Vireo Growth (VREOF) proxy: conditional board seat, CEO RSUs disclosed
Vireo Growth Inc. is soliciting proxies for its annual general and special meeting to be held virtually on May 29, 2026. Shareholders will vote to fix the Board size at six initially, increasing to seven conditional on closing of a proposed acquisition of Hawthorne (per a nonbinding MOU). The Board recommends election of six current nominees and the conditional election of Christopher J. Hagedorn upon closing. The meeting will also consider a share consolidation, appointment of Davidson & Company LLP as auditor, amendments to the Mazarakis employment agreement, and approval of equity awards to Mr. Mazarakis.
Key governance facts: record date is April 7, 2026, Multiple Voting Shares carry 100 votes each, and proxy delivery will follow SEC notice-and-access procedures.
Positive
- None.
Negative
- None.
Insights
Board change tied to Hawthorne MOU; sizable CEO awards disclosed.
The proxy seeks shareholder approval to expand the board to seven upon closing of the nonbinding MOU to acquire Hawthorne and conditionally elect Christopher Hagedorn. The MOU-based board expansion is explicitly conditional on closing and may not occur.
The disclosure details large time- and performance-vested RSU awards to the CEO (19,000,000 time‑vested and 19,000,000 performance‑vested RSUs) with vesting tied to VWAP and AEBITDA/net leverage milestones; shareholders are being asked to approve related compensation amendments. Subsequent filings will be needed to confirm closing and any accelerated vesting events.
Key Figures
Key Terms
nonbinding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regulatory
19,000,000 RSUs financial
6 month trailing, annualized, adjusted EBITDA (AEBITDA) financial
30-day VWAP market
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☒ | Preliminary Proxy Statement |
☐ | Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
☐ | Definitive Proxy Statement |
☐ | Definitive Additional Materials |
☐ | Soliciting Material Pursuant to § 240.14a-12 |

☒ | No fee required. |
☐ | Fee paid previously with preliminary materials |
☐ | Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11 |
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1. | to fix the number of directors of Vireo (the “Board”) to be elected at six initially and increasing to seven conditional on and effective upon the closing of the acquisition by Vireo of The Hawthorne Gardening Company LLC (“Hawthorne”); |
2. | to elect Kyle Kingsley, Ross Hussey, Victor Mancebo, Judd Nordquist, John Mazarakis and Michael Steiner as directors of Vireo to take office immediately following the Meeting and to elect Christopher Hagedorn as a director of Vireo to take office conditional on and effective following the closing of the acquisition of Hawthorne by Vireo, as more particularly described in the Circular; |
3. | to consider and, if thought appropriate, to pass an ordinary resolution approving a consolidation of Vireo’s outstanding Subordinate Voting Shares, Multiple Voting Shares and the super voting shares, no par value (the “Super Voting Shares”) at a ratio not less than 20-for-1 and not more than 40-for-1, with the ratio at which the consolidation would be effected to be a ratio within the range to be determined at the discretion of the Board (the “Share Consolidation”), the full text of which is set forth in Proposal 3 in the accompanying Circular; |
4. | to appoint Davidson & Company LLP as the auditor of Vireo for the ensuing year and to authorize the Board to fix their remuneration; |
5. | to consider and, if thought appropriate, to pass an ordinary resolution approving a Second Amendment to the Employment Agreement between the Company and John Mazarakis as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company (the “Second Amendment to the Mazarakis Employment Agreement”), as more fully described in the accompanying Circular (the “Employment Agreement Amendment”); |
6. | to consider and, if thought appropriate, to pass an ordinary resolution approving a distribution of securities to Mr. Mazarakis in accordance with the Second Amendment to the Mazarakis Employment Agreement, the full text of which is set forth in Proposal 6 in the accompanying Circular; and |
7. | to transact such further or other business as may properly come before the Meeting or any other adjournments or postponements thereof. |
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BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS | |||
Name: John Mazarakis | |||
Title: Chief Executive Officer and Co-Executive Chairman of the Board | |||
