MJBizMag February 2023 - 46

INDUSTRY PLAYERS New Hires & Promotions by Omar Sacirbey
Chris Walsh Steps Down as MJBiz CEO
MJBiz CEO Chris Walsh, the company's founding
editor and a leading authority on the marijuana
industry, departed the publishing and trade show
business in mid-January.
His departure-following more than a decade
with the company-came nearly a year after
Denver-based MJBiz was acquired by Emerald X
for $120 million in cash plus potential earnouts.
Emerald X is a wholly owned subsidiary of
Emerald Holding, a New York-based business-tobusiness
event and media company.
" This is the natural evolution of companies,
industries and my career, " Walsh said. " Things
change. MJBiz is in a great place.
" We built a company that has helped many
businesses and individuals in the industry. We
navigated a very difficult time through the
pandemic and were acquired. "
Walsh, who became the company's CEO in 2020,
said he plans to take time off before considering
his next move.
" There are a lot of things brewing within the
industry and outside of it, " he said. " I've got some
potential paths forward. "
Pam Moore, now MJBiz's chief content strategy
officer, and Jess Tyler, similarly promoted to chief
revenue and experience officer, will continue in
their leadership roles at the company.
Walsh, a veteran business journalist with an MBA
from Regis University in Denver, joined MJBiz in
2011 as its founding editor. His job: Develop the
MariMed Appoints
Jon Levine as Interim CEO
MariMed, a Massachusettsbased
marijuana multistate
operator, appointed Jon Levine,
the company's president, as interim
chief executive officer.
The move follows the unexpected
death of Robert Fireman, a veteran
marijuana industry executive and
the company's longtime CEO.
" As president, Jon has managed
the day-to-day facets of MariMed's
operations, and as co-founder of
MariMed, (he) has the experience
and knowledge of the company's
inner workings and growth
46 February 2023 | MJBizMagazine
editorial strategy
for a company that
would focus on
the business side
of the emerging
marijuana industry.
Over the
next decade,
Walsh helped to
spearhead the
company's efforts
to galvanize and
professionalize
the emerging
marijuana industry.
In addition to overseeing the launch of
Marijuana Business Daily, a news site now known
as MJBizDaily, Walsh was responsible for creating
the annual MJBiz Factbook and MJBizMagazine.
He also built the company's conference content
and editorial teams and played a key role in the
creation and growth of MJBizCon, the cannabis
year of transition with Emerald and respect his
legacy here, " said Karalynn Sprouse, an executive
vice president for Emerald.
Referring to Tyler and Moore, Sprouse added:
" I have absolute confidence in Jess, Pam and the
rest of the MJBiz team to continue building the
business as an essential, trusted resource for the
cannabis industry. "
strategy that are crucial at this
juncture, " Edward Gildea, one of the
company's independent directors,
said in a statement.
According to a news release,
MariMed's board of directors will
conduct a search for a permanent
CEO. No timeline was provided.
Curaleaf Installs
New Board Members
Multistate operator Curaleaf
Holdings added two new
members to its board of directors,
effective Dec. 31, 2022.
Michelle Bodner is a Wall
Street-trained entrepreneur with
expertise in operations, real estate
and executive coaching. She has
delivered advisory services to
government agencies, banks, large
corporations, nonprofit groups and
early and midstage companies in
multiple disciplines.
In 2015, Bodner was engaged
by Curaleaf (then Palliatech)
as a consultant responsible for
the company's New York license
application. Since then, she has
held multiple positions at Curaleaf,
including board member, first
chief operating officer, president
and CEO of Curaleaf's New
York and Florida operations.
Chris Walsh
industry's oldest and largest trade show.
" We are grateful for Chris' leadership during this
MJBizMag February 2023

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