Marijuana Business Magazine August 2019

Marijuana Business Magazine | August 2019 126 Industry Players | New Hires & Promotions  Software Firm Taps Two Serial Execs for MJ Switch Denver-based software development company Ceylon Solutions has nabbed cannabis industry veterans and investors Alain Bankier and Tahira Rehmatullah for its leadership team. Ceylon, whose development teams are based in Colombo, Sri Lanka, said Bankier and Rehmatullah will help lead Ceylon’s shift in service focus from small business and Fortune 1000 companies to developing digital products for the cannabis industry. Bankier joins Ceylon Solutions as managing partner. He has invested in and advised numerous cannabis and technology companies and is the co-founder of the New York Angels, an early stage investment group. Rehmatullah joins the company as partner. She holds senior leadership posts with Hypur Ventures and MTech Acquisition, ancillary technology companies in the cannabis space. Neurosurgeon Takes Chief Medical Post Dr. Anthony Petraglia , a neurosurgeon at Rochester Regional Health in New York who is also the executive director of the hospital’s concussion program, filled the newly created chief medical officer post at Geocann, a company in Fort Collins, Colorado, that develops cannabis-infused products. As chief medical officer, Petraglia will focus on advancing new product innovations and research. Petraglia will offer valuable experi- ence in clinical study design and work closely with Geocann’s global partner technology exchange, including Vesifact AG in Zurich, Switzerland, as well as the organization’s Sci- entific and Medical Advisory Board comprised of physicians, nurses and product formulators. CannTrust Doc CannTrust Holdings, a federally licensed producer in Ontario, Canada, appointed Dr. Len Walt to the newly created position of chief medical officer. Walt will lead CannTrust’s clinical research strategy, medical education programs and product innovation as well as support the expansion of CannTrust’s global med- ical businesses and partnerships. Most recently, Walt was vice pres- ident and head of medical affairs at Sobi, a company in Waltham, Massa- chusetts, that develops drugs for rare diseases. Previously, he was medical director at Biogen Canada, where he developed strong relationships with key clinical investigators in Canada. Maverick PR Launch Cannabis PR specialist Shawna Seldon McGregor launched Maverick Public Relations , a Denver-based communications consultancy that specializes in biotech, health and wellness, agribusiness, sustainable technologies, renewable energy, associations, media and cannabis industries. The agency’s services include media relations, media training, thought leadership development, content creation and response strategies. McGregor began her PR career at Porter Novelli’s pharmaceutical practice in New York City. In 1999, she joined the New York-based Rosen Group, where she served as senior vice president. McGregor moved to Denver in 2012 to establish Rosen’s office there, becoming known as one of the first public relations professionals working in the legal cannabis industry. Zenabis Lawyer Zenabis Global, a federally licensed cannabis cultivator in Canada, appointed Natascha Kiernan , an experienced international finance and M&A attorney, as the newest member of its board of directors. Kiernan has worked as counsel in the London office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and has represented Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions and international governments in complex corporate finance and M&A transactions totaling more than $100 billion in value and spanning six continents. She also serves as an independent director on the boards of several educational and nonprofit organizations. Attorney Appointed to Florida Medical Cannabis Advisory Panel Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried appointed Sally Kent Peebles , managing partner with the Jacksonville office of the Vicente Sederberg law firm, to the Florida Medical Cannabis Advisory Committee. Kent Peebles, a Jacksonville native, spent several years practicing cannabis law in the firm’s Denver office before returning to Florida to open a Jacksonville office Alain Bankier Tahira Rehmatullah