Management

Irwin D. Simon is Chairman and Chief Executive officer at Tilray, Inc (NASDAQ: TLRY).  He is an executive with over 30 years of experience building industry-leading, disruptive consumer packaged goods companies ranging from organic and natural foods, dietary supplements, personal care, and cannabis. Before Tilray, Mr. Simon transformed Aphria Inc. into a profitable global cannabis company with leading market share brands.

Mr. Simon founded The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAIN), a leading organic and natural products company, in 1993.  As Founder, President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman, he led Hain Celestial for more than 27 years and grew the business from scratch to $3.5 billion in net sales with operations in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, providing consumers with A Healthier Way of Life™.

Irwin is also the Executive Chairman of Whole Earth Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ: FREE), a global industry-leading platform focused on the “better for you” consumer packaged goods and ingredients space.  He is also Lead Director at Stagwell Inc. (NASDAQ: STGW), a digital-first global marketing network that delivers scalable, seamless solutions through a unique combination of culture-moving creativity and leading-edge technology.

Mr. Simon serves on the board of directors at Tulane University and the Board of Trustees at Poly Prep Country Day School.   A true entrepreneur, Irwin is also the majority owner of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team, and co-owner of St. John’s Edge of the National Basketball League of Canada.  He is also the co-owner of the iconic Lobster Roll Restaurant, also known as “Lunch” in the Hamptons.  

Carl Merton is Chief Financial Officer at Tilray, Inc.  He brings over 25 years of financial and business experience, with almost 12 years combined with Ernst & Young LLP and KPMG LLP.  Mr. Merton joins Tilray from Aphria Inc. where he led as Chief Financial Officer transforming the company into a global cannabis leader.  Prior to Aphria, he served as Vice-President, Special Projects at Atlas Tube Canada ULC and Chief Financial Officer of Reko International Group Inc. (TSXV: REK).  Mr. Merton is a Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Accountant and is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Business Valuators (the “CICBV”). As the Chief Financial Officer of Tilray Inc., Mr. Merton is responsible for leading the finance department, strategic acquisitions and divestitures, budgeting, and internal controls.

Mr. Merton holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce in Sports Administration from Laurentian University. In addition, Mr. Merton has served as a past Chair of both the CICBV and the International Association of Professional Business Valuators.

Denise Faltischek is Head of International Business and Chief Strategy Officer at Tilray, Inc.  Before joining Tilray, she served as Chief Strategy Officer at Aphria Inc. and led the Company’s global strategy, a pivotal role in establishing Aphria as a global cannabis leader. An executive with extensive consumer-packaged goods experience,  Ms. Faltischek also served as Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAIN), a leading organic and natural products company with operations in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. At Hain Celestial, Ms. Faltischek led the successful completion of more than 50 acquisitions and strategic transactions.  As Chief Strategy Officer, Ms. Faltischek collaborates with Mr. Simon on Tilray’s global strategy as the Company scales its operations internationally and explores further opportunities in the United States as well as overseeing its acquisitions and other strategic transactions.   As the Head of International, Ms. Faltischek  oversees Tilray’s international businesses.  She is also a director and the chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee of Whole Earth Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ: FREE), a global industry-leading platform, focused on the “better for you” consumer packaged goods and ingredients space.

Jim Meiers is Chief Operations Officer at Tilray, Inc.  He joins Tilray from Aphria Inc. where he led the Company’s operations and manufacturing facilities across Canada.  Prior to Aphria, Mr. Meiers led operations at The Hain Celestial Group, Inc., a leading natural and organic products company with operations in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Over his 14-year tenure at The Hain Celestial Group, Inc., he held various executive roles including President Celestial Seasonings, Hain Celestial Personal Care, CEO Hain Pure Protein and Chief Supply Chain Officer of Hain Grocery & Snacks.  Mr. Meiers has over 30 years of supply chain experience and general management for consumer-packaged goods companies, including H.J. Heinz and Kraft Food.

Nyree Pinto is Chief Human Resources Officer at Tilray Brands, Inc. Before joining Tilray in 2019; she garnered over 15 years of experience at Diageo and other global companies across a broad spectrum of business functions and sectors.

Ms. Pinto’s appointment represents Tilray’s commitment to the long-term growth and success of the people within the organization. She works in partnership with senior leadership to enable the delivery of business performance through human capital strategies across Talent Management and Acquisition, Performance Management, Employee Engagement, Organization Development & Effectiveness, and Leadership Development.

