Food & Tobacco Veteran Takes the Reins at Tree of Knowledge

The cannabis industry is projected to be worth billions of dollars over the coming years. While cultivators have been a major focus early on, many investors are shifting their focus to consumer brands that could command much higher long-term margins and avoid the inevitable commoditization of raw cannabis ingredients. There are many companies working in this area, but only a handful have the experience to become true industry leaders.

Tree of Knowledge International Corp. (CSE: TOKI) has already developed its EVR CBD brand into a global presence. With the new CEO at the helm, the company is well positioned to continue this expansion and position itself as a leader in the space.

Adding a Proven CEO

Tree of Knowledge recently announced the appointment of Mr. Jean-Paul Gaillard as its new Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Gaillard is an experienced executive that has worked with major multinationals, including Philip Morris and Nestle, where he helped create significant value. Currently, he serves as the Chairman of Coventry Holding Group, which specializes in M&A and special situations.

“The addition of Mr. Gaillard with his significant global brands and consumer goods experience will be extremely beneficial to the company as we move forward with our goal of becoming a dominant global brand,” said former CEO and Chairman of the Board Michael Caridi. “He is an exciting addition to our executive leadership team with his demonstrated leadership abilities, vision for creating and launching new products, M&A, and financing expertise. He has a remarkable track record for building global brands.”

His best known achievements include:

• At Philip Morris, he turned the Marlboro Classics brand into an unchallenged leader in its category, on part with most successful competitors in the field.
• At Nestle, he oversaw the turnaround of Nespresso after Nestle decided to close it and implemented a new business model that is still prevailing today. From a company with less than ten people, he turned the business into a multinational group with a worldwide presence, billions of dollars of turnover, and some of the highest margins and ROIC in the food and beverage industry.

These skills will be critical for Tree of Knowledge as it expands its hemp-based cannabidiol (CBD) brand across the United States, Europe, South America, Australia, and China.

Mr. Michael Caridi, the company’s previous CEO, will remain as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Experienced Management & Advisors

Tree of Knowledge has an experienced management team and advisory board behind the scenes that will support the new CEO in his role.

Founders Brian Main and Michael Caridi grew the company from a small boutique hemp oil operation in 2011 to an internationally recognized firm:

• Mr. Main began his career in the U.S. Marine Corps in a security role guarding classified materials with an ETNAC-5 security clearance. After serving his country, he studied microbiological genetic technologies at Eastern Washington University before being recalled to duty in Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Upon returning, he worked in the family real estate business before starting several of his own ventures in the mid 1990s. He has focused exclusively on the medical marijuana and industrial hemp industries since 2011.
• Mr. Caridi is the Managing Director of Bedford Capital Partners, which specializes in business development and consulting across various industries. With over $200 million in deal flow in his career, Mr. Caridi has held roles in the development of diabetic, Alzheimer’s diseases, and regenerative skin companies, as well as worked in real estate projects, such as the demilitarization and scrapping of the USS Bennington aircraft carrier and various construction projects with Fortune 500 companies over several years.

The company’s advisory board also includes several high profile individuals:

• Dr. Sanjay Gupta is perhaps one of the most well known advisory board members. In addition to serving as President of DrCircle.com, he has appeared on various television platforms and as the Director of Health Time TV, comprised of more than 160,000 medical professionals. He is a Harvard trained pain specialist and President of the American Pain Association, as well as an outspoken proponent of medical marijuana and its role in fighting the opioid epidemic.
• Ambassador Jack Brewer is also very well known as a NFL player for the Minnesota Vikings. After a career as an exceptional special teams player and versatile defensive back, he accepted a position as a wealth manager at Merrill Lynch in the Global Private Equity Client Group in New York City. He then struck out on his own as the CEO and Portfolio Manager of The Brewer Group, which makes investments into private and public companies across many different vertical markets.
• Christopher Kaplan has over 25 years experience in life sciences with a successful track record that covers R&D, operations, strategy, business development and M&A. He has pioneered new drug development activities in support of a more personalized medicine approach to patients care. Throughout half of his career, he lived and worked outside of the U.S., providing TOK/EVR with a strong global biopharma perspective. He has also held significant Global, European, and US leadership roles at Bristol-Myers Squibb, Novartis, Boehringer-Ingelheim, and most recently, as Senior Vice President and Head of North American for Sanofi. Chris holds a Bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and a Masters degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Along with Mr. Jean-Paul Gaillard, this team is well positioned to deliver exceptional long-term value to shareholders by building a premier CBD brand worldwide.

Looking Ahead

Tree of Knowledge International Corp. (CSE: TOKI) represents a compelling investment opportunity in the global hemp industry. After recently going public on the CSE, the company is well positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for hemp-based products with its exceptional management team and new high-caliber CEO.
For more information, visit the company’s website at www.evrcbd.com.

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About Ryan Allway

Mr. Allway has over a decade of experience in the financial markets as both a private investor and financial journalist. He has been actively involved in the cannabis industry since its inception, covering public and private companies.