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PROXY STATEMENT / MANAGEMENT INFORMATION CIRCULAR | 2 | ||
NOTICE REGARDING INFORMATION | 2 | ||
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE MEETING | 3 | ||
PROPOSAL 1: FIX THE NUMBER OF DIRECTORS | 9 | ||
PROPOSAL 2: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS | 10 | ||
DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS | 12 | ||
BOARD OF DIRECTORS, COMMITTEES AND GOVERNANCE | 16 | ||
INFORMATION CONCERNING DIRECTOR COMPENSATION | 22 | ||
INFORMATION CONCERNING EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION | 23 | ||
EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION | 33 | ||
BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SHARES | 37 | ||
INDEBTEDNESS OF DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS | 38 | ||
PROPOSAL 3: APPROVAL OF SHARE CONSOLIDATION | 39 | ||
PROPOSAL 4: APPOINTMENT OF AUDITOR | 48 | ||
AUDITOR FEES | 49 | ||
REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE | 50 | ||
PROPOSAL 5: APPROVAL OF EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT PROPOSAL | 51 | ||
PROPOSAL 6: APPROVAL OF EQUITY AWARDS PURSUANT TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT | 56 | ||
OTHER BUSINESS | 57 | ||
SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS FOR THE 2027 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING | 58 | ||
HOUSEHOLDING OF MEETING MATERIALS | 59 | ||
AUDITORS, REGISTRAR AND TRANSFER AGENT | 59 | ||
INTERESTS OF INFORMED PERSONS IN MATERIAL TRANSACTIONS | 60 | ||
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS | 60 | ||
INTERESTS OF CERTAIN PERSONS IN MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON | 64 | ||
DISTRIBUTION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS | 64 | ||
APPROVAL OF THE BOARD | 64 | ||
SCHEDULE “A” — CHARTER OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE | A-1 | ||
SCHEDULE “B” — SECOND AMENDMENT TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT | B-1 | ||
This Circular includes forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts, and are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry, management’s beliefs and certain assumptions made by management, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and beyond our control. Accordingly, we caution you that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, assumptions, estimates and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. For a discussion of some of the risks and important factors that could affect Vireo’s business, operations, future results and financial condition, see “Risk Factors” in Vireo’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 17, 2026 and the Canadian Securities Authorities under Vireo’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. | ||
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1. | To fix the number of directors of Vireo to be elected at six initially and increasing to seven conditional on and effective upon the closing of the acquisition of Hawthorne by Vireo; |
2. | To elect Kyle Kingsley, Ross Hussey, Victor Mancebo, Judd Nordquist, John Mazarakis and Michael Steiner as directors of Vireo to take office immediately following the Meeting and to elect Christopher Hagedorn as a director of Vireo to take office conditional on and effective following the closing of the acquisition of Hawthorne by Vireo; |
3. | To consider and, if thought appropriate, to pass an ordinary resolution approving a consolidation of Vireo’s outstanding subordinate voting shares (the “Subordinate Voting Shares”), multiple voting shares (the “Multiple Voting Shares”) and the super voting shares (the “Super Voting Shares”), each without par value, at a ratio not less than 20-for-1 and not more than 40-for-1, with the ratio at which the consolidation would be effected to be a ratio within the range to be determined at the discretion of the Board (the “Share Consolidation”), the full text of which is set forth in Proposal 3 in this Circular; and |
4. | To appoint Davidson & Company LLP as the auditor of Vireo for the ensuing year and to authorize the Board to fix their remuneration. |
5. | To consider and, if thought appropriate, to pass an ordinary resolution approving a Second Amendment to the Employment Agreement between the Company and John Mazarakis as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company (the “Second Amendment to the Mazarakis Employment Agreement”), as more fully described in the accompanying Circular (the “Employment Agreement Amendment”). |
6. | To consider and, if thought appropriate, to pass an ordinary resolution approving a distribution of securities to Mr. Mazarakis in accordance with the Second Amendment to the Mazarakis Employment Agreement, the full text of which is set forth in Proposal 6 in this accompanying Circular. |
