Newly-appointed executive team looks to expand robust seed-to-sale cannabis portfolio and amplify WeedMD’s brand recognition on a national and global level
TORONTO, Oct. 15, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WeedMD Inc. (TSX-V:WMD) (OTCQX:WDDMF) (FSE:4WE) (“WeedMD” or the “Company”), a federally-licensed producer and distributor of medical-grade cannabis, is pleased to announce its recent leadership appointments in the areas of production, sales, marketing, communications and human resources as WeedMD solidifies its market positioning, expands cannabis production, diversifies distribution channels and looks to spotlight its people and cannabis products on a national and global scale.
“As we ramp up production and continue scaling for growth, we’ve positioned ourselves strategically at an extremely pivotal time and I’m thrilled to announce the appointment of a leadership team that brings a pedigree of proven experience, authenticity and a diverse skill set that will be integral to propelling WeedMD to the next level of success,” said Keith Merker, CEO of WeedMD. “We are adding bench-strength and top-talent to capture the many market opportunities as we look to diversify our innovative product lines; introduce new brands in the recreational market; secure our position in the medical cannabis space; amplify the WeedMD name on a national and global level; and continue to build stellar teams. With our world-class cultivation facilities and highly-regarded products, we have a winning combination that is sure to bring long-term success and shareholder value.”
With the appointment of Nichola Thompson, Chief Financial Officer (Interim) announced earlier this year, WeedMD now rounds out its robust leadership team as follows, with all VPs reporting directly to the CEO:
Josephine DesLauriers, Senior Vice President, People. The continued build of a strong cohesive team requires strategic experience and proven leadership. Josephine has been at the forefront of building the WeedMD team over last six months - expanding the Company’s workforce four-fold since her start, bringing on board top-level talent and establishing a retention record that is the envy of the industry. Josephine is appointed to Senior Vice President, People. With over 15 years of experience in a variety of HR-related functions such as organizational development and talent acquisition, Josephine is a trusted advisor to many Boards of Directors, and is widely recognized in the health-care sector for her work in seniors care/housing, hospital and community care. A graduate from Western University’s Psychology program, Josephine holds two degrees, including a Bachelors of Management & Organizational Studies, and a Human Resources Management Certification from Seneca College.
Brett Moon, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing. Brett joins the WeedMD team from Mosaic – Canada’s largest sales and marketing agency. As Vice President at Mosaic, he led a variety of the largest accounts in beer, spirits and cannabis within Canada.
Brett brings over a decade of experience in controlled substances, regulated industries and in developing vertically-integrated sales and marketing models. He is ideally suited to lead and build WeedMD’s sales and marketing teams as the Company looks at expanding its medical and recreational brands and strategies for taking its medical-grade cannabis products on a global level. Additionally, Brett will build a solid business plan rooted in producing, marketing and selling a portfolio of innovative cannabis brands. He will also be instrumental in ensuring the Company maintains a continued emphasis on building teams and partnerships that will maximize the distribution of WeedMD’s world-class products on a national and international scale.
Dan Healey, Vice President, Operations. With over 30 years of experience in a variety of operations and quality roles, Dan joins us from a recent post as VP Operations, Maricann Group where he was responsible for overseeing the cannabis supply chain from production to delivery. Prior to this, Dan spent 11 years at dairy giant Parmalat Canada and over a decade with Nestlé in London, Ontario in an Operations and Quality leadership role. Having started his career with Corby Distilleries, Dan is an engineering technology graduate who brings industry insights and professional knowledge in developing, implementing and achieving manufacturing excellence in productivity and quality. His expertise and oversite in the areas of production, inventory planning, quality, packaging and distribution will help in our drive to deliver the best customer experience.
Robert Gora, Vice President, Patient & Client Experience, Medical. Robert brings over 16 years of experience in the Canadian pharmaceutical industry with a career that has spanned numerous roles including sales, medical education, marketing, business management, business development and patient support services. Most recently the General Manager of Medical at MedReleaf, Robert was responsible for establishing the strategic and tactical plans tied to the medical cannabis business, building a high-functioning sales team, increasing patient volumes, and improving overall sales across multiple medical channels. A graduate from the University of Alberta’s Commerce Program, Robert has worked in markets across Canada and has collaborated on global marketing initiatives. He will be an important part of ensuring WeedMD’s strong commitment to its medical cannabis patients and client experience continues as a priority for the Company.
Marianella delaBarrera, Vice President, Communications & Corporate Affairs. Having worked with the WeedMD team for over a year, Marianella has been an integral part of building the Company’s media outreach and public relations initiatives and strategies. She previously spent over 10 years developing and leading worldwide external communications strategies for Bombardier Aerospace. As a veteran spokesperson and senior strategist on numerous high-profile international matters, Marianella is accustomed to working with publicly-traded companies operating in highly-regulated environments that overlap with government, shareholders, customers, employees and media. A graduate from Ryerson University’s Journalism program, she’s also a trained journalist that has counselled and advised numerous CEOs, Presidents and Chairmen. Her international business media network will be key as WeedMD’s voice is amplified in worldwide media markets. Marianella will work closely with the leadership team to develop solid corporate governance processes and develop a corporate social responsibility mandate.
For more information, access WeedMD’s investor presentation here and recently updated corporate video here.
About WeedMD Inc.
WeedMD Inc. is the publicly-traded parent company of WeedMD Rx Inc., a federally-licensed producer and distributor of cannabis plant, dried flower and oil under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (“ACMPR”). The Company operates two facilities: a 26,000 sq. ft. indoor facility in Aylmer, Ontario and a state-of-the-art greenhouse facility located in Strathroy, Ontario. The greenhouse currently has 44,000 square feet of licensed space in production and is expected to have a total footprint of more than 500,000 square feet online by year-end 2018. WeedMD has a multi-channeled distribution strategy that includes supply agreements with Shoppers Drug Mart and provincial distribution agencies, as well as through strategic relationships across the seniors' market in Canada.
Follow WeedMD On:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weedmd/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/weedmd/?originalSubdomain=fr
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WeedMD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weedmd/
For further information, please contact:
WeedMD Inc.
Keith Merker, Chief Executive Officer
Tel: 519-765-2440 Ext. 222
Email: investor@weedmd.com
To learn more, visit us at www.weedmd.com
For Media Inquiries:
Marianella delaBarrera
Communications & Corporate Affairs
Tel: 416-897-6644
Email: marianella@weedmd.com
Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information
This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation which are based upon WeedMD's current internal expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and beliefs and views of future events. Forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expect", "likely", "may", "will", "should", "intend", "anticipate", "potential", "proposed", "estimate" and other similar words, including negative and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions "may", "would" or "will" happen, or by discussions of strategy.
The forward-looking information in this news release is based upon the expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and views of future events which management believes to be reasonable in the circumstances. Forward-looking information includes estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, targets, guidance or other statements that are not statements of fact. Forward-looking information in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to internal expectations, expectations with respect to actual production volumes, expectations for future growing capacity and the completion of any capital project or expansions. Forward-looking information necessarily involve known and unknown risks, including, without limitation, risks associated with general economic conditions; adverse industry events; loss of markets; future legislative and regulatory developments; inability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favourable terms; the cannabis industry in Canada generally; the ability of WeedMD to implement its business strategies; competition; crop failure; and other risks.
Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and, except as required by law, WeedMD does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for WeedMD to predict all such factors. When considering this forward-looking information, readers should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in WeedMD's Annual Information Form dated December 13, 2017 (the "AIF") and other disclosure documents of WeedMD filed with the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The risk factors and other factors noted in the AIF and other disclosure documents could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those described in any forward-looking information.
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