Firestone to Lead 22nd Century Group

22nd Century Group has appointed Lawrence Firestone as its chairman and CEO.

Firestone brings over 40 years of enterprise, operations and financial management experience in both public and private companies, including tenures as CEO, chief financial officer and chief operating officer across multiple industry sectors. He most recently served as chief financial officer of Oakland Manager, a privately held purveyor of cannabis with both retail and wholesale market penetration, and as chairman of FirePower Technology, a privately held manufacturer of ATX power supplies for the IT and instrumentation markets.

“Larry is a seasoned executive known for his ‘hands-on’ leadership style emphasizing teamwork, business alignment, continuous improvement, cost control and process optimization. His track record of success with fast growing public companies will serve 22nd Century well as it continues to execute the strategic business plan and work to drive shareholder value,” said Nora Sullivan, former chair of the board, in a statement.

“I am excited to lead 22nd Century Group as we refocus our current strategic plans built around innovative plant technologies for tobacco harm reduction and new consumer focused health and wellness products,” said Firestone.

“The team at 22nd Century has created one of the industry’s most innovative integrated tobacco platforms, from plant genetics to fully commercialized disruptive consumer products. I am confident we can build upon the success the company has had to date while developing strategies that can enhance value for shareholders.”