As Curaleaf Taps Ex Jushi & Clever Leaves Executives Other Big Cannabis Players Also Make Key Leadership Changes

As Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference returns on September 13-14 to Chicago, gathering top CEOs, investors and leaders in the industry, let's scroll through the latest leadership changes within the space.

Curaleaf Advances Executive Leadership Team With Three Key Hires 

Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. CURLF has revealed three new hires are joining the company's executive leadership team this month. Ed Kremer will join as a chief financial officer, Camilo Lyon was named chief investment officer and Mitch Hara will be chief strategy officer - a new role at the company. Kremer and Lyon will begin on August 8 and Hara joined effectively on August 3.

Newly appointed CFO Ed Kremer used to work for a competitor of the company, Jushi Holdings Inc. JUSHF as its CFO. Jushi filed and settled the lawsuit for 'Tortious Interference' with the former CFO and Curaleaf.

Camilo Lyon will lead capital markets and investor relations as Curaleaf's first chief investment officer. Lyon most recently worked as a managing director at BTIG, where he covered the consumer and cannabis sectors.

In the newly created chief strategy officer role, Mitch Hara will oversee the company's strategy functions including mergers and acquisitions, international, and research and development. Hara brings years of experience as a strategist, operator, and deal maker on Wall Street and in cannabis, most recently as head of mergers and acquisitions and business development at Clever Leaves International CLVR. 

Audacious Appoints Roger Sykes as COO, Replaces Duke FU

Australis Capital Inc. AUSA AUSAF, (known as Audacious) confirmed Saturday it has appointed Roger Sykes as its new chief operating officer, replacing Duke Fu, who resigned. Sykes will be located in the Edmonton, Alberta offices of Audacious.

"I have worked closely with Roger for over 30 years, during which time he has shown an exceptional ability to supercharge operations and help organizations move to the next level,” Terry Booth, CEO stated. “Roger is respected in the cannabis industry and is well known for getting the job done. He also led the dissident battle that brought the shareholders a decisive win. In less than 18 months Roger has been instrumental in turning AUDACIOUS around. His operational expertise is now needed to execute on our many successes and help bring AUDACIOUS products to the people across the U.S. and abroad.”

The Greenrose Holding Company Appoints New Member Of The Board And New CFO

The Greenrose Holding Company Inc. GNRS announced Friday two new appointments to its executive team and board of directors, effective August 2022. Bernard Wang has been appointed as the company’s new chief financial officer, effective August 8, 2022, and Benjamin Rose has been appointed to the company’s board of directors, effective August 1, 2022.

Bernard Wang joins Greenrose as the company’s new chief financial officer following the resignation of its former CFO, Scott Cohen, on July 14, 2022. Wang is a senior finance and accounting professional with over 25 years of experience and a track record in helping both public and private companies improve their internal controls, accounting processes, and capital-raising initiatives. Prior to joining Greenrose, Wang served as the interim corporate controller and director of accounting at Fat Brands Inc. FAT, where he led multiple projects to improve corporate reporting processes. He previously served as the corporate controller and vice president of finance at Canndescent, a California-based luxury cannabis flower brand company.

Benjamin Rose has been appointed to Greenrose’s board of directors. With over 25 years of experience in the investment industry, Rose brings extensive expertise in helping cannabis companies raise capital and enhance their operational foundation for growth. He is the founder and managing partner of Boundary Peak Advisors LLC, a cannabis-focused investment and advisory firm. In his role at Boundary Peak, Rose helped facilitate Greenrose’s $105 million senior secured credit facility from DXR Finance, LLC to assist in the completion of the company’s qualifying transaction with Theraplant. He also served as chairman of the board for MedMen MMEN MMNFF, where he spearheaded several restructuring and governance improvements, as well as facilitated a backstopped $100 million equity private placement led by Serruya Private Equity.    

Prior to Boundary Peak, Rose founded and served as the chief investment officer for Wicklow Capital, where he focused on venture investments in seed to late-stage companies across various emerging industries, such as cannabis, technology and cryptocurrency. He has also served as a portfolio manager at Balyasny Asset Management and held various trading roles at Blue Ridge Capital, Tiger Management, and Goldman Sachs.

Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference

Meet a slew of cannabis execs, entrepreneurs, CEOs, investors, et al. at the upcoming Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, Sept. 13-14 in Chicago. Get your tickets HERE and reserve your spot at the Palmer House Hotel HERE.

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