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Irwin D. Simon

Chairman & CEO @ Tilray Brands (TSX I NASDAQ: TLRY) ~ Executive Chairman @ Whole Earth Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ: FREE) ~ Presiding Director @ The Stagwell Group (NASDAQ: STGW)

Irwin D. Simon is a prominent business executive currently serving as the Chairman of the Board and CEO of Tilray Brands, Inc., a global cannabis and consumer packaged goods company.12

Career Highlights

Simon has an extensive career in the consumer goods industry:

  • Tilray Brands: Became Chairman and CEO in May 2021 after serving as Chairman and CEO of Aphria Inc. from December 2018 until its merger with Tilray.2

  • The Hain Celestial Group: Founder and former Chairman & CEO from November 1993 to December 2018 (25 years).2

  • Whole Earth Brands: Executive Chairman since August 2019.2

Other Notable Positions

  • Owner of Cape Breton Eagles Major Junior Hockey Club (since October 2018)
  • Co-Owner of St. John's Edge (since 2017)
  • Presiding Director at MDC Partners (since 2013)
  • Board Member at Tulane University and Poly Prep Country Day School (since September 2015)2

Education

Simon received his undergraduate degree from Saint Mary's University.1

Compensation and Performance

As CEO of Tilray, Simon has collected approximately $66 million in pay over three years. However, during his tenure, Tilray has posted total losses of about $3.1 billion, and the stock has lost about 85% of its value.3

Recent Developments

Simon has been actively involved in expanding Tilray's portfolio beyond cannabis. In 2024, Tilray acquired breweries from Molson Coors, significantly growing their beverage alcohol business.5 He has been working to position Tilray as a diversified consumer packaged goods company, with over 40 brands and 90% of products produced internally.4

Despite challenges in the cannabis industry, Simon remains focused on growing Tilray's revenue, managing its cash position, and attracting more institutional investors as regulatory changes occur in the cannabis sector.4

Highlights

Aug 28 · linkedin

At Tilray Brands, we are closely monitoring the upcoming DEA hearing on December 2nd to review expert opinions on rescheduling cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III.

We strongly believe that rescheduling cannabis would be a significant and positive step forward for the country and our industry, opening up a range of opportunities for greater research, development, and access to medical cannabis products across all 50 states. Additionally, it would provide benefits with tax money supporting our communities.

Tilray Brands is well-positioned and ready with the strategy, brands, distribution, marketing, and sales infrastructure in place to maximize growth opportunities when cannabis is rescheduled in the U.S. Our leading Canadian and international cannabis businesses are a testament to Tilray's expertise in leading a responsible and thriving cannabis industry, and our robust U.S. beverage and hemp foods divisions are ready to take advantage of any federally legal U.S. cannabis opportunity.

We remain committed to advancing the worldwide cannabis industry, and firmly believe we are well-positioned and ready to participate in the U.S. cannabis market. With our proven track record of producing and importing high-quality medical cannabis products in over 20 countries, we are confident in our ability to contribute to the growth and development of the industry in the U.S.

Aug 14 · linkedin

It was a pleasure speaking with Sara Eisen on CNBC today, and I always appreciate her insightful questions.

At Tilray Brands, Inc., we are constantly exploring new opportunities and pushing the boundaries to achieve new milestones.

I am proud of what we have accomplished so far and excited about what the future holds. Thank you to Sara Eisen and the CNBC team for your ongoing support.

Related Questions

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Irwin D. Simon
Irwin D. Simon, photo 1
Irwin D. Simon, photo 2
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Location

New York, New York, United States