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• | Internet – You can vote via the internet by following the instructions on your Notice of Internet Availability or proxy card. You will need the control number on your Notice of Internet Availability or proxy card. |
• | Telephone – You can vote by telephone toll-free by following the instructions on your proxy card. You will need the control number on your Notice of Internet Availability or proxy card. |
• | Mail – If you received a printed copy of the proxy materials, you can vote by completing, signing and returning the proxy card in the envelope provided. |
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• | Executing a proxy card bearing a later date or executing a valid notice of revocation, either of the foregoing to be executed by the Registered Shareholder or the Registered Shareholder’s authorized attorney in writing, or, if the Registered Shareholder is a corporation, under its corporate seal by an officer or attorney duly authorized, and by delivering the proxy card bearing a later date to Broadridge or to Vireo’s office at 207 South 9th Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402 USA, provided that the proxy card or notice of revocation must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 27, 2026, or in the case of an adjournment or postponement, no later than 48 hours prior to the date of the postponed or adjourned meeting; |
• | Voting by proxy again by telephone or via the internet by following the instructions on your Notice of Internet Availability or proxy card; or |
• | Attending the Meeting online and voting your Vireo Shares. |
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No. | Proposal | Votes Necessary | ||||
1. | Number of Directors Proposal | Approval requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the votes cast by the holders of Vireo Shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Meeting, voting together as a single class. Abstentions and broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast and will have no effect on the outcome of the voting on the Number of Directors Proposal. | ||||
2. | Director Election Proposal | Directors are elected by a plurality of the votes cast by the holders of Vireo Shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Meeting, voting together as a single class. Withheld votes and broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast and will have no effect on the outcome of the voting on the Director Election Proposal. | ||||
3. | Share Consolidation Proposal | Approval requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the votes cast by the holders of the Subordinate Voting Shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Meeting and the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the votes cast by the holders of the Multiple Voting Shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast and will have no effect on the outcome of the voting on the Share Consolidation Proposal. | ||||
4. | Auditor Appointment Proposal | Approval requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the votes cast by the holders of Vireo Shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Meeting, voting together as a single class. Abstentions and broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast and will have no effect on the outcome of the voting on the Auditor Appointment Proposal. | ||||
5. | Employment Agreement Amendment Proposal | Approval requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the votes cast by the disinterested holders of Vireo Shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Meeting, voting together as a single class. Mr. Mazarakis is excluded from voting on the Employment Agreement Amendment Proposal. Abstentions and broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast and will have no effect on the outcome of the voting on the Employment Agreement Amendment Proposal. | ||||
6. | Approval of Equity Awards Pursuant to the Employment Agreement Proposal | Approval requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the votes cast by the disinterested holders of the Vireo Shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Meeting, voting together as a single class. Mr. Mazarakis is excluded from voting on the Approval of Equity Awards Pursuant to the Employment Agreement Proposal. Abstentions and broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast and will have no effect on the outcome of the voting on the Approval of Equity Awards Pursuant to the Employment Agreement Proposal. | ||||
