22ND CENTURY - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board of Directors
• Director Read Bio
• Member of Our Board of Directors

Anthony Johnson was appointed as a member of our Board of Directors in August 2021, serving on our Scientific Advisory and Compensation Committees. Anthony is co-founder, President, and CEO of Kodikaz Therapeutic Solutions, a next-generation non-viral gene therapy company. He is also a founding partner of Buffalo Biosciences, a life science strategic business management firm that supports the evaluation and commercialization of bioscience technologies from concept to market. Previously he was president and CEO of Empire Genomics, where he transformed a concept formed at a university lab into a preeminent oncology molecular diagnostic testing enterprise. He also served as the business leader of the stem cell and regenerative medicine franchise for Thermo Fisher (Invitrogen Corporation). Anthony has leveraged his business experience and numerous board positions to mentor technology startups and entrepreneurs, spur state and local job creation, and introduce STEM curriculum into early childhood education. He is an Aspen Institute Health Innovation Fellow and member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, and he currently serves on the board of the WNED/PBS broadcasting service of Western New York. Johnson is a founding board member of the Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative, which works to create positive change in the lives of low-income youth of color. Additionally, he serves as Michigan Street African-American Heritage Corridor Commissioner and was an Opportunities Council member for University of Buffalo. He holds an MBA from Manchester Business School, Manchester, UK, with an emphasis in international strategy, and a BA in biology from Fisk University, Nashville, TN.

Job Titles:

• Chief Scientific Officer Read Bio
• Group As Our Chief Scientific Officer

Calvin Treat joined 22nd Century Group as our Chief Scientific Officer in May 2022. Prior to joining 22nd Century Group, Dr. Treat served as Senior Vice President and Head of Crop Technology at Bayer where he oversaw more than $2 billion in R&D spending dedicated to seeds, traits, and crop protection while also driving tailored solutions to meet grower needs. Prior to Bayer, Dr. Treat was the technology lead for Monsanto's global corn and soy crops, where he merged the soy and corn technology teams to garner synergies across the platforms. While part of the Monsanto teams, he was involved in the launches of multiple technologies including Roundup Ready 2 Yield® soybeans, Intacta® RR2 Pro soybeans in South America, and Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybean technology across North America, one of Monsanto's largest and most complex trait launches. His additional roles at Monsanto included global corn technology lead, global oilseeds technology lead and global soybean breeding lead, among others. Dr. Treat has a doctorate in plant breeding and plant genetics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an executive MBA from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, a Master of Science in Agronomy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Economics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board of Directors
• Director Read Bio
• Member of Our Board of Directors

Dr. Michael Koganov was appointed as a member of our Board of Directors in September 2020, serving as the Chair of our Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee and as a member of our Finance Committee. Dr. Koganov is recognized as a leading expert in the development of natural products using plant biotechnology and has achieved considerable accomplishments in physico-chemistry, biochemistry, bioelectrochemistry, and biotechnology. He is credited with developing Electro-Membrane technology for the comprehensive processing of plants to produce protein concentrates and secondary metabolites. Dr. Koganov co-founded IBT LLC, which developed the proprietary and sustainable Zeta Fraction™ technology that selectively isolates efficacious components from living plants and marine sources to produce a wide range of biofunctional ingredients. After the award-winning technology was acquired by AkzoNobel and then Ashland Global Holdings Inc., Dr. Koganov directed the research, product development, and commercialization of patented multifunctional bioactive Zeta Fractions that are used as key, signature ingredients in numerous products of global companies in the OTC and personal care spaces; and various synergistic compositions of Zeta Fractions obtained from living plants from twelve major plant families. He is the President and Co-Founder of Intellebio LLC, a consulting and testing firm focused on the development of novel technologies, advanced test methods, and breakthrough products in the life science field. Dr. Koganov received his Master of Science degree in Biochemistry from the State University, Dnipropetrovsk, USSR; his Ph.D. in Bioelectrochemistry from Institute of Chemical Technology, Dnipropetrovsk, USSR; and Full Doctor of Sciences (Sc.D.) degree in biotechnology from the Higher Attestation Commission of the USSR's Council of Ministers. He has written more than 70 publications, secured over 100 granted patents, and is the author of two books.

Job Titles:

• Chief Executive Officer
• Member of the Board of Directors
• Member of the Leadership Team
• Chief Executive Officer Read Bio

James A. Mish was appointed Chief Executive Officer in June 2020. He has an outstanding track record of delivering profitable growth at both privately-held and publicly-traded science-driven companies with a focus on pharmaceutical and consumer products commercialization. Prior to joining 22nd Century, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Purisys, a synthetic cannabinoid API, ingredients and solutions provider to pharmaceutical and consumer products companies, and Noramco, a global leader in the production of controlled substances for the pharmaceutical industry. There, he led the private equity carve out of Noramco from Johnson & Johnson/Janssen Pharmaceuticals and spearheaded the subsequent creation and spinoff of Purisys from Noramco. James began his career at Pfizer in research and development before holding positions of increasing responsibility at several companies including as President of Ashland Specialty Ingredients - Consumer Specialties, a major division of Ashland Corporation, a premier, global specialty materials company serving customers in a wide range of consumer and industrial markets.

