Village Farms Expands Executive Team as It Enters Europe's Recreational Cannabis Market

Village Farms International, Inc. (NASDAQ: VFF) has announced the expansion of its executive team with three new appointments to support its growing global cannabis operations. Ann Gillin Lefever has been appointed as the Chief Operating Officer, Paul Furfaro as the President of Global Medical Cannabis, and John Harloe as the General Counsel for Global Cannabis.

These strategic appointments come as Village Farms continues to experience robust growth within the global cannabis market, including the construction of a facility in the Netherlands, marking its entry into the European recreational cannabis space. The new positions reflect the company's proven business model and significant potential in the cannabis industry.

Gillin Lefever, an accomplished business, finance, and capital markets executive, previously served as an external consultant to Village Farms and has held leadership roles at Barclays and Wall Street firms. Furfaro joined Village Farms in 2023 as Senior Vice President, Strategy, and previously held roles at the Société Québécoise du Cannabis (SQDC) and British American Tobacco Canada.

Village Farms is known for its large-scale greenhouse operations and its subsidiary, Pure Sunfarms, which is recognized as one of the world's largest cannabis operations and a leading brand in Canada. The company's strategy includes leveraging its expertise in the cannabis sector to explore opportunities in the U.S. THC market and other international markets.

The expansion of the executive team is part of Village Farms' broader growth strategy in the cannabis and CBD sectors, building on its foundation in fresh produce supply to retail markets in North America. The newly appointed executives bring extensive experience from various sectors to support Village Farms International's profitable growth and entry into additional medicinal and recreational cannabis markets.

Why this matters: Village Farms International's expansion into Europe's first major recreational cannabis market in the Netherlands represents a significant milestone for the company and the industry as a whole. The strategic appointments to its executive team position Village Farms to capitalize on the growing global demand for legal cannabis products.

In a statement, Michael DeGiglio, CEO of Village Farms, said, "These appointments reflect the depth of capabilities within the Village Farms organization and our ability to realize the significant potential of the cannabis industry in markets around the world." As Village Farms continues to build its presence in the Netherlands and other international markets, the company is positioned to be a major player in the rapidly expanding global cannabis industry.

Key Takeaways

• Village Farms expands executive team to support global cannabis growth
• Appoints new COO, President of Global Medical Cannabis, and General Counsel
• Enters European recreational cannabis market with facility in the Netherlands
• Leverages expertise in cannabis and CBD sectors to explore new opportunities
• Positions Village Farms as a major player in the rapidly expanding global cannabis industry