Toronto, ON, August 27, 2019 – Vinzan International, a Toronto-based global cannabis trading company, is pleased to announce the appointment of four new members to Vinzan International’s Board of Advisors. Joanne McNamara will serve as an advisor for corporate responsibility and international relations, Michael Liebrock will provide guidance on capital markets related activity, Chuck Homer will serve as a coach and advisor to the executive team, and Sarah Seale will focus on human resources and help guide Vinzan International’s rapid expansion.
Our team at Vinzan International is implementing an ambitious global plan that will reshape the global cannabis supply chain. To properly execute this strategy, we continue to add individuals with proven track records in international relations and business.
CEO Brian Armstrong
Joanne McNamara is currently a Principal at Santis Health and previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff to the former Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper. She also served the Government of Canada as the Chief of Staff to the Minister of International Development, leading Canada’s International Development Agency. Joanne also has extensive experience in the health care industry, serving on the executive team for the Ontario Medical Association. Joanne’s role will Vinzan International will focus on international relations and corporate social responsibility.
I am excited to be joining one of the most forward-looking companies in the cannabis industry. Vinzan International was built by implementing best practices from the world’s top commodity traders and should be compared to the giants of agriculture, Cargill and Wilmar, rather than more vertically integrated players in the cannabis industry.
Joanne McNamara
Michael Liebrock is Managing Director, Investments & Asset Management at the Stronach Group, a multi-billion-dollar private investment company. Previously, Michael was a founder and Managing Partner of a private merchant bank as well as a TSX-listed asset manager. Prior to that, he worked as a management consultant with The Boston Consulting Group in Toronto, New York, and Sydney. Michael’s focus at Vinzan International will be capital markets and business development.
What attracted me to Vinzan International is the effective deployment of investment capital. This is the first cannabis company that I have seen designed to deliver bottom line profitability.
Michael Liebrock
Chuck Homer is a Harvard MBA and seasoned CEO and Executive. Chuck is currently a TEC Canada Chair with TEC Canada, Canada’s leading CEO development organization. He previously served as President and CEO of GSW Inc., a $250 million multi-divisional, publicly traded manufacturer of home improvement products. Chuck was President of LePage’s Limited, the leader in consumer adhesives and sealants in Canada. He has also worked with Unilever as General Manager of Shopsy’s Foods and in various marketing and sales management roles in Canada and the UK. Chuck will focus on giving one-on-one and team guidance to the executive team as the business commercializes.
Vinzan International’s plan to export cannabis products from Southeast Asia and Colombia to higher valued international markets is forward-thinking and requires thoughtful decision-making from the executives. I look forward to passing along my over 40-years of experience in international business to the team.
Chuck Homer
Sarah Seale has spent the last 5-years working in the cannabis space and is a Managing Partner of Cannabis Management Resources Senior Talent Manager working in human resources and recruitment agencies covering Cannabis CPG and Financial Markets. Prior to her work in the cannabis industry, Sarah worked as independent business management consultant for the food industry. Sarah will focus on helping Vinzan International build out their staffing requirements.
Building a business that operates in several countries across multiple time zones can be challenging. My task will be to find the right people who can thrive in Vinzan International’s fast-paced environment.
Sarah Seale
About Joanne McNamara:
Joanne is currently a Principal at Santis Health a leading consultancy, supporting clients exclusively in the health care and life sciences sectors. Joanne also worked for government at the federal and provincial levels, for 15 years. She served as Chief of Staff to the Minister of International Development as well as Deputy Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Joanne also served as the Chief of Member Relations, Advocacy and Communications at the Ontario Medical Association (OMA). Joanne is currently appointed a member of the Board of Governors of the University of Toronto where she sits on the Pension and Planning and Budget Committees. Joanne studied Political Science at the University of Western Ontario.
About Michael Liebrock:
Michael Liebrock is Managing Director, Investments & Asset Management at the Stronach Group, a multi-billion-dollar private investment company which owns world-class gaming, technology, entertainment and real estate development companies. Previously, Michael was a founder and Managing Partner of a private merchant bank as well as a TSX-listed asset manager. Prior to that, he worked as a management consultant with The Boston Consulting Group in Toronto, New York, and Sydney where he led and managed mergers and business transformations. Michael began his career helping develop and execute public policy agendas and campaigns for senior members of Canadian Federal government, as well as the Government of Ontario. Michael attended the University of Western Ontario for undergraduate studies, and the Richard Ivey School of Business for his Master of Business Administration (MBA) and is a current Master of Laws (GP LLM) 2020 candidate at the University of Toronto.
About Chuck Homer:
Chuck Homer is an experienced company President and CEO with over 40 years of experience. He is currently a TEC Canada CEO and KEY Executive Chair and previously served as President and CEO of GSW Inc., a $250 million multi-divisional, publicly traded manufacturer of home improvement products. Chuck was President of LePage’s Limited, the leader in consumer adhesives and sealants in Canada. He has also worked with Unilever as General Manager of Shopsy’s Foods. Chuck holds a B.Comm. from the University of Toronto and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
About Sarah Seale:
Sarah Seale has spent the last 4+years working in the cannabis space and is the Managing Partner and CEO of Cannabis Management Resources, a management consultancy firm providing guidance to the cannabis industry in the areas of strategic planning and partnerships, recruitment, human resources and set up. With over 15-years’ experience in international markets, Sarah has set up and helped strategically develop over 40 companies in 34 countries within the CPG and Food sector and is currently working with companies in four international markets in Cannabis that are in the process of legalization. In addition to her role at CMR Sarah sits on three advisory boards in the Cannabis space and is the Interim GM for Pineapple Express Delivery. Sarah will focus on strategically helping Vinzan International build out its staffing requirements and resource requirements.
About Vinzan International:
Vinzan International is a global cannabis trading company, focused on exporting medical grade cannabis products from low-cost cultivation regions to high-value global markets. With operations in Lao PDR and Colombia, Vinzan International embraces the 150-year old agriculture commodity trading model, used by the world’s largest agriculture companies. The advantages of this model come from the use of contract farming in low-cost regions. Vinzan International’s business model drastically reduces the risk associated with growing cannabis crops by only accepting harvests that meet our standards. Using this business model, Vinzan International exhibits a high ROIC and has set its sights on becoming the Cargill of the cannabis industry.
