RCCO’s 2nd Annual AGM & Cannabis Retailer Conference is a day of discussion, insight and exploration of our industry. The opportunity to connect as a community and have meaningful discussions about our challenges and issues is critical to the improvement, sustainability and strength of the retail cannabis industry in Ontario.
One way we can achieve these goals is by bringing together our industry regulators, partners and leaders to delve into the issues with us and explore meaningful solutions to the challenges we face. At this event we have invited a powerhouse of panelists to explore the issues that we, the retail cannabis community, recognize as our most pressing challenges. The panel includes delegates from: The Alcohol & Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), The Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS), the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Health Canada, Merrco Payments, Cova, Indiva, and Cannabis Training Canada.
Alexandre Jalleau is the Chief Customer Experience Officer of The Ontario Cannabis Store, leading the Marketing, Consumer Insights, eCommerce and Customer Experience teams. He brings more than 20 years of experience in marketing and sales; as well as leading, structuring and developing high-performing teams in fast-moving, competitive and regulated industries. Alex brings years of international experience as a senior leader in cannabis and consumer packaged goods – specifically in soft drinks and tobacco. Most recently, Alex was Chief Marketing Officer for Prime Cannabliss Inc. and Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales with The Flowr Corporation.
Liz Yeigh is the Corporate Secretary and Chief Strategy Officer at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). With over 25 years of public sector experience she has a focus on policy, governance and program delivery. Liz leads the AGCO’s regulatory policy, corporate affairs, and external stakeholder engagement work in support of Ontario’s regulated cannabis retail, liquor, horse racing and gambling sectors. Previously Liz was the Vice-President of Social and Community Responsibility at the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. She has also held progressive positions in the Ontario Government at the Ministry of Community and Social Services as well as Director of Gaming Policy at the Ontario Ministry of Finance where she led the government work to support the modernization of Ontario’s land-based gaming sites in the mid-2010’s.
Detective Inspector Anne Goodwin began her career with the OPP in 1995. She has served in a variety of general law enforcement roles as well as specialized investigative positions. Her executive development was enhanced through roles as the Ministry Liaison Officer between the OPP and the provincial government and as Manager for the Office of the Commissioner. Prior to her current role, Anne spent four years as the Director of the Anti-Rackets Branch of the OPP. Currently, Anne is a Hub Commander for the Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau. She has oversight of nine street crime teams in Central Ontario and is responsible for the province’s only Cannabis Enforcement Team. They are supported by administrative and analytical staff. They work closely with regulatory agencies such as the AGCO to address the issues of illegal cannabis production, distribution and sales, in the province.
Rachel Huggins is the Deputy Director-Executive Lead, Cannabis Legalization, Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). She is responsible for developing and implementing policy and operational plans to support organizational requirements under the legal cannabis regime, and other enforcement and government priorities. Rachel recently joined the OPP Field Implementation Team to lead a modernization of frontline administrative support services with a focus on detachment and regional administrative processes, staffing, training, and other support services. Rachel leverages and improves data collection and reporting processes to support national policing policy. Rachel is the co-chair Canadian Association Chiefs of Police, Drug Advisory Committee and was appointed the first civilian chair of the Ontario Association Chief of Police, Substance Advisory Committee in December 2022.
Lisa Musselman is the acting Manager of the Cannabis Promotions Compliance and Monitoring Unit within the Cannabis Compliance Directorate of Health Canada, where she has been a supervisor since 2020. This team is responsible for the national compliance program related to advertising activities under the Cannabis Act. Prior to this, Lisa worked on a similar national compliance team, focussed on health product advertising under the Food and Drugs Act. Lisa is a trained naturopathic doctor and has been with Health Canada since 2005 in a variety of other health product compliance and enforcement positions, as well as pre-market evaluation roles.
Christine Zaczynski is the acting Director of the Compliance Promotion and Policy Division within the Cannabis Compliance Directorate of Health Canada. She joined the cannabis program in 2017 as part of the implementation team to develop the legalized framework we have in place today. In 2020, she took on management of the promotions compliance team. Prior to joining the cannabis program, she gained extensive experience in compliance and enforcement and risk issues management within the health products program of Health Canada since 2004.
James Good is the Chief Revenue Officer of Merrco Payments. James has led strategy, sales, and partnerships in the payments and fintech sector for nearly 25 years. He has held leadership roles at organizations including Interac, Visa, Mastercard and TD Canada Trust. James was closely involved with Canada’s national rollout of both EMV chip cards and contactless debit cards, and he built a successful international licensing business for Interac to enable payment schemes around the world to build autonomous networks using certified Interac solutions. At Merrco, Canada’s leading provider of secure payments for the cannabis industry, James’ mandate is to continue to expand and serve its strong base of Canadian customers and partners, while also defining and executing a U.S. go-to-market plan.
Gary Cohen is the CEO of Cova, the most trusted cannabis technology brand in North America. Cova’s award-winning software suite provides eCommerce, POS, payments, inventory management, and advanced analytics—essential solutions that help cannabis retailers simplify compliance, streamline operations, and enable an in-store or omnichannel experience. Having met with nearly 2000 dispensary operators from coast to coast, he leverages expert knowledge to offer cannabis retailers the support they need to get a license, pass inspection, launch a store, assess tech tools, and scale operations.
Niel Marotta is the President, CEO, Director, and Co-Founder of Indiva. Niel was a top-performing fund manager at a prominent U.S. firm, where he managed a portfolio of over $1 billion across several industries. He also served as Vice President, and separately as a director, for TSX listed natural resource focused companies. Subsequently, Niel worked as an investment banker, and has been involved in financings and M&A transactions exceeding $1 billion. Niel is a graduate of McGill University’s commerce program.
Marcus Acaster is Co-Founder of Cannabis Training Canada Inc. Marcus leads CTC’s strategic planning, business development and operations. His background in the finance/insurance industry help CTC continue to grow and evolve in an ever-changing cannabis industry in Canada.
Cannabis Training Canada (CTC) is a Canadian-owned and operated e-learning provider that delivers reliable and accessible training to the Canadian cannabis industry. CTC works with private retailers as well as provincial governments to provide training to retail cannabis staff. CTC has been in operation since legalization and is currently operating in 9 Canadian cannabis markets.
Zane Yassein is the Co-Founder of Cannabis Training Canada Inc. Zane is in charge of customer relations and content management. His background in the regulated cannabis industry and beverage alcohol give CTC a unique edge in navigating the recreational cannabis market from province to province.
Cannabis Training Canada (CTC) is a Canadian-owned and operated e-learning provider that delivers reliable and accessible training to the Canadian cannabis industry. CTC works with private retailers as well as provincial governments to provide training to retail cannabis staff. CTC has been in operation since legalization and is currently operating in 9 Canadian cannabis markets.