Job Titles:

• Group As Our Vice President of Regulatory Science
• Vice President of Regulatory Science Read Bio

John Pritchard joined 22nd Century Group as our Vice President of Regulatory Science in April 2019. Prior to that time, John was the Head of Regulatory Science for Imperial Brands, where he led that company's technical regulatory strategy and external scientific engagement on global product regulation. Before joining Imperial Brands, he was a Toxicologist with both the U.K. Health Protection Agency (now, Public Health England) and Charles River, a leading global contract research organization for the pharmaceutical industry. John received a Master of Science Degree in Toxicology from the University of Birmingham, England and his Bachelor of Science Degree with honors in Pharmacology from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.

Job Titles:

• Chief Administrative Officer
• Chief Administrative Officer Read Bio

John Franzino was appointed Chief Administrative Officer in November 2021 and previously served as the Company's Chief Financial Officer from June 2020. He has a successful track record of strategic financial leadership in high-growth, highly regulated, consumer-facing industries as well as not-for-profit higher education organizations. Most recently, Franzino served as Chief Financial Officer of the West Point Association of Graduates, which supports the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Prior to his experience in higher education, he served as Chief Financial Officer of Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, a subsidiary of Reynolds American, Inc., and as Chief Financial Officer of Labatt USA, a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch. In both roles, he was responsible for the financial planning and control function as well as information systems and technology. John is a certified public accountant and holds a Master of Business Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Maine at Farmington.

Job Titles:

• President of 22nd Century 's Tobacco Business
• President, Tobacco Business Read

Mr. Miller was appointed President of 22nd Century's Tobacco Business in September 2022. Prior to joining 22nd Century Group, Mr. Miller was the President and CEO of Swisher International, Inc., a 160-year-old leading lifestyle brands company that is the largest manufacturer and exporter of cigars and smokeless tobacco products in America. Mr. Miller joined Swisher in November of 2012 as Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing, was promoted to President in 2017 and named CEO in March 2021. Mr. Miller's experience also includes more than 20 years in various management positions at US Smokeless Tobacco Co. As Regional Vice President, he had direct oversight and responsibility for all sales, planning and operations for key brands in the Western United States. US Smokeless Tobacco Co. was acquired by Altria in 2009. Mr. Miller holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from UNLV and earned an MBA from Pepperdine University, The George L. Graziadio School of Business Management.

Job Titles:

• Vice President of Research and Development Read Bio

Juan Sanchez Tamburrino was appointed Vice President of Research and Development in December 2017. Following six years of post-doctoral research at the Rockefeller University in New York, Dr. Tamburrino served as a Director/Associate Professor of the Biotechnology Center for Arid Zones in South America before becoming the Research Manager for agronomic traits at Pioneer Hi-Bred International (now known as DuPont Pioneer). In 2009, Dr. Tamburrino was appointed the head of the Plant Biotechnology Division of British American Tobacco in Cambridge, England, where he was responsible for biotechnology strategy related to tobacco leaf, including harm reduction and trait innovation programs. Dr. Tamburrino holds a Ph.D. degree in molecular biology and genetics from the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences at Cornell University, a partnership program with the Sloan Kettering Cancer Research Institute, and in 2020 he received his Master of Business Administration at the University of Bradford in Bradford, U.K.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board of Directors
• Director Read Bio
• Member of Our Board of Directors

Lucille S. Salhany was appointed as a member of our Board of Directors in September 2021, serving on the Corporate Governance and Nominating and Finance committees. Lucille is currently President and CEO of her own consulting company, JHMedia. She was also one of the founding partners of Echo Bridge Entertainment and CEO & President of LifeFX Networks, Inc. Prior to this, she served as Chairperson of the Twentieth Television division of Fox, and was appointed the first woman in history to head a major television network when she accepted the Chairmanship of Fox Broadcasting. After chairing Fox, Salhany accepted the post of Chief Executive Officer and President of United Paramount Network (UPN), launching and growing UPN to become the fifth major broadcast network. She also served on the Board of Directors for Echo Bridge Entertainment, Compaq / Hewlett-Packard, Fox, Inc., Avid Technologies, and American Media, Inc. Lucille was also a trustee of Emerson College and Lasell College, where she received Honorary Doctorates.

Job Titles:

• Investor Contacts

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board of Directors
• Chairman of the Board since January 2020
• Director & Chairperson of the Board Read Bio

Nora B. Sullivan has served as Chairperson of the Board since January 2020, and as a director since May 2015. Nora is currently President of Sullivan Capital Partners, LLC, a financial services company providing investment banking and consulting services to closely held businesses, focusing on deal structure, due diligence, strategic planning, and governance matters. Prior to founding Sullivan Capital Partners in 2004, Sullivan worked for Citigroup Private Bank from 2000 to 2004, providing wealth management and private equity services to high-net-worth individuals. From 1995 to 1999, she was Executive Vice President of Rand Capital Corporation (NASDAQ: RAND), a publicly traded closed-end investment management company providing capital and managerial expertise to small and mid-size businesses. Nora is a member of the Board of Directors of Evans Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE American: EVBN), Robinson Home Products, and Rosina Food Products. She is Vice Chair of the Investment Committee and member of the Board of Directors of the Patrick P Lee Foundation, Chairperson of the Technology Transfer Committee and member of the Investment Committee of the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, and a member of the SUNY Cortland College Foundation Board. She holds an MBA degree in Finance and International Business from Columbia University Graduate School of Business and a JD degree from the University of Buffalo School of Law.

