WeedMD names HR expert Deborah Sikkema its chief people officer

WeedMD Inc (TSX-V:WMD) (OTCQX:WDDMF), a licensed producer and distributor of medical-grade cannabis, announced the appointment of human resources executive Deborah Sikkema as its new chief people officer. Sikkema is a multi-faceted business leader with 20 years of HR experience in some of Canada’s top-tier organizations, the company said, including Shoppers Drug Mart, Canadian Tire and Holt Renfrew. In addition to her CPO role, Sikkema also joined WeedMD’s Compensation Committee alongside its board of directors. Prior to permanently joining the company, Sikkema spent the previous six months overhauling the company’s HR department and people strategy. With her guidance, the WeedMD established employee development and goal-setting programs to make WeedMD a living wage employer; introduced protocols for business integration and cultural transformation; overhauled its benefits plan to introduce a health spending account with medical cannabis coverage included; and introduced a company-wide shares option plan for all permanent employees.  READ: WeedMD appoints former Deloitte partner Lu Cacioppo to its board of directors Sikkema is a strong proponent of diversity, the company said, and is a member of the Women’s Executive Network and Women of Influence, the Strategic Capability Network and the London Chamber of Commerce. “WeedMD is known throughout the cannabis sector as an employer of choice committed to developing its talent and communities for continued results in the quality production of innovative products,” Sikkema said in a statement. “Our highly-engaged employees provide us with a sustainable competitive advantage that will take us to the next level of success. I’m proud to be leading our initiatives that marry our core values with our drive to be a model for diversity and inclusion, accountability, and social responsibility, as we foster commercial achievements in this growth stage.” Additionally, WeedMD also named Stephen Ng its chief commercial officer. He previously served as chief strategy officer at WeedMD and CFO of Starseed Medicinal Inc. “Our valued employees are our single greatest resource which defines who we are as a company and under Deborah’s leadership, teams have integrated seamlessly,” CEO Angelo Tsebelis said. “We’re thrilled to welcome her as a permanent member of our team as we continue building the business for commercial success. Both Deborah and Stephen are inspirational leaders and strategic thinkers who bring valuable expertise at a critical juncture as we build teams to expand our product offerings and leverage our unique distribution platforms to drive organic growth.” Contact Andrew Kessel at andrew.kessel@proactiveinvestors.com Follow him on Twitter @andrew_kessel