PETER CROOKS
Mermaid,Canada
Summary
Entrepreneurial and creative executive passionate about leading teams and turning innovative ideas into tangible results. Experienced formulating and executing strategic plans, creating new brands, products and services, and developing business opportunities with a global perspective. Demonstrated ability to innovate and drive business growth, in domestic and international markets. Leveraged entrepreneurial mindset and leadership skills to build high-performance teams and navigate dynamic market challenges. Recognized as one of the Top50 CEOS in Atlantic Canada and a key opinion leader nationally.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
Work History
Founder
idea2market
01.2012 - Current
- Established a small boutique commercialization consultancy firm focused on science-based innovations in food, functional food, bioscience, nutraceuticals and cannabis
- Advise early stage entrepreneurs with business strategy development, capital financing, 3rd party technology validation, brand and product, strategic partnering and market entry strategies
President
Truro Cannabis
01.2023 - 01.2024
- Led a private equity-based turnaround project of a Canadian licensed producer of craft cannabis
- Leaned operations, right-sized labor force and optimized production processes, resulting in a 20% reduction in cost of goods sold (COGs) and over $1M in annualized savings
- Developed a robust and differentiated product strategy launching 20+ new SKUs in four new domestic markets and opening export channels to the UK, Australia and Germany
Chief Executive/Innovation Officer
Kapoose Creek Bio
01.2021 - 01.2023
- Led group of Founders to build a state of the art off-grid fungi research station in the middle of a temperate rainforest on North West pacific coast of Vancouver Island
- Raised over $18M in Series A financing and successfully operationalized the company
- Designed and developed a consumer brand and an extensive product portfolio of functional mushroom CPGs with an emphasis on a neurohealth therapeutics
Chief Product Innovation Officer
Auxly
01.2018 - 01.2021
- Developed overall design concept, plant lay-out, people, product and process flow for a world leading 55,000 sq ft extraction and GMP manufacturing facility- grew staff to over 400
- Oversaw a multi-disciplinary and cross-functional teams responsible for all product development, regulatory compliance and technology transfer into plant trials and production
- Resulted in the largest launch of Cannabis 2.0 products (128 SKUs), maintaining #1 market share position in 2021 & 2022 and generating nearly $90M in 2nd year sales
Chief Executive Officer
Canada’s Smartest Kitchen
01.2012 - 01.2018
- Responsible for overall leadership and strategic direction for what grew into one of Canada’s leading food brand and product development centers
- Pioneered a novel product innovation model and established foundational processes for business operations that assisted over 300 food companies resulting in the successful launch of over 1,500 food products into retail and foodservice markets
- Assembled a world-class team of industry experts in branding, product development, marketing, process and packaging innovation, developing a global presence in 6 countries
- Identified new revenue generation opportunities to maximize bottom-line profitability.
Business Development Officer
NRC Institute for Nutrisciences and Health
01.2009 - 01.2012
- Led all business development efforts, contract negotiation and execution, IP management, licensing and commercialization of the institute’s proprietary technologies- characterized bioactives derived from land and marine-based bioresources
- Generated new business with marketing initiatives and strategic plans.
- Doubled technical services revenue, negotiated contracts valued over $8M and successfully prospected 7 new bioscience companies into the industrial partnership facility
- Boosted client satisfaction by identifying and addressing their specific needs through tailored business solutions.
Senior Bioscience Consultant
MRSB Consulting Services
01.2007 - 01.2009
- Responsible for the successful administration, management and execution of the biotech and life science related engagements for a very active Chartered Accounting firm
- Provided senior consultant leadership and strategic guidance to a variety of public, private and academic clients in the areas of business development, commercialization of scientific innovation, government policy, stakeholder relations, IP management and strategic partnering
Life Sciences Associate
Inverness Capital Corp.
01.2002 - 01.2005
- Conducted business development, market research, scientific and technology due diligence activities for early-stage life science investment opportunities for an independent financial advisory firm
- Guided portfolio companies through product development, technology validation, scale up and go-to-market strategies
Product Development Director
Genetic Diagnostics Inc.