Job Titles:

• Chief Legal Officer
• General Counsel
• Secretary
• Chief Legal Officer Read Bio

Mr. Ferola was promoted to the position of Chief Legal Officer in February 2023. Mr. Ferola has served as our General Counsel and Secretary since November 2022. Mr. Ferola has over 30 years of progressive leadership experience in business management, legal affairs and corporate governance. Most recently, he served as Project Counsel in Greenberg Traurig LLP's corporate securities group. From 2011 to 2020 he served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel at BioTelemetry, Inc. (NASDAQ: BEAT). From 2009 to 2011, Mr. Ferola served as Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Nipro Diagnostics, Inc. (formerly Home Diagnostics, Inc., NASDAQ: HDIX). Prior to joining Home Diagnostics, Mr. Ferola worked as a corporate and securities attorney with Greenberg Traurig, LLP and with Dilworth Paxson, LLP in Washington, D.C., focusing on mergers, acquisitions, public securities offerings and corporate governance matters. From 1989 to 2002, Mr. Ferola worked in executive management roles for an American Stock Exchange listed company, most recently serving as Vice President-Administration and Corporate Secretary, overseeing the company's administrative functions, legal matters and investor relations. Mr. Ferola earned a Bachelor of Science and Juris Doctor degree from Nova Southeastern University and a Master of Laws in Securities and Financial Regulation from Georgetown University Law Center. Mr. Ferola has authored numerous articles on corporate and securities laws, with a particular focus on audit committees and regulations implemented in the wake of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Mr. Ferola also serves as a FINRA arbitrator and a panelist on the NASDAQ Listing Qualifications Panel.

Job Titles:

• Chief Financial Officer
• Member of the Leadership Team
• Chief Financial Officer Read Bio

R. Hugh Kinsman was appointed our Chief Financial Officer in June 2022. He was previously CFO of GVB, which 22nd Century acquired in May 2022. Hugh has extensive experience as a senior executive in roles ranging from acting CFO of a publicly-traded battery manufacturer with operations in the U.S., Switzerland, and Italy to the CFO of West World Media, a private data aggregation company that was acquired for $60 million. He also worked at GE Capital where he oversaw over a billion dollars in infrastructure, energy, and communications investments. He began his career at Asher & Company, CPAs (now BDO) and has held a Certified Public Accountant designation. He earned his B.S. in Finance from Penn State University and his MBA from Cornell University.

Job Titles:

• Director
• Member of the Board of Directors
• Director Read Bio

Richard M. Sanders has served as a director since December 2013. Since August 2009, he has served as a General Partner of Phase One Ventures, LLC, a venture capital firm which focuses on nanotechnology and biotechnology start-up opportunities in New Mexico and surrounding states. From January 2002 until June 2009, Richard served as President and CEO of Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company (SFNTC), a division of Reynolds American, Inc., which manufactures and markets the Natural American Spirit cigarette brand. During his 7-year tenure as head of SFNTC, Sanders tripled Natural American Spirit's market share and SFNTC's operating earnings and directed the successful expansion of Natural American Spirit into international markets in Western Europe and Asia. Prior to directing SFNTC's spectacular growth, he worked for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company where he began his career as a marketing assistant in 1977. From 1987 to 2002 he served in a wide spectrum of executive positions including, among others, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Vice President of Strategic Development. A native of Minneapolis, Richard earned a BS degree in political science from Hamline University in St. Paul and an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

Job Titles:

• Group As Our Vice President of Marketing
• Vice President of Marketing Read Bio

Sebastian Ravitz joined 22nd Century Group as our Vice President of Marketing in January 2023. Prior to 22nd Century, he served as the Chief Marketing Officer of GVB Biopharma (acquired by 22nd Century Group in May of 2022) since 2019. Before GVB, Ravitz ran his digital marketing agency, Loudley. Loudley's clients included Live Nation, Electric Family, and Chinese E-Commerce giant JD.com. Before launching Loudley, he had joined the founding team of Trendy Butler, a men's subscription clothing platform utilizing machine learning to automate style picking. Sebastian has extensive experience operating in highly regulated advertising markets.

Job Titles:

• Group As General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
• Head of Hemp / Cannabis Business Development Read Bio

Steven Przybyla joined 22nd Century Group as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary in July 2020. Prior to joining 22nd Century, Steven served as President of the Medical Division at Jushi, Inc., a publicly traded, global cannabis and hemp company, where he led a variety of regulatory, legislative affairs, and strategic planning initiatives to advance Jushi's medical cannabis and industrial hemp businesses. Steven also previously served as General Counsel for the Dent Neurologic Group, LLP and Seneca Development Corporation. He holds a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Washington and Lee University.