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Welcome
As the Chief Communications Officer at global cannabis leader, Canopy Growth, I collaborate with my team to break down the stigmas of the cannabis industry and help consumers understand how cannabis can improve lives. Our industry has gone through immense change, and it’s my goal to actively transform the way our company communicates from the inside out, while setting the standard for communications excellence within the cannabis industry. Since joining Canopy, I have had the privilege of overseeing the development of our corporate social responsibility program. This has been a true highlight as I am able to help address some of the injustices and challenges of prohibition while supporting organizations that drive awareness around responsible use. Most recently, I had the unique opportunity of creating and leading the communications strategy to support the launch of Canopy USA, a U.S.-based holding company – an industry first. Prior to joining Canopy, I was the Head of Corporate Communications at Samsung America notably during my time at Samsung, I oversaw the strategy and communications for the Galaxy Note7 recall.
Editor
As Chief Communication Officer, I am responsible for ensuring our key audiences -- including investors, customers, employees, legislators, partners, and stakeholders -- understand Canopy Growth’s journey to becoming a leading North American cannabis company and the immense value inherent in our vision of unleashing the power of cannabis to improve lives. At times, this means crafting integrated marketing plans to launch new cannabis brands, creating strategies to enhance employee engagement, working with media to share our corporate perspective, or driving investor engagement with quarterly earnings. My role is vast and multifaceted, allowing me to leverage and develop my expertise across marketing, communications, corporate strategy, employee engagement, reputation management, and advertising.
Canopy Growth is a leading, global cannabis company. From supporting personal wellness through high-quality cannabis products and brands to fostering economic opportunity and striving toward social justice, Canopy is showcasing the capacity of cannabis as a force for good. Through our best-in-class brands, including Tweed, 7ACRES, Doja, Martha Stewart CBD, and others, we offer cannabis in a variety of formats aligned to the diverse needs and desires of consumers.
The cannabis industry is a new one, as the legalization of cannabis is a recent advancement in some countries and is still prohibited in others. Additionally, given the cultural and historical misconceptions about cannabis, the industry is faced with skepticism and concern. This creates a uniquely dynamic and also challenging business environment but one in which I believe there is immense potential. As regulations evolve and more people begin to understand the benefits of cannabis including and beyond recreational use, we will continue to see advancement and new opportunities in this industry.
This award is a testament to the remarkable team at Canopy Growth and our unwavering commitment to unleashing the power of cannabis to improve lives. Together, we’ve achieved various milestones in advocating for cannabis and expanding the boundaries and potential of this powerful plant. I am honored to be on a team that has the vision and motivation to help push the needle forward for this must-win industry. I am perpetually encouraged by what this team is capable of and what lies ahead for Canopy Growth -- and the receipt of this honor is further evidence that we are moving in the right direction.
This award spotlights the hard work and dedication of Team Canopy and is a celebration of all we have accomplished over the past few years, despite the challenges we faced. This award not only showcases our commitment to becoming the leading North American cannabis company but also the initiatives we are doing to better both our community and workforce. For example, in 2021, we launched our first-ever corporate social responsibility plan (CSP), spanning a focus on the responsible use of cannabis, social equity, and community engagement. Within these three CSP pillars, our communications team established partnerships with local community food banks in Canada and the U.S. for volunteer opportunities for employees and created relationships with social equity and responsible-use organizations, such as the Last Prisoner Project and Responsibility.org.
In my experience, the hallmark of a successful team is alignment and shared vision. A team must work in coordination. It's not enough to be playing for the same side, we all must be working from the same playbook and driving to the same goal. This is particularly important in an ever-changing industry like cannabis and places a priority on strong communications. Working in this industry and at Canopy Growth has deepened my appreciation for the power of internal communications. When a team is inspired to achieve the same vision and aligned on the strategy for reaching it, game-changing things can be accomplished.
One thing that has been foundational to Canopy’s growth and journey is our willingness and ability to evolve to the realities of the cannabis industry. As I have shared, a lack of legalization and clear regulations presents unique and immense challenges to cannabis companies. At each challenge, we work to take bold and strategic action, remaining nimble and attuned to where the industry is, not where we wish (and are working) for it to be. Through a relentless focus on our vision and commitment to each other, we have found novel and impactful ways to succeed and evolve.
As a Canadian-based company, Canopy Growth has been a pioneer in the movement of cannabis regulation since 2018, and we are committed to continuing to be a part of this movement as regulations evolve over time. In the U.S., despite cannabis not being federally legal, the country has opened a lot of opportunities for our organization, especially for our CBD and CPG brands. One of these is our BioSteel sports hydration brand, which recently was named the official hydration partner of the NHL. BioSteel has also helped us connect with college and professional athletes across the U.S.
Unlike most companies, I don’t think the pandemic exposed significant hindrances to Canopy Growth. Instead, I think the pandemic gave us an opportunity to explore new innovations to meet consumer needs. The pandemic was a stressful time for everyone and prompted people to seek new ways of achieving wellness and practicing self-care. During this time, we launched an approachable CBD product, Martha Stewart CBD, alongside the one and only Martha Stewart to help people find calm in an incredibly stressful time. This new brand gave us the opportunity to develop a range of CBD gummies, inspired by Martha’s garden and designed for those who are new to CBD and cannabis. By partnering with Martha, we were able to make CBD more acceptable for those who were often curious about the plant but may be unaware of its wellness benefits. This is a success that doesn’t happen often during such unprecedented times, and I am happy to have been a part of an innovative campaign and lineup of products.
For the cannabis business industry, I think federal legalization is the number one thing I am most excited about because it will allow Canopy Growth to achieve its full potential. We have already come a long way with our U.S. cannabis ecosystem, but the real prize will be seen when cannabis is federally legalized. The opportunity to lead communications for Canopy Growth during the once-in-a-career moment that is legalization is something to which I truly look forward.
There is a lot of discussion around the impact of AI, Web3 and other emerging technologies. As a marketer and strategist, I think each of these technologies will create new avenues through which we can reach and engage key audiences, learn about our customers’ needs, and drive greater collaboration and innovation. I am excited to see how the ways we work adapt over time as new tools mature.
I am a firm believer that within any business, industry, or effort worth pursuing, it’s not always going to be a linear path. As a woman executive in the business and communications industries -- and particularly tech and cannabis spaces -- the path ahead can seem daunting at times. I have been lucky to work under an extremely supportive CEO and leadership team at Canopy Growth, but doing what hasn't been done before can still be immensely challenging. I have found, however, that the key is to embrace the challenges, maintain focus, and trust in your instincts. It may not be easy, but I have found that the hard stuff is always worth doing and often the most rewarding.