High Tide Announces Appointment of Two New Directors, and Appointment of Two Advisors with Focus on Real Estate and Artificial Intelligence
Rhea-AI Summary
High Tide (Nasdaq: HITI) announced board renewal effective March 2, 2026, naming Kathleen Skerrett and Menashe Kestenbaum as directors and adding David Wallach and Filip Ernest to the advisory board.
The company granted 123,558 RSUs and 25,000 options at a $3.43 strike for three years to directors, advisors and consultants, and highlighted retail scale (219 Canadian locations, ~12% domestic share) and expanded tech/AI and real estate expertise.
Positive
- Board additions add securities, governance and dual-listing expertise
- Advisors appointed bring real estate and AI/e-commerce capabilities
- Grants of 123,558 RSUs and 25,000 options align insiders with long-term value
- Retail scale of 219 Canadian locations and a ~12% domestic market share
Negative
- Dilution risk from 123,558 RSUs and 25,000 options outstanding at $3.43 strike
- Management transition with two director resignations may create short-term governance adjustments
News Market Reaction – HITI
In the Mar 3 session, HITI declined 0.79%, reflecting a mild negative market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 09 | Store opening & equity grants | Positive | +3.0% | New Scarborough store opening and sizable option and RSU grants. |
| Jan 29 | Earnings results | Positive | -8.2% | Record Q4 and fiscal 2025 revenue and adjusted EBITDA metrics. |
| Jan 09 | Earnings date announcement | Neutral | -0.8% | Notification of timing for Q4 and full-year 2025 results release. |
| Dec 23 | Year recap & milestones | Positive | +0.0% | Recap of 2025 growth, store expansion, and membership metrics. |
| Dec 22 | Conference participation | Positive | +1.1% | ICR Conference participation and investor meetings announcement. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Recent news often drew modestly positive or flat reactions, while strong financial results on Jan 29, 2026 coincided with a notable selloff, indicating occasional negative reactions to good earnings.
Over the last few months, High Tide has highlighted record fiscal 2025 revenue and adjusted EBITDA on Jan 29, 2026, expanded its Canna Cabana network to 219 Canadian stores, and continued entering new markets like Germany via Remexian Pharma. Operational updates such as store openings and milestone recaps around late 2025 generally saw mild or neutral price reactions. Against this backdrop, the latest board and advisory appointments emphasize governance, real estate, and AI capabilities rather than immediate financial changes.
Key Terms
restricted stock units financial
options financial
omnibus plan financial
mi 61-101 regulatory
certified commercial investment member financial
artificial intelligence technical
machine learning technical
adaptive systems technical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Board Transitions
The Company announces that Nitin Kaushal and Andrea Elliott have resigned from the Board, effective March 2, 2026. On behalf of the Board and management, the Company thanks Mr. Kaushal, on the board since 2018, and Ms. Elliott, on the board since 2021, for their dedicated service and significant contributions to High Tide during a period of substantial growth and strategic development, which entailed each of them investing material time and effort to support the Company. In addition to their exemplary service as members of the Board, Mr. Kaushal served as Chair of the Audit Committee and Ms. Elliott served as Chair of the Compensation Committee.
"I want to personally thank both Nitin and Andrea for their years of service on the Board," said Raj Grover, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of High Tide. "They each played an important role during a critical chapter of High Tide's development, and we wish them well in their future endeavours."
Appointment of New Directors
The Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Kathleen Skerrett and Menashe Kestenbaum as directors of the Company, effective March 2, 2026.
"High Tide has built a strong foundation over the past several years, and every member of this Board, past and present, has contributed to getting us here. As we enter our next chapter, our needs as a company are evolving. We are now a dual-listed, international platform operating at significant scale, and our board and advisory composition must evolve to match the complexity and ambition of what lies ahead. Kathleen brings deep securities and governance expertise directly relevant to our listing structure and growth trajectory, Menashe adds proven experience scaling public technology platforms and navigating multi-exchange governance, David strengthens our strategic real estate positioning, and Filip enhances our long-term digital and AI capabilities. These appointments are a deliberate step forward to ensure High Tide has the right leadership bench for the global opportunity in front of us," added Mr. Grover.