01.2001 - 01.2003
- Managed a multidisciplinary team of engineers, software developers, scientists, clinical and business professionals through pre-commercial development and third party clinical validation at Mt
- Sinai Hospital in Toronto of a DNA hybridization-based genetic diagnostic platform
- Reported directly to the CEO, with responsibility for business strategy and analysis, competitive product intelligence, contract negotiation and management, partnering and relationship management
Chief Scientific Officer
Across Continent Technologies
01.1999 - 01.2001
- Led an e-health startup from whiteboard concept to first commercial application, raised private and public funding ($2M) to support development and launch
- Recruited and led 18-member multidisciplinary clinical research team investigating the effectiveness of digital interactive interface technologies for application in the rehabilitation of spinal cord injured patients
Senior Policy Advisor
Federal Government of Canada
01.1998 - 01.2000
- Provided project management services to the Canadian Biotechnology Task Force, the Life Sciences Branch of Industry Canada and Health Canada
- Coordinated interagency efforts to streamline processes and reduce redundancies while preserving core mandates/functions of each involved department
- Assembled a 35-member international science think tank evaluating regulatory frameworks for emerging biotechnologies that led to the formation of a two-year funded secretariat at Harvard University and the Hastings Center
Education
Post Graduate - Software Development & Project Management
Applied Information Technology
Ottawa, ONMaster of Medicine - Neuroscience & Pharmacology
Memorial University
St. John’s, NFBachelor of Science - Biology And Psychology
Mount Allison University
Sackville, NBSkills
- Visionary Leadership
- Innovation & Creativity
- Strategic Planning
- Research & Development
- Operational Excellence
- Brand & Product Development
- Budgeting & Financial Management
- Customer Focus
- Organizational Growth
- Partnership Development
- International Market Development
- Effective Communicator & Public Speaking
Community Service
- Tandem Bike Pilot, ParaSport PEI & CNIB
- Moderator/Advisor, Entrepreneur’s Forum, Charlottetown, PE
- Volunteer, Habitat for Humanity- Global Village Program, Guatemala, Costa Rica
- Member, Multiple Sclerosis Society
- Basketball Coach, Stratford Minor Basketball, PE
Advisoryboardmembership
- Scotian Cannabis Alliance, Halifax, NS
- M-Institute, Toronto, ON
- European Food Venture Forum, Aarhus, Denmark
- AgriFoodTech, Budapest, Hungary
- TechAccess Canada, Ottawa
- BIOTECanada, Ottawa, ON
- Atlantic Food & Beverage Association, Moncton, NB
- Science Atlantic, Halifax, NS
- ADAPT Council, Charlottetown, PE
- Agri-Axis, California
- SIFF Capital, Fredericton, NB
- Social Accessibility Network, Halifax, NS
Languages
English
Native or Bilingual
French
Professional Working
Timeline
President
Truro Cannabis
01.2023 - 01.2024
Chief Executive/Innovation Officer
Kapoose Creek Bio
01.2021 - 01.2023
Chief Product Innovation Officer
Auxly
01.2018 - 01.2021
Founder
idea2market
01.2012 - Current
Chief Executive Officer
Canada’s Smartest Kitchen
01.2012 - 01.2018
Business Development Officer
NRC Institute for Nutrisciences and Health
01.2009 - 01.2012
Senior Bioscience Consultant
MRSB Consulting Services
01.2007 - 01.2009
Life Sciences Associate
Inverness Capital Corp.
01.2002 - 01.2005
Product Development Director
Genetic Diagnostics Inc.
01.2001 - 01.2003
Chief Scientific Officer
Across Continent Technologies
01.1999 - 01.2001
Senior Policy Advisor
Federal Government of Canada
01.1998 - 01.2000
Post Graduate - Software Development & Project Management
Applied Information Technology
Master of Medicine - Neuroscience & Pharmacology
Memorial University
Bachelor of Science - Biology And Psychology
Mount Allison University
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