Up Cannabis Boosts Sales and Marketing Teams with Veteran Hires including VP Marketing and VP Sales

TORONTO, May 01, 2018 - Newstrike Resources Ltd. (TSX-V:HIP) ("Newstrike" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Up Cannabis Inc. (“Up Cannabis”), has strengthened its senior management ranks with the appointments of industry veterans Liesbeth Teerink as Vice President, Marketing and Peter Kirkwood as Vice President, Sales. The additions of Teerink and Kirkwood, both of whom bring decades’ worth of leadership and experience in their respective fields, point to the company’s continued focus on building a recognizable, consumer-driven brand and a sales strategy designed with varying provincial supply and distribution models foremost in mind.


Growing the Best Adult-Use Cannabis Brand in Canada

Jay Wilgar, CEO of Newstrike and Up Cannabis, said the appointments bolster a sales and marketing team that is already poised for top-of-mind awareness when the adult-use cannabis market is launched with legalization. “We are thrilled to have the professional caliber that Liesbeth and Peter bring to Up Cannabis,” he said. “Building beloved brands and achieving significant sales targets is clearly in their respective wheelhouses. As we get closer to the launch of Canada’s legalized adult-use cannabis market, Up Cannabis continues to position itself as a clear leader in sales and marketing.”

Teerink, who will oversee Up Cannabis’ creative brand strategy and execution, brings a wealth of diverse experience from past roles such as Creative and SVP at LAUNCH!, a division of CIM (now Mosaic / Acosta), one of Canada’s largest experiential and promotional marketing agencies. Her clients included world class brands including PepsiCo, Microsoft, Loblaws, OLG, Revlon and Parmalat Canada. Her international experience includes having worked as an award-winning Creative Director and Partner at the Mexican-based advertising firm EINSTEIN dAdO, where she counted clients such as Ford, Absolut Vodka and Jose Cuervo. Prior to this, Teerink held the position of Regional Director of Strategic Planning for Saatchi & Saatchi Middle East, working on ground-breaking campaigns for clients such as Procter & Gamble. Most recently, Teerink served as CMO and co-founder at Karma Casting, a national brand ambassador staffing and software agency. Her entrepreneurial spirit also drove her to create and market her own brand of yoga products for children under the Yogaga brand.

Kirkwood joins Up Cannabis after almost two decades working in the consumer beverage alcohol industry, where he served most recently as VP Sales at Ontario-based Kirkwood Diamond Canada (KDC). His role at Up Cannabis will include oversight and execution of all sales and distribution plans, demand planning, supply chain management, go-to-market strategy, and helping drive the company’s strategic sales direction in partnership with provincial regulators across the country. At KDC, Kirkwood directed a national sales force, set performance standards and benchmarks to measure sales effectiveness, and liaised frequently with provincial liquor boards to provide insight on market and category trends—all with an eye towards growing the company’s bottom line sales numbers.

Both Teerink and Kirkwood will report to Jean Richer, Up Cannabis’ SVP, Sales & Marketing. “Both Peter and Liesbeth bring tremendous Sales and Marketing expertise to our team, along with unparalleled experience in continuously and successfully steering revenue growth and profits, and launching new brands and creative campaigns. We are thrilled to welcome this level of talent to Up Cannabis,” said Richer.


About Newstrike and Up Cannabis

Newstrike is the parent company of Up Cannabis Inc., a licensed producer of cannabis that is licensed to both cultivate and sell cannabis in all acceptable forms. Up Cannabis is in turn the parent company of Up Cannabis Niagara Inc. Newstrike, through Up Cannabis and together with select strategic partners, including Canada’s iconic musicians The Tragically Hip, is developing a diverse network of high quality cannabis brands. For more information, visit http://www.up.ca or http://www.newstrike.ca


Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Newstrike to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to Newstrike’s expectations with respect to the legalization, marketing and branding of cannabis. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “estimates”, “intends”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain action s, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release. Since forward-looking statements and information address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties.

Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this release and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date.

Newstrike does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by us or on our behalf, except as required by applicable law.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.



For further information or to request an interview, please contact:

PM Rendon, Director, Communications & Public Relations
Up Cannabis Inc.
365-773-5432
pm@up.ca