Ayr Strategies Inc. promoted Mark Pitchford to chief development officer. Pitchford previously served as Ayr’s head of cultivation and was a founding member of Washoe Wellness and The Canopy NV, two cannabis companies acquired by Ayr in May 2019.
“Mark brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our executive team, having founded and grown multiple successful cannabis companies in the western U.S.,” said Ayr Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Sandelman. “He has been an essential member of our team and an invaluable asset in developing and implementing our cultivation initiatives. We believe elevating Mark to lead the integration and future expansion of our cultivation and production efforts will ensure operations continue to run smoothly, while maximizing efficiencies and organic growth.”
The Flowr Corporation, a Canadian cannabis company, hired David Aronowitz as chief of staff. Aronowitz joins the company from The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company where he served in several roles including senior executive, chief of staff, and head of mergers and acquisitions.
“We are excited for David to join our team and are looking forward to the contributions he can make based on his vast experience across numerous sectors applicable to the cannabis industry,” said Flowr founder and Managing Partner Tom Flow. “We worked closely with David when he was a senior executive at Scotts, where he devised the concept of teaming with Flowr to build and operate a one-of-its-kind cannabis research and development facility on our Kelowna Campus. Without his creativity and determination, this innovative facility would never have come into existence.”
Communications firm Grasslands appointed Amanda Lowell to the position of public relations manager, a new role for the company. Lowell previously served as a senior account executive at both coded{PR} in Los Angeles and at Identity Talent + PR in New York City. Her former clients include The New York Times, CNN Travel, Cosmopolitan, Coveteur, E! News, Eater, Forbes, KTLA, People Magazine, POPSUGAR and Us Weekly.
“At Grasslands, we operate at a New York City pace and serve big-city clients,” said company founder and Chief Executive Officer Ricardo Baca. “Ms. Lowell’s broad experience with fast-paced, large-scale agencies on both coasts make her a perfect fit for our team of accomplished communications professionals and quality human beings.”
Scientific cannabis organization Geocann added several members to its medical and scientific advisory board: Michael Davidson, M.D., Melanie Dreher, PhD, RN, FAAN, and Raj Chopra. Anthony Petraglia, M.D., who also serves as Geocann’s chief medical officer, has been elected chairman of the board.
“Geocann has an unwavering commitment to advancing the scientific discovery and clinical research of cannabinoids,” said Petraglia. “These well-respected professionals will offer counsel regarding Geocann’s innovative product solutions as well as provide invaluable contributions to the unmatched supporting evidence from well-designed peer-reviewed and pilot studies to white papers, meta-analyses, academic lectures, and conference presentations.”
Marketing and advertising firm The Skyline Agency hired Stephanie Johnson to the position of senior communications strategist. Johnson’s background in communications and public relations spans over a decade and includes experience in journalism, broadcasting, and creative storytelling.
“Being picked up by Skyline is exciting,” said Johnson. “To get to be a part of a forward-thinking, creative think tank of professionals is inspiring. The work that they’re doing in existing and emerging categories is nothing short of amazing.”
Medical cannabis data company CB2 Insights appointed Peter Cummins as a director to its board. Cummins joins CB2 from Johnson & Johnson where he spent time in executive roles overseeing research and development, product development, regulatory affairs, and hospital pharmacy across Canada, the US, Europe, and other regions.
“Peter has extensive experience in traditional pharmaceutical research and development,” said CB2 Chairman of the Board David Danziger. “He brings a crucial understanding and network to CB2 Insights that will undoubtedly help to unlock the value of the company’s data assets moving forward.”
Ignite International, Ltd. appointed Oliver Holzmann to the position of global head of marketing. Holzmann joins the company from Red Bull North America where he served as vice president of marketing.
“Oliver has a proven track record as a collaborative leader with strong capacity to build, develop, and lead high performing marketing teams, making him a perfect fit for Ignite,” said Ignite President Jim McCormick. “He is smart, strategic and gets ‘it’, and we are excited to see how he can leverage Ignite to propel the brand forward in this ever-growing industry.”
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