CannabizTeam Elects New Advisory Board Members
April 19, 2021 – CannabizTeam, a cannabis-focused executive search firm, has elected Jeff Dayton, Lori Ferrara and Annalie Killian as new members to its advisory board. Members of the CannabizTeam advisory board are experienced cannabis industry leaders with a diverse range of skills and experience. The advisory board will work closely with CannabizTeam’s senior leadership team to provide industry insight and strategic guidance as the cannabis company continues to grow.
“CannabizTeam is evolving quickly to keep up with the explosive growth of the cannabis industry as the need for companies to hire top talent becomes increasingly critical,” said Liesl Bernard, CEO of CannabizTeam. “We carefully selected our advisory board based on their areas of expertise and successful backgrounds, which will be extremely valuable to us as we continue to navigate this dynamic industry. I am so excited to have Jeff, Lori and Annalie on our team and look forward to our future together.”
Mr. Dayton is the chief strategy officer of Dip Devices, an ancillary hardware manufacturer that produces proprietary consumption devices and accessories. He has been at the forefront of the cannabis industry since 2013 as the former director of investor relations at The Arcview Group. In this role, he became deeply entrenched in a network that facilitated over $300 million of capital flow into the industry across more than 300 companies. Mr. Dayton provides his expertise to ventures that drive social, political or environmental change. He also serves on the board of advisors at CashoM.
Ms. Ferrara is the founder of Treehouse Global Ventures. She is a 25-year veteran of the international television distribution industry, working with clients including Warner Bros., Tribune Entertainment, Disney ABC Television Group and more. Ms. Ferrara was the first female investor of The Arcview Group, which now includes over 700 investors. Ms. Ferrara’s latest creation is Treehouse Global Ventures, a fund she co-founded to raise capital for women and minority-owned businesses in the cannabis space. She is currently consulting with cannabis-related startup companies on new business development and strategic partnerships and serves as an advisor to several notable companies including Benzinga, Rebel Spirit Cannabis, High Beauty, and now, CannabizTeam.
Ms. Killian is vice president of strategic partnerships, sparks & honey, a strategy consultancy that combines AI and machine learning with the best of human intelligence to make sense of global challenges and emerging trends. She has built a global career guiding strategic change, transforming corporate culture, innovating learning models and systems, and designing unique partnerships. Ms. Killian serves on the advisory board of several accelerators and startups where she leverages her international experience and vast global network to connect clients with entrepreneurs and thought-leaders for new insights, innovation solutions and investment opportunities.
Related: Search Firm Leverages Life Sciences Platform to Recruit Pot Sector Talent
CannabizTeam currently has 10 offices in eight states across the U.S. Since its inception in 2016, CannabizTeam has placed top candidates from entry level to specialized C-suite leadership at leading private and public cannabis companies in North America and Europe. Multi-state clients include TerrAscend, Justice Grown, Ascend Wellness Holdings, Jushi, LEEF Holdings, NewTropic and Benzinga.
New Denver Location
Earlier this year, CannabizTeam opened an office in Denver. The firm also opened offices in Boston; Detroit; Dallas; Orlando, FL; and Santa Rosa, CA in 2020, joining previously established branches in Chicago, Miami and its headquarters in San Diego, CA.
CannabizTeam Opens Office in Newark
Recently, CannabizTeam opened a new office in Newark, NJ. Cannabis is officially America’s fastest-growing industry as the 2021 Leafly Jobs Report found that the U.S. cannabis industry now supports 321,000 full-time equivalent jobs, a 32 percent increase over the previous year. As cannabis legalization continues to spread and demand for qualified talent continues to increase, CannabizTeam plans to continue its expansion initiative to meet these needs.
The Marijuana Business Factbook said that the number of people working in the U.S. cannabis industry was 300,000 last year, almost a 50 percent increase from 2019. “The cannabis industry has proven to be an economic bright spot this year, showing a strength and resiliency that other industries haven’t been able to replicate,” said Ms. Bernard. “Our decision to continue expanding the CannabizTeam footprint is a direct reflection of the explosive growth of this industry driving job creation, and the increasing need for cannabis companies to hire highly skilled professionals to keep their competitive edge.”
New Board Placement Service
CannabizTeam recently launched a new service line for cannabis companies: CT Board Placement. The new service assists cannabis industry clients in identifying and recruiting candidates for board of director positions who have a diverse blend of skills and experience. CT Board Placement will also offer a cannabis director development program to help first-time directors learn the culture and nuances of the company they will serve as well as the broader cannabis industry. The cannabis director development program includes a detailed curriculum exploring the most relevant governance issues in North America, with a special focus on issues facing boards in the U.S., Canadian and Mexican cannabis markets.
“Appointing the right non-executive directors is a critically important decision for all cannabis companies in today’s competitive marketplace,” said Ms. Bernard. “Recruiting directors in the cannabis space is a more complex process due to the relative youth of the industry and the lingering legacy legal nuances. Our goal with CT Board Placement is to help our clients find a diverse blend of candidates with relevant experience, strong character and reputation, proven judgment and leadership skills that will set them up for future success.”
Related: HerbForce Launched to Serve Growing Pot Industry Talent Needs
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
