U.K. tobacco giant gets medicinal cannabis expertise
The appointment advances Imperial Brands’s efforts to move beyond its main product, as smoking rates in developed nations dwindle
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Imperial Brands Plc gained the services of a leader in the field of medicinal cannabis as the British tobacco manufacturer seeks to further its push beyond cigarettes. Simon Langelier, a 30-year veteran of Philip Morris International Inc., joined the board as a non-executive director. Langelier is chairman of PharmaCielo Ltd., a supplier of medicinal-grade cannabis oil extracts. He joined the Canadian-based company in 2015 after a career at Philip Morris that included heading up the next-generation products unit from 2007 to 2010. Imperial stands to benefit from his experience in tobacco and “wider consumer adjacencies,” Chairman Mark Williamson said. (See also: Canadian company PharmaCielo Ltd could be the first to grow legal pot in Colombia)
