Multi-state cannabis company C3 Industries announced the expansion of its retail leadership team with four strategic executive appointments.
The newly appointed retail leadership team includes:
- Chris Melillo, Chief Retail Officer - Former senior executive with AWH and Curaleaf with experience scaling national MSO & retail operations
- Rob Jones, Vice President of Buying & Planning - Former Vice President of Commercial Operations at Jushi Holdings
- Dinesh Penugonda, Vice President of Retail Operations – Former Senior Vice President of Retail Operations at Curaleaf
- Louis Cohen, Regional Vice President of Retail - Former Director of Strategic Partnerships at AWH
"In the past, we've been focused on growth with a lean team; by bringing in this team we're signaling our intention of providing a best-in-class cannabis retail experience," said Vishal Rungta, president and co-founder of C3 Industries. "With the addition of these accomplished retail leaders, we're doubling down on our retail strategy and building infrastructure that will allow High Profile to be leaders in the industry as we expand. We now have a team who can support the business in terms of growing our current portfolio as well as making strategic decisions and identifying market opportunities that align with our vision of becoming a best-in-class scaled operator."
The expanded leadership team will oversee C3's growing retail network, which currently includes locations across Michigan, Missouri, Massachusetts, Illinois, New Jersey, Connecticut and soon to be Kentucky with multiple additional High Profile locations scheduled to open throughout 2025.
"This strategic investment in retail leadership reflects our commitment to elevating the High Profile experience while preparing for our next phase of growth," said Melillo. "We're moving forward with a store concept that leverages data-driven insights to enhance customer experiences across all markets. This approach not only strengthens our current operations but positions C3 as an attractive platform for M&A opportunities."
