Our company mobilizes every resource at our disposal to deliver top quality, premium cannabis products to our adult consumers.
Operating in a nascent, highly regulated category is challenging. We are proud to have assembled an experienced and proven team that has successfully operated in relevant industries such as tobacco, pharma, technology, and at all phases of business maturity from startup to multinational conglomerates.
Cannara Biotech Inc. is governed by a team of highly experienced leaders who are committed to the long-term growth and performance of our operation.
Chairman
Zohar is an entrepreneur who has launched several successful businesses. A veteran with over 15 years of experience in the tech and online sectors.
Director
Jack Kay has, for 35 years, held various roles at Apotex Inc., including Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating officer, President and Vice Chairman.
Director
Mary has been involved in the cannabis industry since the infancy of the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations introduction.
Lead Director & Chairman of the Audit Committee
Donald Olds is an experienced life sciences executive, entrepreneur and director with significant experience raising capital for private and public technology companies.
Director & Chairman of the HR and Governance Committee
Derek is the Vice President of Olymbec. He owns, operates and manages a portfolio of industrial, retail and residential properties across North America.
We stop at nothing to create products that start with one key ingredient, purposefully cultivated premium cannabis flower.
Chief Executive Officer
Zohar is an entrepreneur who has launched several successful businesses. He has founded, advised and invested in numerous companies including 911ENABLE™ which he led from start-up to its acquisition by West Telecom in 2014. Zohar has been recognized as a top leader and innovator by a number of sources, including Deloitte Technology Fast 50™ fastest growing technology companies in Canada. He is actively involved with early-stage companies as an advisor and board member. He is also a certified commercial pilot.
Chief Financial Officer
Nicholas is a Chartered Professional Accountant with an entrepreneurial spirit and passion for the Cannabis industry. As Chief Financial Officer of Cannara, Nicholas is responsible for overseeing the company’s finances and treasury and is a key decision maker in all facets of the company from genetic selection, marketing and branding, product formulation, sales, investor, and public relations. Prior to working in the industry, he practiced auditing at two of the big five accounting firms and worked as Vice President of Finance and Accounting for Dundee 360 Real Estate Corporation, a subsidiary of Dundee Corporation and a publicly traded company listed on the TSX.
Chief Technology Officer
Avi has been in the information technology industry for over 20 years. He specializes in innovation and cutting edge technologies. Prior to Cannara, Avi has patented 911 software solutions currently being used by many Fortune 500 companies such as Microsoft, Boeing, Disney and the US Department of Defense. Avi oversees Cannara’s journey to be a leader in the cannabis industry for automation and quality control.
VP Finance
Noemi is a Chartered Professional Accountant and have 8 years of audit experience in small to large-size public and private companies in the mining, commodity and manufacturing industries. Through those years, she gained valuable expertise in financial reporting, accounting and management. She became a key asset internally and for her clients. After her career in the audit practice as a senior manager at PwC, Noemi joined Cannara Biotech Inc. as Director of Finance and worked her way up to Vice-President of Finance and Accounting.
General Manager & VP Compliance
Anthony is an accomplished business leader specializing in pharmaceutical compliance and operations. With 15 years of experience working for both public and private companies, he has managed various portfolios of products ranging from controlled drugs and substances, to medical devices, sterile injectables and natural health products. Anthony joined Cannara Biotech in 2018, where he oversaw the buildout of phase one of the Farnham facility, and secured Cannara’s Cultivation, Processing, Medical Sales and Adult Recreational Sales licenses from Health Canada. He holds a BSc in biochemistry and an International MBA.
General Counsel & VP Legal Affairs
Brian brings industry experience having served as a senior member of the legal team at Canopy Growth, one of Canada’s most established cannabis producers. Prior to his time in the cannabis industry, Brian served as a corporate associate at Stikeman Elliott with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, and also held a role at Robinson Sheppard Shapiro where he excelled in litigation and dispute resolution, resulting in an extremely well rounded legal knowledge base. Brian’s academic career brought him to Belgium and Singapore, and he obtained both a civil and common law degree from McGill University, eventually becoming a member of both the Quebec and Ontario bar.
VP Commercial Strategy & Marketing
Scott joins the Cannara team with extensive global brand strategy experience in the highly regulated pharmaceutical and cannabis industries, holding a PhD in Genetics and an Executive MBA. Growing brand awareness and brand loyalty with a broad skill set, Scott has supported some of Canada’s largest cannabis producers on initiatives covering product development, category management, clinical research, and continuing medical education. Scott now leads the Commercial and Marketing efforts at Cannara.