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• | “FOR” fixing the number of directors on the Board to be elected at the Meeting at six initially and increasing to seven conditional on and effective upon the closing of the acquisition by Vireo of The Hawthorne Gardening Company LLC (“Hawthorne”) as set forth in Proposal 1. |
• | “FOR” the election of Kyle Kingsley, Ross Hussey, Victor Mancebo, Judd Nordquist, John Mazarakis and Michael Steiner as directors of Vireo to take office immediately following the Meeting and to elect Christopher Hagedorn as a director of Vireo to take office conditional on and effective following the closing of the acquisition of Hawthorne by Vireo as set forth in Proposal 2. |
• | “FOR” the Share Consolidation as set forth in Proposal 3. |
• | “FOR” the appointment of Davidson & Company LLP as the auditor of Vireo for the ensuing year and to authorize the Board to fix their remuneration. |
• | “FOR” the Employment Agreement Amendment as set forth in Proposal 5. |
• | “FOR” the approval of a distribution of securities to Mr. Mazarakis in accordance with the Second Amendment to the Mazarakis Employment Agreement as set forth in Proposal 6. |
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Name of Nominee | Director Since | Residency | Principal Occupation(1) | ||||||
Dr. Kyle E. Kingsley | March 2019 | Minnesota, USA | Founder of Vireo and Co-Executive Chairman of the Board | ||||||
Ross M. Hussey(2)(3) | July 2020 | Minnesota, USA | Attorney, Smith Jadin Johnson, PLLC | ||||||
Victor E. Mancebo(2)(3) | January 2021 | Florida, USA | Chief Executive Officer, TheraTrue, Inc. | ||||||
Judd T. Nordquist(2)(3) | March 2019 | Minnesota, USA | CPA and Former Partner, Abdo L.L.P. | ||||||
John Mazarakis | December 2024 | Florida, USA | Chief Executive Officer of Vireo and Co-Executive Chairman of the Board | ||||||
Michael Steiner | April 2026 | Delaware, USA | President of Service Energy LLC | ||||||
Christopher J. Hagedorn* | N/A | Vermont, USA | Executive Vice President & Chief of Staff, Scotts Miracle-Gro | ||||||
(1) | The information as to principal occupation, business, or employment of non-management directors is not within the knowledge of the management of Vireo and has been furnished by the respective proposed nominees. |
(2) | Member of the Audit Committee of the Board (the “Audit Committee”). |
(3) | Member of the Nominating, Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee of the Board (the “NCGC Committee”) |
* | Assumes the Transaction is completed. |
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Name | Age* | Position with the Company | ||||
Dr. Kyle E. Kingsley | 50 | Co-Executive Chair of the Board | ||||
John Mazarakis | 49 | Co-Executive Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer | ||||
Sean M. Apfelbaum | 37 | General Counsel and Corporate Secretary | ||||
Christopher J. Hagedorn | 41 | N/A | ||||
Ross M. Hussey | 47 | Director | ||||
Victor E. Mancebo | 42 | Director | ||||
Judd T. Nordquist | 56 | Director | ||||
Tyson Macdonald | 51 | Chief Financial Officer | ||||
Amber H. Shimpa | 47 | President and Chief Executive Officer of Vireo Health of Minnesota, LLC (“Vireo Minnesota”) | ||||
Michael Steiner | 56 | Director | ||||
* | Age as of the Record Date. |
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Director Name | Independent | Committee | ||||
Dr. Kyle Kingsley | N | — | ||||
John Mazarakis | N | — | ||||
Ross Hussey | Y | Nominating, Corporate Governance and Compensation (chair) Audit (member) | ||||
Victor Mancebo | Y | Audit (member) Nominating, Corporate Governance and Compensation (member) | ||||
Judd Nordquist | Y | Audit (chair) Nominating, Corporate Governance and Compensation (member) | ||||
Michael Steiner | Y | — | ||||
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Name of Director/Nominee | Name of Other Reporting Issuer | Exchange | ||||
John Mazarakis | Chicago Atlantic Real Estate Finance, Inc. | Nasdaq | ||||
Michael Steiner | Chicago Atlantic Real Estate Finance, Inc. | Nasdaq | ||||
Christopher J. Hagedorn | FLUENT Corp. | CSE | ||||
• | Possessing relevant expertise upon which to be able to offer advice and guidance to management, |
• | Sufficient time to devote to the affairs of the Company, |
• | Demonstrated excellence in his or her field, |
• | A track record of exercising sound business judgment, |
• | Commitment to rigorously represent the long-term interests of Vireo’s shareholders, |
• | Ability to work collegially with other directors and Vireo’s senior management team, and |
