Cresco Labs, one of the largest vertically integrated multi-state cannabis operators in the United States, has hired Greg Butler as its first Chief Commercial Officer in the U.S.
A graduate of the Harvard Business School and former marketing director for Miller Lite, Butler expressed enthusiasm for the groundbreaking nature of the newly created position, which reinforces Cresco Lab’s “steadfast commitment to building the most important cannabis company,” according to a press release.
“I’m most energized by the opportunity to support the entrepreneurism of small companies in hyper-growth mode with the discipline and proven strategies of large CPG brands,” he said. “Cresco Labs is reimagining the way consumers and patients look at the cannabis industry, and I’m excited to be part of its extraordinary mission and enhance the impact the company has already made.”
Butler’s experience includes driving brand growth for top-tier CPG companies like Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Molson Coors. He has also managed wellness retail execution for Walgreens and business growth for leading private equity portfolio companies.
His responsibilities as CCO include managing demand and commercial strategic planning, recruiting talent, leading new product launches, and driving enterprise strategies to deliver on the company’s vision.
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According to Cresco Labs CEO Charles Bachtell, Butler’s background is perfectly suited “to deliver growth.”
“One of the key components of our success is the ability to strategically curate a leadership team with both institutional expertise and the highest caliber of subject matter experts across different industries — from retail to healthcare to beer to CPG,” he said. “Greg has a remarkable general management pedigree and an impeccable reputation from his work driving growth for the world’s most iconic brands.”
Backstory
Prior to his appointment as CCO, Butler spend a year as Operating Partner at MNML Ventures, an affiliate of Cresco Labs, where he led the creation of a pioneering, occasion-based portfolio strategy and relaunched seven cannabis brands with new positionings, identities, and package designs. He also oversaw the creation of a multi-year innovation pipeline, and drove the concepting and launch of the national Sunnyside retail brand.
The effort helped reshape Cresco Labs’ robust marketing, retail operations and sales teams that are made up of notable hires from Apple, Starbucks, PepsiCo and Red Bull.
“The results of Greg’s leadership speak for themselves,” says Tom Manning, Chairman of the Cresco Labs Board of Directors. “He oversaw the Miller portfolio and developed a commercial strategy for the billion-dollar Miller Lite brand, delivering 13 quarters of sustained growth after years of declining sales. He also has launched innovation consumer campaigns for global brands that drove share growth and has won a wide range of awards from the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity to the Effie Awards.”
Pictured at top: Greg Butler
About Cresco Labs
Cresco Labs is one of the largest vertically-integrated, multi-state cannabis operators in the United States. Cresco is built to become the most important company in the cannabis industry by combining the most strategic geographic footprint with one of the leading distribution platforms in North America. Employing a consumer-packaged goods (“CPG”) approach to cannabis, Cresco’s house of brands is designed to meet the needs of all consumer segments and includes some of the most recognized and trusted national brands including Cresco, Remedi and Mindy’s, a line of edibles created by James Beard Award-winning chef Mindy Segal. Sunnyside, Cresco’s national dispensary brand, is a wellness-focused retailer designed to build trust, education and convenience for both existing and new cannabis consumers. Recognizing that the cannabis industry is poised to become one of the leading job creators in the country, Cresco has launched the industry’s first national comprehensive Social Equity and Educational Development (SEED) initiative designed to ensure that all members of society have the skills, knowledge and opportunity to work in and own businesses in the cannabis industry. To learn more about Cresco Labs, click here.