VP of Sales
Nick is a seasoned Consumer Packaged Goods professional, with over 15 years of combined experience in progressive customer facing and sales leadership roles. Most recently, Nick has spent the past 5 years working for Auxly Cannabis Group, supporting their growth to becoming a top 5 licensed producer in the country. Customer management, sales strategy and leveraging data to support both internal and external initiatives are strengths that Nick looks forward to bringing to Cannara. Nick has extensive relationships and a strong track record built on urgency, transparency and trust throughout the country with both provincial and key retail customers that will bolster Cannara’s growth for years to come. Nick has witnessed Cannara’s ascent in the industry, and is inspired by the dedication to quality product development and brand building so far in the organization’s journey, and looks forward to contributing to our future success.
VP Production & Experimentation
Issam is an engineer in Agronomy & biotechnology and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Plant Sciences. He has conducted several research projects in academia and governmental institutions around the world and has led research and development in the plant production industry. With his track record in plant science research and his passion for the cannabis industry, Issam has joined Cannara Biotech as Scientific Director where he has been instrumental to establish data-driven growing strategies and improve cultivation practices using an experimental approach. He has also worked on streamlining workflows and processes during cultivation and post-harvest operations. After holding the role of Vice President of Production and Experimentation, Issam focuses on building trained teams, standardizing production operations and improving strategies to ensure consistency and sustainable development.
VP Transformation
Justin joins the Cannara team with broad knowledge in pharmaceutical and cannabis new product research and development, formulation technologies, large scale technology transfer and production/operational management. Justin holds an MSc and PhD in chemistry focussed on drug delivery and self-assembling nano technology strategies with over 8 peer reviewed academic publications including a book chapter on DNA Nanotechnology. Entering the cannabis industry during the first year of legalization, he has over 5 years of experience in the Cannabis industry working with some of Canada’s leading licensed producers (Hexo, Great White North Growers). Justin currently leads the Transformation department responsible for all derivative concentrate products.
VP Human Resources
France joined Cannara in 2019 and has always lived in Farnham, she is a reference person for the organization. She worked in the municipal for 19 years where she discovered her interest in human resources. France started as a director and worked her way up to the position of Vice-President, Human Resources, she has been working in the field for 17 years. Generalist, she manages strategies and policies and implements HR projects in order to continue to evolve the company. France actively contributes to the human growth of the company, which has increased tenfold since the beginning of the activities.
Director
Jack Kay, for 35 years, held various roles at Apotex Inc., including Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating officer, President and Vice Chairman. He has 55 years’ experience in pharmaceutical management and sales. Mr. Kay has served on a number of pharmaceutical and biotech boards, including as the Chairman of Helix Biopharma Corp and Cangene Corp and as a director at Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. He has also served in senior capacities for a number of industry and community organizations, operating in the roles of Chairman of Humber River Regional Hospital (Toronto), International Schizophrenic Society, Canadian Drug Manufacturers Association, Canadian Schizophrenia Foundation and the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association.
Director
Mary has been involved in the cannabis industry since the infancy of the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations introduction. Mary serves as President of Fox D Consulting, a regulatory consulting firm focusing on the Canadian cannabis industry and offers a diverse range of consulting services for the cannabis industry in Canada, the United States and the European Union. Mary’s Regulatory Consulting Firm has licensed over 52 Licensed Producers and worked on over 200 applications in Canada, the US and the European Union. Mary continues to forge a respectable name for herself in the cannabis sector in Canada and abroad. Her board experience and industry contacts has enabled her to create a comprehensive foundation in the fundamentals of regulatory compliance within the cannabis industry worldwide.
Lead Director & Chairman of the Audit Committee
Donald Olds is an experienced life sciences executive, entrepreneur and director with significant experience raising capital for private and public technology companies. Most recently, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Montreal-based NEOMED Institute, a position he held until the successful closing of a merger with Vancouver-based CDRD. He has held multiple executive positions as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer of private and public life science and technology companies and began his business career as a commercial, corporate and investment banker working across a variety of industry verticals. Mr. Olds has significant corporate governance experience as a board member and chair of both for profit and not for profit organizations.
Director & Chairman of the HR & Governance Committee
Derek is the Vice President of Olymbec. He owns, operates and manages a diverse portfolio of industrial, retail and residential properties across North America. Olymbec is now one of the largest private industrial real estate holders in Eastern Canada. The Company has experienced an annual growth rate of over 10%. Derek played a key role in the company’s rapid growth by strategically acquiring and repositioning vacant properties and marketing them to a new client base.