WE'RE GREATER
THAN THE SUM
OF OUR PARTS
OUR TEAM
Our diverse team comprises medical professionals, clinicians, legacy experts, patients and a wide array of other experts, advisors, partners, and allies across relevant fields. United in a common mission, we are resolute in ensuring the accessibility and safety of medical cannabis for all who stand to benefit.
Our team structure is composed of a number of ‘tribes’ with each forming a crucial part of our body, embodying a harmonious blend of experience & innovation, fusing tradition with innovation and strategic pairings of legacy expertise & corporate acumen. By placing the right expertise in the right positions, we’re prepared to empower tomorrow’s health with balanced innovation.
Leading this ensemble are our visionary CEOs, Mitesh Makwana and Bryan Willis, together with Chief Operating Officer John Padellaro and Chief People Officer Robert Wright.
Advanced leadership and operations
Mitesh Makwana
Chairman and CO-CEO
Spain
Founder of Dr. Krippling® seedbank with a stable of popular genetics.
Over 10 years of horticultural experience specialising in hydroponics, indoor cultivation, selective breeding, plantation
management and seed production.
Bryan Willis
VICE-CHAIRMAN AND CO-CEO
UK
Owner of SeedMadness trading in over 4000 varieties of cannabis seeds.
Previously from a corporate background holding senior management roles.
John Padellaro
Chief Operations Officer
USA
John Padellaro is an accomplished Chief Operating Officer with over 10 years of experience in the commercial cannabis
sector. At 22, John founded a cannabis farm alongside a group of tech executives, later successfully exiting to a multi-state operator by 25.
Currently, John collaborates with cannabis start-ups and has helped raise over $100 million in financing activities. Additionally, he has worked with government bodies on
legislative reforms.
Robert Wright
Chief People Officer
UK
Robert is a change management specialist & held a position as CEO for Raiffeisen Bank - Kosovo for 12+ years and served as a Board Member for Raiffeisen Bank - Albania for over 5 years.
Prior to Raiffeisen, Robert was General Manager of Marketing
& Business Development at Al Rajhi Bank - Saudi Arabia for over 3 years, a Banking Director at Abbey National for 2 years,
General Manager at Bupa for over 5 years, & Head of Marketing for Portman Building Society.
MANAGEMENT TEAM
Andreea Kalisch
LEGAL ADVISOR
ROMANIA
Andreea’s background is in law.
She obtained her first degree in
International & Constitutional Law,
followed by a Master’s in Human
Rights and Democracy.
Her knowledge and expertise is
advising businesses on legal ways
and structures across a variety of
industry sectors.
She started an eco-friendly greenhouse in 2019 and now her main focus is organic cultivation.
CHINTU PATTANI
Head of Sales
UK
Over 15 years sales experience. A top sales person for British Gas where he started his career, Chintu has also coached and developed others in sales roles.
Most recently working at Assured Energy, he has won employee of the year as well as top seller, delivering over 380k margin for the business against annual target of 144k.
JOHN WHITE
FINANCIAL AND INVESTMENT CONSULTANT
UK
A long and varied career with many investment banks including Bank of America, Nat West, Royal Bank of Scotland, & HSBC. Additionally John has held various risk, and compliance consultancy roles with Lloyds, Nordea, Allianz, AIG, AON and smaller specialist Financial Institutions.
His experience includes international financial structuring, trade finance, Foreign Exchange and cash management.
Lindsey Cunningham
Chief Brand Officer
UK
Over 30 years FMCG experience across Europe in the field of brand development and brand
communications with clients such as Unilever, Barilla, Danone, PepsiCo for the global brand consultancy, Landor.
Recent focus on sectors where the online channel has become key.
Bev Morris
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
UK
Experience includes Marketing Consultant at Trafalgar Scientific Limited, Marketing Manager MGC Hayles Accountants & Business Advisers, Surgical Division Product Manager Molnlycke Health Care (MHC), Marketing and Project Manager Insulin Dependent Diabetes Trust.
CLINICAL TEAM
Dr. Nat Wright
CLINICAL ADVISOR / PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
UK
MBChB DRCOG FRCGP PhD
Approximately 20 years of
experience in several committees
involved in raising the quality of
healthcare provision to vulnerable
groups.
