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About Us


Cronos Group is an innovative global cannabinoid company


With international production and distribution across five continents. Cronos Group is committed to building disruptive intellectual property by advancing cannabis research, technology and product development. With a passion to responsibly elevate the consumer experience, Cronos Group is building an iconic brand portfolio. Cronos Group’s portfolio includes PEACE NATURALS™, a global wellness platform, two adult-use brands, COVE™ and Spinach™, and three hemp-derived CBD brands, Lord Jones™, Happy Dance™ and PEACE+™.












MISSION
VISION
VALUES


Our mission is to improve people’s lives by unlocking the full potential of cannabis.

Our vision is to transform industries through cannabinoid innovation.

As we strive to improve people’s lives and generate long-term value for our stakeholders, we are guided by these principles:





People & Community
We believe in fostering the most valuable global cannabis community comprised of passionate and daring people.
Quality Products
We believe in developing innovative and meaningful products that meet the needs and exceed the expectations of our consumers.
Integrity & Leadership
We take pride in leading the industry forward responsibly.











Global Platform


Cronos Group is building a global network, with partnerships, production and distribution across five continents.




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RESEARCH AND IP
BRANDS



The Team


Our management team comprises experts in their fields, with a goal to establish the most valuable international cannabis company. They are passionate, daring people, driven by quality and integrity, who are determined to write history, not read about it.






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Kurt Schmidt

President & Chief Executive Officer


Kurt Schmidt serves as Cronos Group’s President and Chief Executive Officer. Before joining the Company, Kurt served as director and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Buffalo Company, Ltd. from 2012 through 2016. Prior to joining Blue Buffalo, Kurt was Deputy Executive Vice President at Nestlé S.A., where he was responsible for the Nestlé Nutrition, including several science-oriented and heavily regulated businesses. He also served as a member of the Company’s Executive Committee. Kurt joined Nestlé in 2007 as part of its acquisition of Gerber Products from Novartis, where he was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Gerber Products Company from 2004 to 2007. Prior to Gerber, Kurt held a variety of leadership roles at Kraft Foods, Inc. Kurt currently serves on the Board of Campbell Soup Company. He received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the United States Naval Academy and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Chicago.

