News Release Details

Ascend Wellness Holdings (AWH) is a leader in the cannabis industry, providing quality products and services to its customers. With a team of experienced and dedicated professionals, the company has achieved impressive growth and success. The company has a strong leadership team with a wealth of experience and expertise spanning various industries and fields. In this article, we will introduce you to Ascend CEO and other executives who drive the success of AWH Holdings.

Abner Kurtin, Founder and Executive Chairman

Abner Kurtin is the Executive Chairman and Founder of AWH. He is also the Portfolio Manager for JM10 Partners Fund. Mr. Kurtin has over 20 years of experience in managing opportunity capital, including founding K Capital Partners, a multibillion-dollar hedge fund, and Ca2 Group, a high-end real estate development firm. He is a graduate of Harvard Business School and has a BA from Tufts University.

Frank Perullo, President, Co-Founder, and Interim Co-CEO

Frank Perullo serves as the Interim Co-CEO, President, & Co-Founder of AWH. Under his leadership, AWH has achieved impressive growth and success. Mr. Perullo spent his first three years at Ascend as Chief Strategy Officer, where he spearheaded the company’s real estate expansion strategy. He is a founder of Novus Group and Sage Systems, a leading provider of web-based data management software.

Daniel Neville, CFO and Interim Co-CEO

Daniel Neville is Interim Co- CEO and CFO of AWH. Before joining AWH, he worked at SLS Capital, a special situations hedge fund based in New York, and as an investment banker at Credit Suisse in the Technology Group. Mr. Neville holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Duke University. Mr. Neville led the Company through the financial aspects of the IPI, secured $65 million in subsequent debt financings, and has provided best-in-class reporting and disclosure for the Company.

Christopher Melillo, CRO

Christopher Melillo serves as the Chief Revenue Officer for AWH. He has over 20 years of experience in retail leadership and store operations, including former roles at Curaleaf, Nike North America, and DTLR/Villa. Mr. Melillo has optimized AWH’s retail stores and is a key contributor to the Company achieving $15 million in revenue per year per dispensary, the highest in the industry.

David Gacom, COO

David Gacom is the Chief Operating Officer of AWH, reporting to Frank Perullo. He has more than 23 years of experience in sales, operations, marketing, supply chain, and commercialization, both in the cannabis and food and beverage industries. He holds an MBA from Kellogg’s Executive Management Program and a BBA in Marketing and Management Information Systems from the University of Notre Dame. He has held progressive leadership roles at Kraft Foods, PepsiCo, and Deloitte.

Brian Miesieski, CBO

Brian Miesieski joined Ascend in 2022 as Chief Brand Officer. He is a 24-year CPG brand marketing veteran, having worked for industry powerhouses such as AB-InBev and Diageo. He was the CMO for SweetWater Brewing Company, leading transformational change and extending the company’s footprint to 42 states.

Robin Debiase, CPO

Robin Debiase joined AWH as Chief People Officer in March 2021. She leads the people team and strategy for the company. Prior to joining AWH, she was VP of HR at Weight Watchers and Head of HR for Delta Galil Industries.

In conclusion, AWH has a strong leadership team with extensive experience and expertise in their respective fields. With such a talented leadership team, AWH is poised for continued growth and success in the future.