About Kathleen Skerrett
Kathleen Skerrett is a Partner at Gardiner Robers LLP, where she practices in the areas of securities law, corporate governance, and capital markets transactions. Ms. Skerrett has extensive experience advising public companies on M&A transactions, regulatory compliance, and continuous disclosure obligations. She has particular expertise advising emerging and mid-cap issuers listed on the TSX Venture Exchange, the CSE, and NASDAQ on complex transactional and governance matters, including MI 61-101 compliance, take-over bid regulations, and cross-border securities issues. Ms. Skerrett has been recognized by Best Lawyers Canada and Chambers for her securities law expertise. She holds a law degree and B.Comm from University of
About Menashe Kestenbaum
Menashe Kestenbaum is a seasoned technology entrepreneur, industry disruptor, public company executive, and venture capital investor. Mr. Kestenbaum started off in the gaming industry, leading Enthusiast Gaming from its beginnings as a basement startup in 2015, through an IPO, to an all-time high of a
Appointment of David Wallach and Filip Ernest
The Company is also pleased to announce the appointment of David Wallach, CCIM, and Filip Ernest as a member of the Company's Advisory Board, to provide strategic guidance to management on matters including real estate, business development, artificial intelligence, e-commerce technology and community and stakeholder engagement.
About David Wallach
David Wallach is the Owner and President of Barclay Street Real Estate Ltd., a leading
About Filip Ernest
Filip Ernest is an entrepreneur and digital transformation strategist with more than two decades of experience building and scaling technology-driven businesses. His career began at the start of the commercial internet era in
Over the past 25 years, Mr. Ernest has focused on developing scalable e-commerce platforms, data-driven operating systems, and technology-enabled consumer ecosystems across international markets. He is recognized for combining long-term strategic thinking with hands-on technical execution, particularly in areas where technology reshapes traditional retail and community models.
Since 2022, Mr. Ernest has concentrated his work on artificial intelligence, machine learning, and adaptive systems, with an emphasis on integrating AI into operational workflows, customer engagement models, and decision-making frameworks. His work centers on positioning AI not as a standalone tool, but as a foundational layer within modern retail and digital enterprises.
Grant of Options and RSUs
The Company also granted an aggregate of 123,558 restricted stock units of the Company (the "RSUs") and 25,000 options of the Company (the "Options") to directors, advisory board members, and consultants of the Company. Each RSU entitles the holder to acquire one common share of the Company upon vesting. Each Option entitles the holder to acquire one common share of the Company upon vesting, at a price of
All RSUs and Options were granted in accordance with the Company's Omnibus Plan, which became effective on June 2, 2022. The common shares underlying the RSUs and Options set out above are subject to a statutory four month and one day hold period, and such further restrictions as may apply under foreign securities laws.
ABOUT HIGH TIDE
High Tide, Inc. is the leading community-grown, retail-forward cannabis enterprise engineered to unleash the full value of the world's most powerful plant. Its wholly owned subsidiary, Canna Cabana, is the second-largest cannabis retail brand globally. High Tide (HITI) is uniquely-built around the cannabis consumer, with wholly-diversified and fully-integrated operations across all components of cannabis, including:
Retail: Canna Cabana™ is the largest cannabis retail chain in
Medical Cannabis Distribution: Remexian Pharma GmbH is a leading German pharmaceutical company built for the purpose of importation and wholesale of medical cannabis products at affordable prices. Among all German medical cannabis procurers, Remexian has one of the most diverse reaches across the globe and is licensed to import from 19 countries including
High Tide consistently moves ahead of the currents, having been named one of
Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Media Inquiries
Carter
Communications and Public Affairs Advisor
High Tide Inc.
cbrownlee@hightideinc.com
403-770-3080
Investor Inquiries
Vahan Ajamian
Capital Markets Advisor
High Tide Inc.
vahan@hightideinc.com
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release may contain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Company's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. The forward-looking statements herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the future success and growth of the Company and its ability to capitalize on global opportunities. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these statements are reasonable, such statements are based on expectations, factors, and assumptions concerning future events which may prove to be inaccurate and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the Company's control, including but not limited to the risk factors discussed under the heading "Non-Exhaustive List of Risk Factors" in Schedule A to our current annual information form, and elsewhere in this press release, as such factors may be further updated from time to time in our periodic filings, available at www.sedarplus.ca and www.sec.gov, which factors are incorporated herein by reference. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results, or otherwise, or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.
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SOURCE High Tide Inc.