Canadian Insider

TORONTO, Oct. 10, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Beleave Inc. ("Beleave" or the "Company") (CSE:BE) (OTCQX:BLEVF) is pleased to announce the appointment of its new Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Wnek as Dr. Roger Ferreira moves into the role of Chief Science Officer.

“I am excited to join Beleave as Chief Executive Officer. The organization has an outstanding management team and is well positioned to have an impact on the cannabis market with expected changes to government legislation and our continued focus on innovation, scientific research, and the production of high quality product,” commented Beleave’s new Chief Executive Officer Andrew Wnek. “I would like to thank Roger for his excellent leadership to date.  His appointment to Chief Science Officer reflects the organization’s commitment to expanding how cannabis can positively affect consumers by delivering a diverse product offering.”

Mr. Wnek is a senior executive with significant retail, real estate, oil and gas and not for profit industry experience. He has held senior finance roles with Canadian Tire Corporation including a role as the Senior Vice President, Finance and Administration in a twenty-one-year career. With Canadian Tire he also served as the Chief Information Officer for over seven years and was appointed as an officer, serving over ten years. Mr. Wnek has also held roles as the National CFO for the Heart and Stroke Foundation and more recently acted as interim Chief Financial Officer for the Canadian Cancer Society leading a major cost restructuring.  Mr. Wnek has led finance and technology operations, major large company projects and transformational change and governance initiatives. He has extensive experience working with company boards, serving on several including as Finance Chair for six years with the Royal Conservatory of Music and as the Audit Committee Chair for Momentum, a technology service provider. Currently Mr. Wnek sits on the Beleave board and will remain a member. 

“We are extremely proud to be welcoming Mr. Wnek to our executive management team, and look to him for vision and leadership that he will bring to the future growth of Beleave,” commented Chief Science Officer and former CEO, Roger Ferreira. 

Dr. Ferreira is one of the co-founders and will remain a director of Beleave, having been part of the leadership team responsible for the acquisition of the company’s license to cultivate medicinal cannabis pursuant to the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR). Importantly, Dr. Ferreira has helped position Beleave as a leader in cannabis research and innovation, and has led the company’s initiatives in cannabis genetics and extraction. This work is bringing longstanding impact to Beleave’s cultivation and production practices, and future product and method IP portfolio. Moving forward in his capacity as director and Chief Science Officer, Ferreira looks forward to playing an important role in the company’s acquisition of its sales license, and driving forward with future phases of Beleave product research and development.

Dr. Ferreira commented, “I am pleased to focus my efforts as the Company’s Chief Science Officer, as in the coming years, we are gearing up for some exciting new work in cannabinoid food and drug delivery systems to accompany our extraction IP.  We plan to further our work in drug development for the current medicinal market, as well as for food development for the upcoming adult recreational market.”

About Beleave
Beleave Inc. is a biotech company and Beleave's wholly-owned subsidiary Beleave Kannabis Corp. (formerly First Access Medical Inc.) is a licensed producer pursuant to the ACMPR. Beleave's purpose-built facility is located near Hamilton, Ontario.

For further information please contact:

Sebastian de Kloet
Phone: (905) 979 - 5173      
Email: [email protected]
beleave.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law ("forward-looking statements"). The use of any of the words "plan", "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "should", "believe" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur are intended to identify forward-looking information. These statements are only predictions. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to satisfy the conditions associated with its cultivation license, the Company's ability to obtain a sales license and the related timing considerations, the availability of further financing, consumer interest in its products, competition, regulation, operational and technological risks, and anticipated and unanticipated costs and delays. Since forward-looking information addresses future events and conditions, by its very nature it involves inherent risks and uncertainties. This information speak only as of the date of this news release. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks including various risk factors discussed in the Company's disclosure documents, which can be found under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com.