Mike Gorenstein Executive Chairman Mike Gorenstein serves as Cronos Group’s Executive Chairman. In addition, Mr. Gorenstein is a Co-Founder and passive Member of Gotham Green Partners. Mr. Gorenstein is also a Non-Executive Director of Cronos Australia and sits on the Board of Directors for Natuera. Before joining the Company, Mr. Gorenstein was the Vice President and General Counsel at Alphabet Partners, LP, a New York City based multi-strategy investment management firm, focused on identifying mispriced assets across various industries, asset classes and geographies. Prior to Alphabet Partners, LP, he was a corporate attorney at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, where he focused on mergers and acquisitions and capital markets transactions. Mr. Gorenstein graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School with a Juris Doctor, the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania with a certificate in Business Economics and Public Policy and the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University with a Bachelor of Science Business in Finance. Kurt Schmidt President & Chief Executive Officer Kurt Schmidt serves as Cronos Group’s President and Chief Executive Officer. Before joining the Company, Kurt served as director and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Buffalo Company, Ltd. from 2012 through 2016. Prior to joining Blue Buffalo, Kurt was Deputy Executive Vice President at Nestlé S.A., where he was responsible for the Nestlé Nutrition, including several science-oriented and heavily regulated businesses. He also served as a member of the Company’s Executive Committee. Kurt joined Nestlé in 2007 as part of its acquisition of Gerber Products from Novartis, where he was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Gerber Products Company from 2004 to 2007. Prior to Gerber, Kurt held a variety of leadership roles at Kraft Foods, Inc. Kurt currently serves on the Board of Campbell Soup Company. He received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the United States Naval Academy and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Chicago. James Rudyk Lead Director, Audit Committee Chair, Compensation Committee James Rudyk is currently the Chief Financial Officer of Roots Corporation ("Roots"), a position he has held since January 2016. Mr. Rudyk is a seasoned executive with more than 25 years of financial and operational experience, and a track record of supporting ambitious growth plans. Prior to joining Roots, Mr. Rudyk served as the Chief Financial Officer of Shred-It International Inc. from 2009 to 2015, where he was instrumental in helping the company grow from approximately $200 million to over $700 million in revenue and expand to more than 17 countries around the world. He also served as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Canada Cartage Systems Limited from 2004 to 2009. He received his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Accounting degree from the University of Waterloo. Mr. Rudyk is also a Chartered Professional Accountant and holds an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors. Jason Adler Independent Director, Compensation Committee Jason Adler is the Founder and Managing Partner of Gotham Green Partners GP ("Gotham Green"), the General Partner of Gotham Green Fund 1, LP, a private equity firm focused primarily on early-stage investing in companies in the cannabis industry. Prior to founding Gotham Green, Mr. Adler was the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Alphabet Ventures, LLC, a New York based volatility fund, that focused on identifying mispriced assets across various industries, asset classes and geographies. Mr. Adler also founded Geronimo, LLC, a broker dealer and member of the American Stock Exchange, and he began his career as a Market Maker at G&D Trading. Mr. Adler graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Rhode Island. Kevin Crosthwaite Kevin "K.C." Crosthwaite, Jr. serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy and Growth Officer at Altria. In this role, Mr. Crosthwaite identifies and pursues Altria’s strategic and innovative product growth priorities. Since joining Philip Morris USA in 1997, Mr. Crosthwaite has held several leadership positions across Altria’s family of companies, including President and Chief Executive Officer for Philip Morris USA, where he oversaw operations for Philip Morris USA and John Middleton, as well as Vice President, Strategy and Business Development, and Vice President & General Manager at Marlboro. Mr. Crosthwaite also led Altria Ventures’ international efforts with innovative tobacco products. Mr. Crosthwaite currently serves on the Board of Directors for United Negro College Fund and the Richmond Forum. Mr. Crosthwaite received his Bachelor of Arts from Marquette University and his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Providence College. Bronwen Evans Bronwen Evans is an independent consultant drawing on 20 years of experience in the charitable, corporate and government sectors to provide clients with business development and brand strategies for transformational growth. Ms. Evans was a Founding Director of the True Patriot Love Foundation, where she served as its first CEO from 2012 to 2019 and raised record funds to support 25,000 Canadian military and veteran families. Before that, Ms. Evans was the Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Affairs at Medcan Health Management, and became the company’s first Chief Privacy Officer. She is a recipient of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012) and currently serves as Director, Secretary and Chair of the Governance Committee of Kingsway College School. Ms. Evans holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy with Honors from McGill University, and a Master of Arts in Philosophy with a concentration in Biomedical Ethics from Carleton University. Murray Garnick Murray Garnick serves as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Altria. In his role since 2017, he leads the company’s Law Department, Regulatory Affairs and Regulatory Sciences. Mr. Garnick previously served as Deputy General Counsel for Altria Client Services, a subsidiary of Altria, which provides professional services and support to Altria and its operating companies. At Altria, Mr. Garnick has led the legal support for sales, marketing, regulation, and product development and intellectual property matters. He has also supervised the management of tobacco, health and all other litigations brought against Altria and its operating companies. Prior to joining Altria in 2008 as Senior Vice President, Litigation and Associate General Counsel, Mr. Garnick served for more than two decades as a senior litigation partner at the law