Miami-based marijuana multistate operator Ayr Wellness promoted Chief Operating Officer George DeNardo to the role of president.
As president, DeNardo will oversee companywide operations including cultivation, manufacturing, retail, wholesale and marketing, according to a Monday news release.
He is stepping into a role that opened in September when David Goubert resigned as Ayr’s president and CEO.
His promotion was announced by Stephen Cohen, who was appointed by Ayr’s board of directors to serve as CEO on an interim basis.
The board has contracted New Jersey-headquartered global recruiting firm True Search to find a new CEO, the release noted.
DeNardo told MJBizDaily partner Cultivated Media on Monday that he joined Ayr in November 2023 after first entering the cannabis industry five years earlier as “director of Pennsylvania” for New York-based MSO Columbia Care. Columbia Care has since rebranded as The Cannabis Co.
Initially, DeNardo focused on Columbia Care’s retail operations, but his role eventually grew to encompass cultivation and manufacturing as vice president of mid-Atlantic operations.
In his new role, DeNardo said he seeks to unite Ayr’s back-of-house and front-of-house operations.
“By putting it underneath one umbrella, that would allow us to react better to the market in 2025,” he told Cultivated Media.
A key focus for DeNardo will be ensuring quality and consistency from market to market, he said, adding that Ayr standardized its operating procedures in 2024.
DeNardo also said he is interested in evaluating on a state level which brands and product formats are increasing in popularity.
“Both independents as well as MSOs have done a great job over the past several years on innovation of new products and product forms and the implementation of quality standards,” DeNardo told Cultivated Media, adding that concentrates and multipacks have been a big focus in recent years.
He also emphasized that being aware of regulatory changes – including new goods being allowed in states that are developing programs, such as Ohio with adult use – means Ayr will be able to act quickly when bringing products to market.
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