Category: People

  • Sahani to Lead Blinc Group

    Sahani to Lead Blinc Group

    Pete Sahani (left) and Arnaud Dumas de Rauly | Photo: The Blinc Group

    The Blinc Group has appointed Pete Sahani as its new CEO effective Dec. 1, replacing co-founder Arnaud Dumas de Rauly.

    Sahani brings a wealth of experience to his new role, having been instrumental in a number of key initiatives since joining Blinc as chief operating officer in April 2022.

    “Pete has been a pivotal figure in our leadership team, playing a significant role in not only steering us to positive EBITDA and net income but also in the introduction of innovative services like Scale Now Pay Later and Vendor Managed Inventory,” said Dumas de Rauly in a statement. “With his exceptional skill in operational management and strategic planning, I am confident that Pete is the ideal leader to propel Blinc into a future marked by sustained profitability and expanded service offerings.”

    “It’s an honor to step into the CEO role at the Blinc Group,” said Sahani. “I am excited to build upon the strong foundation laid by Arnaud and our team by leading the company toward new heights of innovation and market leadership.”

    Dumas de Rauly will transition to the position of chief experience and science officer and will retain his position on the Blinc Group board. In his new position, Dumas de Rauly will focus on integrating analytical science and consumer safety with superior customer experiences.

    Dumas de Rauly has been at the helm of the Blinc Group since 2018, establishing the company as a key player in the cannabis vaping business.

    “Arnaud has been a visionary leader under whose guidance Blinc has established itself as a major player in the cannabis vaping space and has always done so while keeping a strong focus on consumer safety,” said co-founder and Chief Innovations Officer Sasha Aksenov. “His strategic foresight has been invaluable, and we are certain that he will continue to play a pivotal role in Blinc’s future.”

  • Firestone to Lead 22nd Century Group

    Firestone to Lead 22nd Century Group

    Photo: Gajus

    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.”

  • PMI Names U.S. Communications Officer

    PMI Names U.S. Communications Officer

    Photo: PMI

    Philip Morris International has appointed Travis Parman as vice president and chief communications officer of the U.S.

    “We are thrilled that Travis is joining us in our bold ambition to deliver a smoke-free future in the United States. We’re on a mission to replace cigarettes—the most harmful form of nicotine consumption—as soon as possible with science-based smoke-free alternatives that are a better choice than continued cigarette use,” said Stacey Kennedy, president of the Americas region and CEO of PMI’s U.S. business, in a statement. “With his passion for positive change and deep communications experience in the U.S. and internationally, Travis will be a valuable addition to our leadership team.”

    Parman joins PMI from AppHarvest, a tech-driven sustainable food company based in Kentucky, where he served as chief communications officer since 2020. He previously held multiple roles with the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance in Paris; Nashville; and Yokohama, Japan—most recently as vice president of international communications and global engagement.

    Prior to his work with the alliance, he held public relations and communications leadership roles at General Motors, Ally Financial and PulteGroup. Parman holds a master’s degree in communications management from the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Tennessee.

    “Joining PMI at such a pivotal moment in the company’s journey toward a smoke-free future provides the perfect opportunity to drive meaningful change, which has been a hallmark throughout my career as a communicator,” said Parman.

  • Alexander Solomakhin To Lead Donskoy Tabak

    Alexander Solomakhin To Lead Donskoy Tabak

    Photo: JackF

    Japan Tobacco International has appointed Alexander Solomakhin as director of its Donskoy Tabak factory in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, reports Interfax, citing data from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities.

    Prior to his current position, Solomakhin was director of sales for JTI’s southern Russia region.

    JTI Donskoy Tabak was previously headed by Sergei Lavrikov, who is currently director of the Pereslavl Tabak tobacco factory.

    JTI closed the acquisition of Donskoy Tabak, which was previously part of Agrokom Group, in 2018 and completed its merger with JTI Russia in December 2021. After the reorganization, production at the Rostov factory was taken over by JTI Donskoy Tabak.

    JTI Russia is the largest producer of tobacco products in Russia.

  • Japan Tobacco Appoints Executive Members

    Japan Tobacco Appoints Executive Members

    Image: Andrii Yalanskyi

    Japan Tobacco has appointed new executive members to the board of directors.

    Koji Shimayoshi has been appointed as executive vice president (effective Jan. 1, 2024) and representative director (effective March 22, 2024). Shimayoshi is currently executive vice president of JT International. He joined JT in April 1993.

    Shimayoshi will take the place of Kiyohide Hirowatari, who will become a member of the board, effective Jan. 1, 2024. Hirowatari will resign as member of the board upon conclusion of the 39th annual general meeting of shareholders scheduled for March 22, 2024.

    Hiroko Yamashina and Kenji Asakura have been appointed members of the board, effective March 22, 2024. Yamashina is currently a member of the audit and supervisory board, and Asakura is currently representative director and chairman of Nagase and Co. Ltd. Main Kohda will resign as member of the board, effective March 22, 2024. Emiko Takeishi will also join the audit and supervisory board as a member.

