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Our People / Leadership

PharmaCielo is proud to employ hundreds of highly skilled, dedicated team members in our global operations. Our staff comprises an eclectic group of individuals with various professional and academic backgrounds that are directly related to or intersect with the medicinal cannabis field and botany, many of them highly experienced in aspects of flower production. We are proud of the wide representation of women and people of indigenous background on our staff in various positions and functions across the organization. Nearly 40% of PharmaCielo’s workforce holds a continuing education diploma or a university degree.

Management Team

Marc Lustig, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Lustig has served as Lead Director of PharmaCielo since November 2020. He was the founder and CEO of CannaRoyalty Corp. (Origin House), a leading distributor of third party and in-house cannabis products in California and other markets, which was sold to Cresco Labs Inc. in 2020. Mr. Lustig holds M.S. and M.B.A. degrees from McGill University.

Andrés Felipe Botero, Chief Operating Officer

Mr. Botero was head of Philip Morris Andean Cluster for 20 years, overseeing cultivation, manufacturing, quality assurance, supply chain and distribution, and served as manager of Philip Morris International’s operations for reduced risk product portfolio in Colombia.

Ian D. Atacan, CPA, CMA, MBA: Director and Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Atacan is a finance leader with more than 25 years of public company experience in strategy, M&A, and financing. He has worked in Europe and Canada with renowned international companies such as Sprint, Alcatel, DHL Worldwide Express, and Procter & Gamble. Most recently, Mr. Atacan was the CFO of Blueberries Medical Corp. a licensed cannabis producer in Colombia. Previously he was the CFO of Natura Naturals Inc., a Canadian cannabis company, until its acquisition by Tilray Inc. (NASDAQ: TLRY). Prior to that, Mr. Atacan served as the CFO of Global Atomic Corporation (TSX: GLO). Mr. Atacan is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA), MBA (London, UK) and Electrical & Electronics Engineer.

Board of Directors

Marc Lustig, Chairman and CEO
Bill Petron, Lead Director

Mr. Petron has a diverse and successful background scaling global manufacturing, logistics and medical cannabis operations. Most recently, Mr. Petron was the CEO of Pharmacielo and a member of the board, he also co-founded Alternative Medical Enterprises LLC, and co-led the company through its December 2020 merger with Verano Holdings LLC. and its subsequent public offering on the CSE in February 2021. Mr. Petron founded MSI Integrated Solutions headquartered in Porto Alegre, Brazil (1999); and Magnus Logistics Solutions Inc. headquartered in Toronto, Ontario (2006).

Doug Bache, Director, Audit Committee Chair

Mr. Bache is a director and management consultant providing corporate finance and strategic advisory services to private and public companies. He has held senior management positions at Vale/Inco Limited and North American Palladium and investment and corporate banking roles with CIBC World Markets and Société Générale Canada.

Ian D. Atacan, Director and CFO
Our commitment to the community

Just as medicinal cannabis is tool to improve quality of life for patients around the world, PharmaCielo is committed to improving quality of life in our local communities. This commitment drives our Social Responsibility Program. The goals of this program include developing and executing projects that contribute to the fulfillment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) while supporting Colombian communities from social, environmental, and educational perspectives.