Training lead in illicit substance
misuse for the Royal College
of General Practitioners and
Clinical Lead and the Primary
Care Specialty Lead for Health
Research Yorkshire and Humber
Clinical Research Network.
Dharminder Singh
COMPLIANCE AND CLINICAL ADVISOR
UK
BSc (Hons), MRPharmS, RCGP Certificate in Management of Drug Misuse, IP
Over 20 years of experience in pharmacy managing stores for Boots, Cohens Chemists, Lloyds Chemists and own Community Pharmacy; all pharmacies under supervision have had UK Schedule 2 medicines approval.
External Tutor in Pharmacy for University of Nottingham.
Reshmi Khimji
SENIOR MANAGER / CLINICAL ASSISTANT
UK
Background in medical sciences with a degree in Biological Sciences (Honors in Medical Biology) from the University of Edinburgh, and a degree in Dentistry from the European University of Madrid.
Experience in health and medicinal research, also healthcare management as a
Clinical Manager and general dentistry.
DR. KULDIP BIRDI
MEDICAL CONSULTANT
UK
BSc (Hons), MB BS
Over 16 years combined experience working for the healthcare, pharmaceutical, health technology and medical cannabis industries.
Strong practical understanding of the ABPI and ABHI Codes of Practice and experience working in medical affairs and medical ethics roles across multiple therapeutic areas.
Passionate about identifying, preventing and managing compliance risks to ensure patient safety.
HORTICULTURAL TEAM
Paul Titus
Head Chemist
UK
BSc (Hons)
Raised in St Lucia on the family plantation, Paul witnessed different extraction methods / tinctures / teas and saw the positive effects of the medicinal qualities of cannabis.
This propelled him to study for his Chemistry degree and to his current career.
Dominik Hedderich
HORTICULTURALIST
GERMANY
MSc Crop Sciences
Passionate agricultural engineer with extensive experience in the cultivation of cannabis.
In addition to a full understanding of agroecosystems, Dominik’s core competencies are in organic crop production, plant nutrition and the design and operation of various
crop production systems.
Klajdi Kalliri
MANAGING DIRECTOR FOR EAST EUROPE
ALBANIA
Previously held coordination positions in the construction industry, but more recently has transitioned into Medical Cannabis. He has been working at our partner site MarijuPharma D.O.O in North Macedonia for the last 4 years, ensuring all regulatory affairs were in order, to achieve its licences, and Klajdi has also been assisting A&J Greenhouse D.O.O and others in a similar regard.
Jeffrey Winterborne
HORTICULTURAL ADVISOR
UK
Advisor to multinational horticultural and pharmaceutical businesses.
Established the first cannabis seed bank within the UK in 1998. Inventor of the most copied hydroponics system in the world.
Author of two bestselling books: “Hydroponics – Indoor Horticulture” and “Medical Marijuana – Cannabis Cultivation".
ADVISORY PANEL
Prof. Mike Barnes
MEDICAL CANNABIS EXPERT
UK
MD, FRCP
Consultant neurologist and medical cannabis expert, co-author of the All-Party Parliamentary Group report on the evidence for medical cannabis as part of its Drug Policy Reform. The first adopter of
medical cannabis as a treatment
option in the UK. An advisor to the
government of the United Kingdom.
Committed to securing access to
medical cannabis for all patients
who need it in the UK.
Hannah Deacon
MEDICAL CANNABIS EXPERT
UK
Successful campaign with “End Our Pain” led to her son receiving the first schedule one license to prescribe whole plant cannabis on the NHS. Became the first person to legally enter the UK with medical cannabis containing THC.
Works to develop an ethical
medical cannabis industry, supporting businesses, individuals and patients to overcome challenges.
Dr. Callie Seaman
MEDICAL CANNABIS EXPERT
UK
Dr. Callie Seaman is a Plant Scientist and formulation chemist with over 20 years of experience in the hydroponic industry.
A patient herself, Dr. Callie Seaman is passionate about cannabis education and
supporting patients through their medical cannabis treatment journey through volunteering with organisations such as MedCan Support and PLEA.
Paul Delorde
LOGISTICAL & REGULATORY SUPPORT
UK
Over 25 years of experience in supporting cultivating communities and farmers around the globe.
Specialising in Cannabis Seed international exports, Phyto Sanitary Certifications, and Seed Purity
documentations, and brokering deals for hemp based products and medicinal cannabis products.