    Igo Dzaja will take on the role of senior vice president of marketing and tobacco business for Japan, effective Jan. 1, 2024. Kazuyuki Inui will take on the role of senior vice president of sales and tobacco business for Japan, effective Jan. 1, 2024. The following executive directors will resign effective Dec. 31, 2023: Eiichi Kiyokawa, Chigusa Ogawa and Shuici Hirosue.

  • Kaival Appoints Hopkins as Executive Chairman

    Kaival Appoints Hopkins as Executive Chairman

    Image: Monster-Ztudio

    Kaival Brands Innovations Group has expanded the role of Barry Hopkins, chairman of the board, to the new position of executive chairman. In this role, Hopkins will serve as Kaival Brands’ principal executive officer. Current President and CEO Eric Mosser will continue to manage day-to-day operations of the company.

    Hopkins joined Kaival Brands as chairman of the board in March 2023. He is a 40-year tobacco industry veteran with deep operational experience and industry contacts. With his expanded responsibilities, Hopkins will play a more active role in the strategic direction and oversight of the company, with a focus on accelerating revenue growth, improving operational efficiencies and executing on Kaival Brands’ strategic initiatives.

    “Since I joined Kaival Brands in March, I have become even more energized by the opportunities for our company and look forward to working with Eric and our excellent senior leadership team to refine our strategic business plan and reignite growth,” said Hopkins in a statement. “I aim to foster a culture of performance and accountability and to establish clear decision-making processes and strong communication, which are essential for moving our promising business forward.”

    Hopkins spent most of his decades-long career primarily in senior sales and marketing roles for Turning Point Brands and Altria.

  • Organigram Looking for New CFO

    Organigram Looking for New CFO

    Image: fizkes

    Derrick West will transition away from his role as chief financial officer at Organigram Holdings to focus on recovery following surgery later this month.

    Paolo De Luca, current chief strategy officer, has been appointed interim CFO while the company completes a search for a new permanent CFO. De Luca previously served as the company’s CFO between 2017 and 2020.

    “Derrick has left a legacy of stabilizing our financial processes along with the implementation of our ERP and has supported the company through a period of high growth including the acquisitions of our Winnipeg and Lac-Supérieur facilities,” said Organigram CEO Beena Goldenberg in a statement. “We are grateful for his contributions during his time on the board beginning in 2017 and since becoming CFO in 2020 and we wish him well.”

    Organigram Holdings is the parent company of Organigram, a licensed producer of cannabis, cannabis-derived products and cannabis infused edibles in Canada.

    Recently British American Tobacco increased its equity position in Organigram from 19 percent to 45 percent.

  • Former STMA Deputy Prosecuted for Bribery

    Former STMA Deputy Prosecuted for Bribery

    Image: Kampan

    Former Deputy Chief of China’s State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA) He Zehua has been prosecuted for accepting bribes, according to China Daily.

    Zehua was accused of taking advantage of his former positions to seek profits for others, accepting a large amount of money and valuables in return, according to a statement by the Supreme People’s Procuratorate.

    Zehua was arrested in July.

  • Nabil Sakkab To Retire From Altria Board

    Nabil Sakkab To Retire From Altria Board

    Photo: gustavofrazao

    Nabil Y. Sakkab will retire as a member of Altria Group’s board of directors following the completion of his current term. Consequently, Sakkab will not stand for re-election to the board of directors at Altria’s 2024 annual meeting of shareholders, which Altria anticipates holding on May 16, 2024.

    “Nabil’s contributions have significantly benefited Altria over the past 15 years,” said Kathryn McQuade, Altria’s independent chair of the board, in a statement. “We thank him for his long and distinguished service and wish him the very best upon his retirement.”

    Sakkab chairs Altria’s innovation committee and is a member of the company’s executive, finance and nominating, corporate governance and social responsibility committees. He held a variety of positions at The Procter & Gamble Co. beginning in 1974. He retired in November 2007 as senior vice president, corporate research and development. He is a director of several privately held companies. He served as a director of Deinove from 2010 to April 2016, Givaudan from 2008 to March 2015 and Pharnext from 2012 to July 2020.

  • Stinchfield honored as ‘senior-level leader’

    Stinchfield honored as ‘senior-level leader’

    Photo: USTC

    Cheryl Stinchfield, regional account manager at Premier Manufacturing, was recognized as a senior-level leader at the U.S. National Association of Convenience Stores’ annual convention, U.S. Tobacco Cooperative announced on its website.

    Organized by Convenience Store News, the Top Women in Convenience program honors individuals across retailer, distributor and supplier businesses for outstanding contributions to their companies and the industry at large.

    The 10th class of Top Women in Convenience included 86 established and emerging female leaders in the convenience store industry. The honorees were selected from a pool of nominees based on their innovative corporate initiatives, extraordinary financial and strategic accomplishments, astute problem-solving acumen, exceptional performance, mentorship work and selfless charitable participation, along with other attributes that go above and beyond the call of duty.

    At the award ceremony of more than 450-plus people, Stinchfield was accompanied by Oscar House, Russ Mancuso, Steve Lucas, Mark Schueller and Irene Stinchfield.