Village Farms and Emerald announced that Mandesh Dosanjh has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Pure Sunfarms, their 50/50 owned cannabis joint venture, effective on or before October 1, 2018. Mr. Dosanjh joins Pure Sunfarms from his position as Senior Vice President, Supply Chain and Wholesale, at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), where he led LCBO's supply chain division, and developed and managed its supply chain and wholesale strategy as the LCBO prepared for the legalization of adult-use cannabis.
Mr. Dosanjh commented, "Over the past two years at the LCBO, I became immersed in the Canadian cannabis industry and gained an in-depth knowledge and understanding of its many suppliers. Pure Sunfarms truly stands out in the industry for both the experience and expertise of its team, and the quality of its growing operations, strongly positioning it for leadership in the adult-use market," said Mr. Dosanjh. "I look forward to the opportunity to leverage my in-depth knowledge of the Canadian cannabis product landscape, as well as my many years managing consumer packaged goods supply chains, to drive the success of Pure Sunfarms as a fully integrated cannabis products business."
"Mr. Dosanjh will be a tremendous asset to Pure Sunfarms as it moves aggressively to become a vertically integrated cannabis products supplier," said Michael DeGiglio, CEO, Village Farms. "His deep experience in wholesale distribution and supply for large retailers, and intricate understanding of wholesale distribution in the Canadian cannabis industry, will provide Pure Sunfarms with a significant advantage in the development of its product and distribution strategy, as well as its brand and competitive positioning in the Canadian marketplace. In all respects, we are building this company the right way to drive sustainable value for the long term."
"Mr. Dosanjh comes to Pure Sunfarms from a unique vantage point in the Canadian cannabis industry, and we expect his insights and relationships to be invaluable in growing the business," said Mr. Chris Wagner, CEO, Emerald Health Therapeutics. "His broad experience will also be instrumental in driving efficiencies that will benefit bottom line profit."
Mandesh Dosanjh
Village Farms, Emerald appoint CEO to cannabis venture
Mr. Dosanjh is a seasoned supply chain executive with diverse industry experience. He has extensive experience planning and executing e-commerce, ERP, and logistics strategies focused on effectively and efficiently expanding business operations. His roles leading supply chains have provided him the opportunity to work closely with operations, quality control, IT, regulators, sales and marketing teams. As Senior Vice President, Supply Chain and Wholesale at LCBO, Mr. Dosanjh reported to the President and CEO. He was a member of the LCBO's Executive Steering Committee for Cannabis, which provided guidance to the LCBO board of directors and Ontario government. Previously, Mr. Dosanjh held increasingly senior executive-level supply and distribution positions with a number of leading retailers, including Longo Brothers, Target Canada, Aritzia and Loblaw Companies.