Meet the team!

CEO & Chairman of the Board of Directors

Kingsley has 30+ years of experience in private equity investments. He's Chairman of VRGII and a Managing Partner at VRG Capital, and serves as Chairman of Clarus Securities Inc. He's involved in various private and public companies and has been active in YPO since 1999. Kingsley supports healthcare-related charities and serves as a Director and former Co-Chair of Capitalize for Kids (C4K), a top investor conference for children's mental health.

Director & Strategic Advisor

Paul is CPG expert with over 30 years working globally for the Kellogg company. He most recently served as President North America ($9b in revenue), and prior to that led Kellogg international. Over the years, he has led major M&A initiatives from selection to post integration.

Director & Strategic Advisor

Presently, Richard Kellam is President, Chief Executive Officer & Director at Data Communications Management Corp. He joined the board of Simply Better Brands in May of 2023. In the past he held the positions such as Chief Executive Officer for The Advantage Group International, Inc., Chief Global Customer Officer at Mars, Inc., Vice President Marketing at Molson Breweries . and Senior Vice President-Global Sales & Marketing at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.

Director

Michael is principal at ALOE Finance, a Toronto based boutique transaction firm focused on the small/mid cap public markets space. He has quarterbacked numerous go public and M&A transactions across various industries operating globally and acts a director for public companies. Michael is a CPA.

Chief Financial Officer

Performance driven executive with over 25 years of experience in operations and finance. His career include leadership roles with TELUS, GLG, and number of startup companies. Brian joined as CFO PureKana January 2019.

Brian holds ‎CPA (CMA) and CFA designations as well as an international MBA.

Brock has over 30 years of financial sector experience, starting with the Royal Bank of Canada. He currently serves as a Managing Partner at VRG Capital and sits on the investment committee of a multi-billion dollar private debt fund. He holds degrees in Economics from the University of Ottawa and the Université de Paris-Sorbonne and is a CPA. Brock has received prestigious awards, including the Governor General of Canada Award in 2004 and induction into the University of Ottawa Football Hall of Fame in 2019. He holds directorships at the Toronto Hunt and is a Life Member of the Tokyo American Club.

Erica Groussman is an emerging figure in the wellness industry, serving as the co-founder and CEO of TRUBAR, a company focused on producing natural and clean nutrition bars with flavors reminiscent of classic desserts. Through her leadership, TRUBAR not only offers indulgent treats but also aims to empower women and families to live healthier lifestyles.

Previous to founding TRUBAR, Erica was the founder and CEO of Little skins, a company that provides natural patch and ointment treatments for children’s skin issues. Her motivation for founding both businesses stems from her dedication to her family and her commitment to total wellness.

St. John is an investor and business advisor with a wealth of experience as CEO of some of the world’s leading advertising firms. St. John formerly served as CEO of BBDO in The Americas and was a member of Omnicom's European Board, overseeing many of BBDO's European agencies. He also founded Omnicom's global e-commerce practice, Molecular, and BBDO's first social platform agency, Dobbino. Earlier in his career, St. John managed Omnicom's relationship with Mars Inc. for nearly ten years, during which Mars grew to become one of Omnicom's largest and most creatively awarded global clients. Additionally, St. John is a United Nations UNDP Steering Committee Member of The Lions Share, a charity focused on wildlife rehabilitation.