Avant Brands Announces Key Leadership Appointments to Further Enhance Operational Excellence

Avant Brands Inc. (TSX:AVNT) (OTCQX:AVTBF) (FRA:1BUP)

 (“

Avant

'' or the “

Company

”), an award-winning leading producer of handcrafted, high quality cannabis products, is pleased to announce the appointment of Matthew Whitt as Chief Financial Officer (“

CFO

”), effective January 17, 2022. In addition, Avant has bolstered its Sales and Marketing team under the leadership of Chris Pearson who joined Avant as Director of Sales in November of 2021. 

Mr. Whitt brings over two decades of domestic and global financial management experience in a wide variety of industries. He joins Avant from The Valens Company, a cannabis consumer company, where he served as Senior Director of Finance implementing key accounting procedures, reporting frameworks and internal controls and played an integral role in the Company’s acquisitions strategy. Mr. Whitt began his career at Deloitte and has since held senior finance roles at Nike, Fog Cutter Capital Group and Mark Anthony Group. Mr. Whitt holds a Bachelor of Commerce and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA). 

Mr. Pearson joined Avant from Heritage Cannabis where he was Vice President of Customer Experience and, prior to that, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Mr. Pearson has over 20 years of commercial experience driving performance, revenue and profitability growth. Prior to joining Heritage Cannabis, he was both Chief Executive Officer of CDJ Consulting, a sports management firm, and Commercial Director (Canada) for Ducati, the Italian motorcycle manufacturer. 

"We are excited to welcome Matt and Chris to the Avant Brands team," said Norton Singhavon, Founder and CEO of Avant. "Matt’s experience in the cannabis industry, capital markets expertise and strategic leadership will be invaluable as we embark on Avant’s next chapter of growth.” He continued, “Chris’ extensive sales experience will be a key asset for the Company as we seek to monetize the output of 3PL Ventures, our newest and largest cultivation facility.” 

“It’s exciting to join Avant Brands at this particular time because of the transformational change the Company has undergone over the past year,” said Matt Whitt. “In a competitive market at a challenging time, I have been impressed by the fiscal discipline and ambition of Avant. I look forward to working with Norton and the team to build upon the current momentum.”   

“From Canada’s first pre-roll blunt, with BLNT by BLK MKT™, to Canada’s first craft tasting flight, Avant has staked its place as an industry leader,” said Chris Pearson. “One of Avant’s primary goals is to drive the industry forward through brand and product development and I am excited to get to work expanding our market reach, as we continue to innovate.”

About Avant Brands Inc.

Avant is an innovative, market-leading cannabis company. Avant has multiple licensed and operational production facilities across Canada, which produce high-quality, handcrafted cannabis products for our highly desired and award-winning consumer brands, sold across both recreational and medical channels.  

Avant’s recreational consumer brands include BLK MKT™, Tenzo™, Cognōscente™ and Treehugger™, all produced from rare and exceptional cultivars, and sold in British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Yukon. The Company’s medical cannabis brand, GreenTec™, is distributed nationwide, directly to qualified patients through its GreenTec Medical portal, and through various medical cannabis partners. 

Avant is a publicly traded corporation listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: AVNT), and cross-trades on the OTCQX Best Market (OTCQX: AVTBF) and Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FRA: 1BUP). The Company is headquartered in Kelowna, British Columbia and has operations in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario.  

To learn more about Avant, to access the investor presentation, or learn more about its consumer brands, please visit www.avantbrands.ca.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: 

This news release includes certain “forward-looking information” as defined under applicable Canadian securities legislation, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs, and current expectations of the Company with respect to future business activities and operating performance. Forward-looking information is often identified by the words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" or similar expressions and includes information regarding: enhancements to the Avant management team; improvements to and growth of the current sales strategy; Avant’s ability to gain market share; 3PL’s production and distribution of new and exclusive cultivars; and expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors. Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Examples include statements that the Company will operate in a fiscally disciplined manner; expand its market reach; or continue to innovate. 

Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical fact but instead reflects management’s expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance, or achievements of the Company. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information are the following: regulatory and licensing risks; changes in consumer demand and preferences; changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; the global regulatory landscape and enforcement related to cannabis, including political risks and risks relating to regulatory change; compliance with extensive government regulation; public opinion and perception of the cannabis industry; the impact of COVID-19; and the risk factors set out in the Company’s annual information form dated March 16, 2021, filed with Canadian securities regulators and available on the Company’s profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated, or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information, which speak only as of the date of this news release. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. 

 

Alyssa Barry, Investor Relations
Avant Brands Inc.
1-833-709-0066
[e-mail]