter Jenny Lewis.

Lewis recently teamed up with CCE’s Glass House Farms to launch a new handpicked cannabis strain called “The Rabbit Hole” after the final track on Lewis’ recent album On the Line.

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