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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

Bill Petron, CEO and Chairman of the Board

Mr. Petron has a diverse and successful background scaling global manufacturing, logistics and medical cannabis operations. Most recently, Mr. Petron 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).

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.

Andrés Felipe Botero: Chief Operating Officer PharmaCielo Colombia

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.

Board of Directors

Bill Petron, Chairman of the Board

Mr. Petron has a diverse and successful background scaling global manufacturing, logistics and medical cannabis operations. Most recently, Mr. Petron co-founded Alternative Medical Enterprises LLC, and co-led the company through its December 2020 merger with Verano Holdings LLC. and it 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).

Marc Lustig, Lead Director

Mr. Lustig founded CannaRoyalty Corp. (Origin House), which was sold to Cresco Labs in 2020, is currently executive chairman of IMC Cannabis, chairman of Trichome Financial Corp. and director of Cresco Labs. He served in the capital markets sector for 15 years, as director at GMP Securities, head of Capital Markets at Dundee Capital Markets and in the Life Sciences sector at Orion Securities. Previously, he worked in the pharmaceutical industry with Merck & Co.

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

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.

Will Nicholas, Director

Mr. Nicholas is an experienced finance professional with an extensive career in banking and investment management in New York, Zurich and London. Following a career in banking with Bankers Trust Company, Swiss Bank Corporation and UBS Investment Bank, Mr. Nicholas co-founded Oceanwood Capital Management, a London based European-focused hedge fund manager. Mr. Nicholas served as COO and then CEO to the firm over a decade and retired from the role of CEO in 2017. In 2015 Mr. Nicholas began researching and investing in the burgeoning U.S. medical cannabis industry.  Mr. Nicholas is a resident of Oxford, England and now actively follows developments in the European Medical cannabis market.

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.