Marijuana Business Magazine August 2019

Marijuana Business Magazine | August 2019 122 Industry Players | New Hires & Promotions A look at some recent hiring moves in the marijuana industry  Calyx Nabs Three Execs  Los Angeles-based Calyx Peak, a multistate cannabis operator, hired a merchandising pro and added a media star and former MedMen grower to its board of advisers. Calyx’s new vice president of merchandising is Jennifer McLaughlin . Since 2003, McLaughlin has held executive merchandising posts with Gap, American Eagle Outfitters and Talbots, managing retail divisions with up to $500 million in revenue. Joining Calyx’s board is Keith Dawkins , a C-suite media executive with more than 25 years of experience. He is the founder and CEO of Rock Hill Media Ventures, a media strategy and marketing agency in New York City, and before that he was CEO of The First Tee, a division of the World Golf Foundation. He also held positions as executive vice president of Viacom, where he oversaw the TeenNick, Nicktoons, NickMusic and Nick Jr. channels for Nickelodeon. Damian Solomon , former director of cultivation and agriculture technol- ogy for MedMen, also joined Calyx’s board of advisers. Solomon has worked with Eurofresh Farms, a major North American hydroponic green- house operation; Grimmway Farms, a major North American farming company; and DeRuiter Seeds/Mon- santo, a global seed firm specializing in greenhouse-specific vegetable seeds. Solomon recently left MedMen to start his own horticultural consul- tancy, Plant Geek Consulting. By Omar Sacirbey W hen Liberty Health Sciences, a marijuana company with 16 dispensaries in Florida, needed a new chief financial officer (CFO), board members decided they wanted a CPA. They scoured their networks until a contact at a prominent CPA firm in Miami led them to Sheri Cholodofsky , an accountant since 1990. Her experience includes 14 years as CFO and controller of Creative Staffing, a national executive recruitment company, and nine years at Miami Air International, which charters flights for cruises, professional sports teams, political candidates and the U.S. military, including troops and cargo. As important as her logistical and accounting experience will be at Liberty, Cholodofsky said her biggest asset is her experience working with government agencies such as the Department of Defense, the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration. “Aviation is a highly regulated industry, just like cannabis,” Cholodofsky said. “In aviation, there is a lot of oversight and regu- lations. There are always changes, new products, so it’s important to have a partnership with these governmental agencies.” As someone new to the cannabis industry, it’s also important to get up to speed on the rules and dynamics facing businesses as well as competitors, Cholodofsky said. As such, her desk already is cluttered with medical marijuana program notices, announcements and financial statements from Acreage Holdings, Planet 13 and other multistate companies. What does Cholodofsky hope to accomplish in her first couple of years with Liberty? “A company’s No. 1 objective is to grow revenue,” Cholodofsky said. “Big investments were made in greenhouse and growing facilities. Now, it’s about opening up dispensaries and being able to provide excellent product for our patients. And being poised for whatever regulatory changes happen.” Aviation Executive Lands at Liberty Sheri Cholodofsky Jennifer McLaughlin Keith Dawkins