firm of Arnold & Porter in Washington, D.C. and currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Newseum in Washington, D.C. Mr. Garnick received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Georgia and his Juris Doctor (JD) from the University of Georgia School of Law. Bruce Gates Bruce Gates is a Founding Partner of Three Oaks Strategies LLC, a management, policy and communications consulting firm based in Alexandria, Virginia. He is also the founding partner of Three Oaks Asset Management LLC, a family office/venture capital firm. Prior to his retirement from Altria in November 2017, Mr. Gates served as a Senior Vice President of External Affairs for Altria Client Services. In his role, he led the Government Affairs and Corporate Affairs departments and directed the company’s strategies involving governments, corporate communications, philanthropic programs and corporate social responsibility. Before assuming that role in 2011, Mr. Gates was Altria’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs. He currently serves on the board of a private company, Aliro, and also on a number of non-profit boards, including The Boulder Crest Retreat for Wounded Warriors and Veteran Wellness, D.C. Sail, and the Congressional Institute. Recently, he joined the Board of Trustees for the Ford’s Theatre. Mr. Gates received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Georgia. David Hsu Chief Operating Officer David oversees all of Cronos Group’s operations including construction, cultivation and manufacturing as Chief Operating Officer. David is focused on continuous improvement by testing and integrating new technologies and automation to establish best practices in the cannabis industry. Prior to joining Cronos Group, David spent over ten years consulting with Deloitte and CRG Partners, a premier turnaround consulting firm, where he operated and managed distressed companies with revenues more than $500M. His expertise includes financial and operational restructuring, growth creation, and lean manufacturing gleaned from experience working in various sectors including consumer packaged goods, manufacturing, distribution, media, and transportation. David graduated from Babson College with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. William Hilson Chief Commercial Officer William is responsible for further enhancing the commercial strategy of Cronos Group as well as the product and research development priorities of the company. Prior to joining Cronos Group, William was the President of Hillhurst Management Inc. and CFO for EMD Inc. and Serono Canada Inc. and Director of Finance for Hemosol Inc. William’s specialty is in pharmaceuticals with a proven track record of driving business objectives and growth, increasing efficiencies, overseeing clinical programs and product launch activities and increasing profit. William graduated from the University of Western Ontario with an Honors Bachelor of Science in Molecular Genetics, from the University of Toronto with a Master of Science Clinical Biochemistry. His academic work has been published internationally. William was a member of the Board of Directors of EMD Inc., Canada and EMD Crop Bioscience and he is a member of Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada. Jerry Barbato Chief Financial Officer Jerry is responsible for overseeing all aspects of Finance, Procurement and Human Resources. Jerry brings more than 20 years of experience in strategic planning, corporate financial analysis and services, and brand management. Prior to joining Cronos Group, Jerry held various roles within the Altria Group, Inc. family of companies. Jerry joined Altria in 2003 and served in leadership roles within the Finance, Strategy & Business Development and Marketing functions, and most recently held the role of Senior Director of Corporate Strategy. He has broad experience in both finance and operating roles, as well as managing operations in regulated international markets. Jerry supported the Marlboro brand and provided analysis that shaped brand strategies for Altria’s established brand portfolio. He also served as Assistant General Manager for a joint venture, Richmark GmbH, in Zurich, Switzerland. Jerry holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Marquette University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Maryland, University College. Xiuming Shum Executive Vice President, Legal and Regulatory Affairs Xiuming manages all legal and regulatory affairs at Cronos Group, which informs the company’s strategy and execution. She also serves as the Company’s Corporate Secretary. Xiuming has a decade of transactional and in-house experience in mergers and acquisitions and regulatory change management. Prior to joining Cronos Group, Xiuming served as in-house counsel at BNP Paribas’ Corporate and Institutional Banking division in New York and London, where she provided advice to senior management on disruptive and transformative legislative changes, such as the BASEL banking reforms, Brexit, and the Dodd-Frank Act. Previously, she was a corporate attorney at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP in New York, where she focused on M&A in large, complex cross-border transactions in diverse industries, including alcohol and spirits, insurance, banking, private equity, and hedge funds. Xiuming is a New York-qualified attorney, holding a Juris Doctor (JD) from Columbia Law School where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and a first-class Bachelor of Laws degree from University College London in the U.K. Shannon Buggy Senior Vice President, Global Head of People Shannon serves as the SVP, Global Head of People for Cronos Group where she leads HR strategy across the Company’s global operations. Prior to Cronos Group, Shannon was the Senior Vice President of Global Human Resources for Nielsen where she led HR strategy for Nielsen Media. With over 25 years of experience, Shannon has a proven track record of leading and managing global human resources teams and driving excellence in talent acquisition, development, retention, employee relations, compensation, benefits, talent management and labor relations. Shannon holds a certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources from the HR Certification Institute. She graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resources Management from the Pace University, Lubin School of Business. Kevin Gifford Vice President of Finance Kevin is a leading member of Cronos Group’s Corporate Finance team, he focuses on both internal and external reporting as well as advises the operations and financial functions within the company. He has over 15 years of experiences in multiple industries, including consumer products, business services, retail and technology. Prior