Beleave Announces Board and Management Refresh

TORONTO, Feb. 19, 2019 /CNW/ - Beleave (CSE: BE) (OTCQX: BLEVF) ("Beleave" or the "Company") is excited to announce a refresh of its Board of Directors with the appointment of three new Independent Directors and one Inside Director to enhance the Company's focus on governance, and emerging and capital markets.  The newly appointed Independent Directors are:

James (Jim) Wasserstrom: A native of New York, Jim has extensive international experience and expertise in governance, compliance and internal control. Jim spent the early part of his career in various corporate capacities, including as a global partnerships executive for American Express Travel Related Services.  In 2002, Jim led the United Nations operation overseeing Kosovo's public utilities representing $4 billion in assets transforming many into modern and profitable businesses.  From 2009-2014, Mr. Wasserstrom led the US effort to combat corruption for the United States Government in Afghanistan, engaging extensively with the military, and international organizations and governments. Jim has participated in a variety of boards and committees worldwide, predominantly focused on governance and transparency.

Andrew Steane: With over 25 years of software industry experience, Mr. Steane has extensive experience in sales, marketing, operations and governance with industry giants such as Microsoft and SAP as well as start-ups.   Working with legal and compliance teams, he has co-authored global policy documents and managed governance processes for multi-million-dollar marketing budgets including spend controls and measurement.  In addition, Mr. Steane has led sales operations for a software business in excess of $800 million in revenue, identifying key business trends used to set strategic direction across a global organization. He has directed cross-functional teams to build software tools required to support global KPI adoption.  A creative and strategic thinker, Mr. Steane consistently manages positive change via process, product and people to produce sustainable impact.  He holds an Honors B.A. from York University in Toronto.

Jason Wuttunee: Mr. Wuttunee is a Crown prosecutor in Alberta who has conducted major litigation and prosecuted the entire spectrum of complex criminal matters, including regulatory and financial offences. He has argued numerous times before the Alberta Court of Appeal and was counsel on a precedent-setting case before the Supreme Court of Canada.  Previously, Mr. Wuttunee litigated commercial disputes and advised clients respecting employment, human rights, fraud recovery, and general litigation matters with a national firm in Calgary.   Mr. Wuttunee co-founded and was a director of a successful non-profit society aimed at providing support and services for Indigenous youth living in Calgary.  In 2009, he attended the Vatican with the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations and a delegation of residential school survivors for an audience with Pope Benedict XVI. The delegation's mandate was to seek reconciliation and an apology for harms inflicted during the Indian residential schools legacy in Canada. Mr. Wuttunee is a member of the Red Pheasant First Nation in Saskatchewan.

The following Inside Director will be joining the Board effective immediately:

Kevin Keagan:  Mr. Keagan brings over 25 years experience in capital markets and financial services to provide oversight to the operation, expansion, and direction of Beleave's communications and capital markets initiatives.  Having spent over 13 years as Head of Equity Trading at two of the largest asset managers in Canada, Mr. Keagan offers unique insight to the inner workings of investment decision-making process and has developed a close working relationship with broker dealers and investment managers on a global scale. Mr. Keagan was a member of the International Trader Forum advisory committee, and was a board member of both the Canadian Securities Trader Association and Institutional Equity Trader Association. He holds the CIM designation.

The new Directors will join Executive Chairman Vasilios (Bill) Panagiotakopoulos and Chief Science Officer Roger Ferreira who will continue to serve on the Board.  Mr. Panagiotakopoulos was an early mover in Canada's cannabis sector and has contributed significantly to successfully navigating the regulatory framework to obtain a cannabis production and sales license. Dr. Ferreira leads Beleave's science and innovation program, which has resulted in the development of novel and proprietary methods for extraction/purification of cannabinoid compounds, and methods for soluble cannabinoid formulations for cannabis food and drug development.

Mr. Andrew Wnek, Bojan Krasic, Mark Miles, and Mark Heselton have resigned as directors, with Mr. Wnek and Mr. Krasic also resigning from their respective CEO and CFO roles, effective immediately. Mr. Panagiotakopoulos was appointed by the Board to serve as CEO, with Mr. Keagan being appointed to take on the role of interim CFO until such time as a permanent CFO is selected.  Beleave would like to thank all of the departing directors for their service.

ABOUT BELEAVE INC.

Beleave is an ISO certified, Canadian cannabis company headquartered in the Greater Toronto Area that cultivates high-quality cannabis flower, oil and extracts for medical and recreational markets.  Beleave is fully-licenced to cultivate and sell medical and recreational cannabis and is leading the way through research partnerships with universities to develop pharma-grade extracts and derivatives. Beleave is developing new product lines, including cannabis-infused powder and sugar products for 2019 as the recreational market is expected to allow for food and beverage-based cannabis products.  Beleave has developed a network of medical cannabis clinics in Ontario and Quebec under the Medi- Green banner. Through its majority ownership of Procannmed S.A.S., Beleave is fully licensed to cultivate, produce, and extract medical cannabis in Colombia positioning it to capitalize on exports and the expanding Latin American market. The Company has partnered with Canymed GmbH to supply the German market with medical cannabis.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law ("forward-looking statements"). The use of any of the words "plan", "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "should", "believe" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur are intended to identify forward-looking information. These statements are only predictions. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking information addresses future events and conditions, by its very nature it involves inherent risks and uncertainties. This information speaks only as of the date of this news release. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks including various risk factors discussed in the Company's disclosure documents, which can be found under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com.

SOURCE Beleave Inc.

Investor Relations Contact: Kevin Keagan, Phone : [phone] - 7352, Email : [email protected]; Media Relations Contact: Grant McLeod, Phone : [phone] - 3401, Email : [email protected]