Mark Morrison has been a consultant with the firm for the past six months.
Mark Morrison has been appointed chief commercial officer at New Zealand-licenced medicinal cannabis company Helius Therapeutics.
For six months prior to the appointment, he was a consultant at Helius where he developed the company’s commercial strategy. The announcement of CCO completes the executive leadership team at the Auckland Helius headquarters.
With significant experience in Australia, the US and New Zealand, Morrison has worked in the pharmaceutical, animal health, and FMCG industries for more than 25 years. He has held senior global marketing, strategic planning, new product and business development positions, and has consulted in the medicinal cannabis sector since 2018.
He has an MBA from Australia’s Macquarie Graduate School of Management, and a Bachelor of Science (Hons) from the University of Canterbury.
Helius chief executive Carmen Doran said: “Announcing our CCO completes our internationally experienced team. … We’re looking forward to serving Kiwi patients, with a big eye on establishing key export markets.”
The 100% New Zealand-owned private biotechnology company has brought together a multi-disciplinary executive team with deep experience across pharmaceutical operations, cannabinoid research and development, and quality systems.
CBD highly effective for treating animals too
“Mark brings a broad range of experiences which Helius is already benefiting from. He understands the complex challenges of medicines manufacturing and getting highly regulated products into market. His considerable time in animal healthcare, here and the US, is also invaluable for our sister company Hale,” she said.
Part-owned by Helius, Hale Animal Health has launched its own scientifically formulated range of pet supplements crafted from premium ingredients. Hale is also leading the way in developing some of the world’s first cannabinoid medicines for companion animals.
“CBD is highly effective for treating the likes of pain and inflammation in humans, and it’s no different for animals. They have an endogenous cannabinoid system just like us, meaning cannabis therapeutics work in a similar way for pets,” Hale managing director Leila de Koster said.
Morrison said: “A key part of our commercial strategy is rolling out some comprehensive educational support for both patients and prescribers. In the coming months, we’ll be launching a number of initiatives to ensure everyone has the support and access to trusted and leading information.”
Having raised $48 million in capital since 2018, Helius completed its state-of-the-art, integrated medicines manufacturing facility late last year. At 8800sq m, it enables integrated cultivation, analytics, research, manufacturing, logistics, management, and distribution all under one secure roof.
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