The Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS), the provincial wholesale monopoly and online retailer, appointed David Lobo as chief executive officer on a permanent basis.
Lobo was installed as interim CEO one year ago after working as the OCS’ chief merchandising officer.
He had been the organization’s sixth CEO in three years, raising industry concerns over the OCS’ ability to execute on ongoing projects, roll out new ones and deal with unexpected issues.
The OCS previously told MJBizDaily that the process to find a permanent CEO began in early 2021.
“Under David’s interim leadership, the organization successfully grew its distribution infrastructure to support the launch of hundreds of new innovative legal cannabis products in partnership with licensed producers and authorized retail stores across the province,” Connie Dejak, board chair, said in a news release issued Thursday.
The OCS said Lobo’s priorities will include:
- Building best-in-class wholesale infrastructure.
- Creating a “frictionless” customer experience.
- Championing a socially responsible industry.
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“As our industry continues to evolve and mature, the OCS will transform our operations aligned with our mission of enabling a vibrant marketplace through great customer experiences – rooted in selection, service and quality,” Lobo said in the release.
In March, Ontario accounted for 40% of Canada’s regulated cannabis sales, or 145 million Canadian dollars ($111 million).