to joining Cronos Group, Kevin held a range of diverse investment roles at several private equity firms, as well as the Americas Special Situations Group at Goldman Sachs & Co., where he originated and executed transactions across the entire capital structure for middle-market companies. Additionally, Kevin worked in Deloitte’s Corporate Restructuring Group, where he improved performance of distressed companies in an interim C-level management or financial advisory capacity. Kevin holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Michigan. Eric Klein Head of Marketing Eric oversees Cronos Group’s marketing initiatives including brands, product innovation and consumer insights. Eric has spent a decade in brand management across several consumer-packaged goods companies. Prior to joining Cronos Group, Eric oversaw strategy and innovation for the Water+ portfolio at PepsiCo working across several brands including Aquafina. He began his career at Mondelez working on Chips Ahoy! and Oreo before joining Chobani, where he developed and grew the Flip business by 400 percent. Eric graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration from Emory University with high honors and earned his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Jeff Jacobson General Manager, Canada and Europe As General Manager of Canada and Europe, Jeff is responsible for implementing and defining the strategy and execution across all areas of the Canadian and European business including sales, marketing and manufacturing operations. Prior to joining Cronos Group, Jeff founded a Toronto based marketing agency and successfully launched and licensed several innovative software products in the mobile industry. As a co-founder of Peace Naturals, Jeff’s expertise and experience in licensing and compliance, new business development, project management and resource management help Cronos Group lead in domestic and international markets. Anna Shlimak Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs Anna is Cronos Group’s Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and is responsible for managing and directing the organization's internal and external communications, government affairs, corporate strategy and investor relations. Prior to joining Cronos Group, Anna was the Head of Investor Relations at Quest Partners LLC, a research-driven alternative investment firm. Anna was responsible for business development, investor reporting, marketing and communication initiatives for the fund. Previously, Anna held a range of diverse roles at the New York Stock Exchange in both the New York and London offices. Most recently, Anna was Head of Investor Relations within the Corporate Affairs Group, where she was responsible for managing relationships with investors and sell-side analysts and developing investor communications and reporting. She received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Columbia Business School and holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Todd K. Abraham Chief Innovation Officer Dr. Todd K. Abraham is Cronos Group’s Chief Innovation Officer. Prior to joining the Company, Dr. Abraham was Senior Vice President of Research and Nutrition for Mondelēz International (formally Kraft Foods), and was responsible for worldwide technology development and strategy, scientific screening, nutritional science and communication, consumer guidance testing, analytical programs, R&D training and intellectual property strategy for a $35 billion multi-national business. Prior to Mondelēz, Dr. Abraham served in various R&D, technology, marketing and product development roles for The Pillsbury Company and Procter & Gamble. Dr. Abraham received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry at Brown University and his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania and his Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Strategic Planning from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Robert Rosenheck Chief Executive Officer, Redwood Robert Rosenheck is the Chief Executive Officer of Redwood, a hemp-derived CBD brand and products platform. In his role, Robert oversees Cronos Group’s operations, marketing and brand strategy for the U.S. hemp-derived CBD market. Robert is also co-founder of the Lord Jones™ brand, which was the first hemp-derived CBD brand to be sold at both Sephora and SoulCycle. Prior to launching Lord Jones™, Robert was a partner at CAPOBIANCO, a Los Angeles-based creative agency specializing in launching and growing innovative brands. His past clients include General Mills, Sony Music, Puma, Credit Suisse, Paramount Pictures and Random House Publishing Group. Robert received his Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Communications from the University of Pennsylvania. Summer Frein General Manager, USA As the General Manager of Cronos Group, USA, Summer is responsible for implementing and defining the strategy and execution across all areas of the U.S. hemp-derived CBD business including sales strategy, marketing and operations. Summer Frein joined Cronos Group in January 2020 as the Vice President, U.S. Head of Sales of Redwood. Prior to joining Cronos Group, Summer held a variety of senior leadership roles over the course of 14 years in sales, digital strategy, marketing, and strategy and business development at Altria Group, Inc. In 2018, she led the cannabis research investment strategy in the Strategy and Business Development Group at Altria. Since joining Cronos Group, Summer has been responsible for leading Cronos Group’s U.S. brand sales operations, including building and managing brand and retail partnerships for the Lord Jones™ brand. Summer has a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin.
Kurt_Schmidt

Kurt Schmidt

President & Chief Executive Officer

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Mike_Gorenstein

Mike Gorenstein

Executive Chairman

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Xiuming_Shum

Xiuming Shum

Executive Vice President, Legal and Regulatory Affairs

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Jerry_Barbato

Jerry Barbato

Chief Financial Officer

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Shannon_Buggy

Shannon Buggy

Senior Vice President, Global Head of People

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Todd_Abraham

Dr. Todd K. Abraham

Chief Innovation Officer

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Summer_Frein

Summer Frein

General Manager, USA

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Jeff_Jacobson

Jeff Jacobson

General Manager, Canada and Europe

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Anna_Shlimak

Anna Shlimak

Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs

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