IndustryPlayers | New Hires & Promotions
Katie Bayne
By Omar Sacirbey
Former Coca-Cola Exec Joins Board of Acreage Holdings
W
hen executive recruitment firm Heidrick & Struggles approached Katie Bayne, who spent 28 years in executive posts with the Coca-Cola Co., about joining the board of directors of New York-based multistate operator Acreage Holdings, she knew little about the cannabis industry. But Bayne was attracted to the “dynamic growth in this emerging market” and the “power of the leadership team” at Acreage, making the opportunity something she didn’t want to pass up. The position at Acreage is Bayne’s fifth board—others include The Honest Co., Jessica Alba’s beauty and baby-care business; and Ascena Retail Group, which owns Ann Taylor, Lane Bryant and other major apparel brands. When Peter Caldini, a former Pfizer executive, joined Acreage as its new CEO, Bayne said it was another big draw. (See next item for details about Caldini’s new post.) “I think he’s a terrific choice for CEO because of his relevant experience. We speak very frequently,” Bayne told Marijuana Business Magazine. Bayne plans to leverage her marketing, operations and beverage expertise in the new role at Acreage. “The potential for growth in beverages for Acreage—especially with our Canopy (Growth) partnership on brands and (intellectual property)—is unparalleled. So I’m sure that will be helpful for me to be effective as a contributor,” she said. Since the COVID-19 pandemic has scuttled facility visits for now, Bayne is learning about the cannabis business from her new Acreage colleagues. “A critical aspect of a high-functioning board is having a board-orientation process,” she said. “We’re underway there, so that you get full exposure to all of the different plans and thinking of the key leaders.”
70 Marijuana Business Magazine | February 2021
A look at some recent hiring moves in the marijuana industry
Acreage Hires Former Pfizer Exec as CEO Multistate marijuana company Acreage Holdings in New York appointed health-care and consumer packaged goods veteran Peter Caldini as its chief executive officer. Caldini served as president of Pfizer North America-Consumer Healthcare and regional president-consumer healthcare for Europe, the Middle East and Africa during his time with the pharmaceutical giant. Before joining Pfizer, Caldini held leadership positions in global markets while at Bayer Consumer Health and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. Caldini started his career in brand management at Unilever, where he held various roles with increasing responsibility. More recently, he worked as CEO of Bespoke Capital Acquisition Corp.
Former 4Front CEO Joins Bengal Capital Bengal Capital, a team of investors and founders who have been in the cannabis industry since 2010, announced that Josh Rosen joined the Los Angelesheadquartered firm as a managing partner. He is co-founder, former CEO and current chair of 4Front Ventures, a Phoenix-based MSO. Rosen helped transform 4Front from a consulting firm formed in early 2011 into an operationscentric multistate operator, most notably with the acquisition of Cannex Capital in 2019. Jerry Derevyanny, who was executive vice president of corporate development and general counsel at Cannex Capital and then 4Front, also joined Bengal Capital as a principal. Derevyanny, who is based in Seattle, previously served as general counsel of Northwest Cannabis Solutions and subsequently helped found, take public and head corporate strategy for Cannex Capital.
Australis Taps Booth as CEO, Gets New CFO Eleven months after stepping down as CEO of the Canadian marijuana giant he co-founded, former Aurora Cannabis chief executive Terry Booth is returning to the industry to head up a U.S.-based cannabis investment firm, Australis Capital, an Aurora spinoff located in Las Vegas. Australis Capital also appointed Jon Paul as its new chief financial officer. Paul formerly was CFO at Plus Products, a publicly traded infused edibles company operating in California and Nevada.
Florida Operator Hires iAnthus Production Vet Liberty Health Sciences, a Florida-based cannabis producer, hired Darrin Potter as vice president of