Lloyd Brathwaite is Chief Information Officer at Tilray Inc. and is responsible for the global organization's information technology, cybersecurity, internal application strategy, enterprise data, and infrastructure across the Company’s portfolio of businesses in North America, Europe, Latin America, and Australia.  He brings over 20 years of experience in information technology and provides innovation and leading-edge technologies to further the Company's corporate growth strategies.  Before joining Tilray, Mr. Brathwaite led Aphria’s IT infrastructure playing a critical role in the Company’s rapid growth transformation.  Mr. Brathwaite has held leadership roles in various government organizations, technology and leading CPG companies including The Hain Celestial Group, a global organic and natural products company with over $3 billion in net sales.

Berrin Noorata is Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Tilray, Inc. In her role, she leads corporate relations, global communications, government relations, corporate responsibility, and investor relations.  Previously, she served as Vice President of Global Communications at Tilray, leading communications and PR strategies that helped build Tilray's reputation as a global pioneer and one of the most trusted companies in the cannabis industry.  

Before joining the team at Tilray, Berrin created and led award-winning marketing, communications, and social impact initiatives at Privateer Holdings – the parent company of Tilray and industry-leading private equity firm.  Berrin has over seven years of leadership experience building global cannabis brands and more than 15 years of experience working with visionary entrepreneurs across fashion, tech, and wellness industries.

Jared Simon is an experienced leader of natural food brands, focused on building a more healthful and sustainable food system. Jared brings 20 years of general management experience in the food industry along with a deep knowledge of public health. Prior to joining Tilray, Jared was the President of CORE Foods, an innovative functional food company reshaping the nutrition bar category. Jared spent nearly 10 years at Hain Celestial, holding various leadership positions including Vice President & General Manager roles over Hain Celestial’s Baby, Snacks, and Pantry divisions. Jared also served as Hain Celestial’s Vice President of Food Strategy & Advocacy. Jared started his career at Kraft Foods, where he spent 10 years in brand management and shopper marketing roles.

Jared holds a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School, a Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Jared currently serves on the Advisory Board for Food Tank – The Think Tank for Food.

Mr. Gendel joined Tilray Brands in July 2021, as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Prior to joining Tilray, Mitch served as General Counsel of Emerald Holding, Inc, from April 2020 until July 2021, where he was responsible for all legal affairs including corporate governance, securities and compliance and litigation matters. Mitch also briefly served as Chief Restructuring Officer of Steel Partners LLP, from November 2019 until June 2020. Prior to that Mitch was General Counsel for fifteen years MDC Partners, Inc., a global, publicly-held advertising and communications company.

Blair is President, Canada at Tilray, Inc. He is a 30 year veteran of CPG leadership in Canada and has spent the last six years as the Head of Bacardi Canada.  During his time there he led the transition to a new route to market, consolidated the production footprint, and developed an insights led culture – which has been voted a Great Place to Work for two years in a row, and a top workplace for women in Canada.  Prior to Bacardi, he held roles in Stoli Group USA, Anheuser Busch, Corby Distilleries and Pepsi in a variety of functions and locations.  Mr. MacNeil also completed his CPA, CMA in 2014.

Since coming online in 2008 and releasing its first vodka and bourbon three years later, Breckenridge Distillery has quickly become an award-winning producer of fine spirits, being designated one of the top three bourbons in the U.S. How it all came to be, however, stems from a mix of just the right ingredients, a hint of luck and a deep love for quality whiskey. Breckenridge Distillery might not have happened had it not been for a fishing trip to the Mohawk Lakes near Breckenridge, shortly after Bryan Nolt had returned from Scotland, where he had searched for those super-rare spirits. In his mind, with a few employees and Breckenridge’s amazing water, there was a clear opportunity to make great spirits and “just revel in it.” 

“Breckenridge Distillery was founded from my overwhelming obsession for Whiskey. The fire in my belly was so intense, I risked my medical career, pension, savings, kids’ college fund, and sold my dream home to make it happen. Our devotion to quality, taste, and mouthfeel has made us one of the most successful distilleries in the US, and you’re invited to have a taste of pure passion in a bottle,” said Nolt, who still practices medicine on a limited basis. 

With over 30 years of experience, Roger Savell joins Tilray Brands from Ernst & Young, where as an Audit Partner he managed corporate governance, Sarbanes-Oxley, accounting, and auditing issues, for a variety of public and private companies. Roger has extensive experience, holding leadership roles including head of the New York’s Strategic Growth Markets group and Venture Capital Advisory group, Partner-in-Charge of the New York’s Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards program as well as Ernst & Young’s Long Island Office Managing Partner.