Cann Group, a leading manufacturer and supplier of innovative cannabis medicines, appointed Peter Koetsier as its new chief executive officer, effective 16 January 2023.
Koetsier will assume the position from Peter Crock, who will step down after an over six-year stint as the company’s CEO.
Koetsier brings to Cann more than 30 years of general management, marketing, and commercial leadership roles within global pharmaceutical companies
He previously served as head of Asia Pacific for French biopharmaceutical company Ipse, where he developed and helped implement a growth strategy that included the commercial launch of new brands.
In addition to his role as general manager of Australia/New Zealand at Ipsen, Koetsier held several senior management positions at AstraZeneca, UK, and Bristol-Myers Squibb in Europe.
Koetsier’s appointment comes after an extensive service process, which identified a number of strong candidates for the Cann CEO role, said Allan McCallum, Cann’s chairman.
“Peter is an experienced pharma industry executive with an established track record of driving strong revenue growth in complex and changing environments,” McCallum said.
Koetsier’s experience and skills are also well suited to the needs of Cann and its goals of meeting opportunities that continue to develop within the medical cannabis industry, McCallum noted.
Crock, who will be available to assist in a smooth transition, also welcomed Koetsier’s appointment.
The new CEO said he is looking forward to commencing in the new role, expressing his strong interest in new therapeutic areas and tremendous potential for medicinal cannabis.
“Cann has established a genetics and production/manufacturing base that is world-class. The opportunity, now, is to capitalise on those assets and drive profitable growth,” Koetsier said.
Koetsier holds a bachelor’s degree in science (pharmacology, immunology) and a diploma in education (science, biology) from Monash University and is a graduate of the INSEAD CEDEP General Management Program.