• | Such other factors as the Board deems appropriate. |
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Name | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | Stock Awards ($)(1) | Option Awards ($)(2) | Other Compensation ($)(3) | Total ($) | ||||||||||
Ross M. Hussey | 71,000 | 22,098 | 21,883 | — | 114,981 | ||||||||||
Victor E. Mancebo | 71,000 | 22,098 | 21,883 | — | 114,981 | ||||||||||
Judd T. Nordquist | 71,000 | 22,098 | 21,883 | — | 114,981 | ||||||||||
Kyle Kingsley | — | — | — | 260,000 | 260,000 | ||||||||||
(1) | The amounts in this column reflect the grant date fair value of the RSU award granted to each non-employee director on January 17, 2025, calculated in accordance with ASC Topic 718, based on the closing price of the Company’s stock on the grant date. These amounts reflect our calculation of the value of these awards at the grant date and do not necessarily correspond to the actual value that may ultimately be realized by the NEO. The assumptions used in calculating the valuations are set forth in Note 16 to the Company’s Audited Financial Statements in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025. At December 31, 2025, the non-employee directors had the following Company RSUs outstanding: Mr. Hussey held 418,696 vested Company RSUs and 44,643 unvested RSUs that vest ratably on each of the first three anniversaries of the grant date, January 17, 2025, until fully vested on January 17, 2028; Mr. Mancebo held 418,696 vested Company RSUs and 44,643 unvested RSUs that vest ratably on each of the first three anniversaries of the grant date, January 17, 2025, until fully vested on January 17, 2028; Mr. Nordquist held 418,696 vested Company RSUs and 44,643 unvested RSUs that vest ratably on each of the first three anniversaries of the grant date, January 17, 2025, until fully vested on January 17, 2028. |
(2) | The amounts in this column reflect the grant date fair value of the option award granted to each non-employee director on January 17, 2025, calculated in accordance with ASC Topic 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation (“ASC Topic 718”), based on the Black-Scholes option pricing model. These amounts reflect our calculation of the value of these awards at the grant date and do not necessarily correspond to the actual value that may ultimately be realized by the NEO. The assumptions used in calculating the valuations are set forth in Note 16 to the Company’s Audited Financial Statements in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025. At December 31, 2025, the non-employee directors had the following Company options outstanding: Mr. Hussey held 734,689 vested Company options and 53,052 unvested Company options that vested in full on January 17, 2026; Mr. Mancebo held 669,073 vested Company options and 53,052 unvested Company options that vested in full on January 17, 2026; Mr. Nordquist held 1,090,263 vested Company options and 53,052 unvested Company options that vested in full on January 17, 2026. |
(3) | Dr. Kingsley is compensated for his service as Co-Executive Chair of the Board. For 2025, he received a base salary of $260,000. |
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Name and Principal Position | Year | Salary ($) | Bonus ($) | Stock Awards ($)(1) | Total ($) | ||||||||||
John Mazarakis Chief Executive Officer and Co-Executive Chairman | 2025 | 1 | 2,304,000 | 17,727,586 | 20,031,587 | ||||||||||
2024 | 1 | — | 800,000 | 800,001 | |||||||||||
Tyson Macdonald Chief Financial Officer | 2025 | 500,000 | 1,152,000 | 8,617,840 | 10,269,840 | ||||||||||
2024 | 15,385 | — | 800,000 | 815,385 | |||||||||||
Sean Apfelbaum General Counsel | 2025 | 145,833 | 300,000 | 128,800 | 574,633 | ||||||||||
(1) | Stock awards for 2025 for Mr. Mazarakis and Mr. Macdonald consist of time-vested RSUs and performance-vested RSUs. The time-vested RSUs became 30% vested on December 17, 2025. The remainder of the time-vested RSUs vest only if certain performance measures are achieved on or after December 17, 2026 and on or after December 17, 2027. The performance-vested RSUs vest only if, and to the extent earned based on performance achievement during a five-year performance period from the date of grant, which was May 9, 2025, and satisfaction of additional service requirements. Stock awards for 2024 for Mr. Mazarakis and Mr. Macdonald consist of RSUs. The amounts reported in the Stock Awards column reflect aggregate grant date fair value of stock awards and RSUs computed in accordance with ASC Topic 718. These amounts reflect our calculation of the value of these awards at the grant date and do not necessarily correspond to the actual value that may ultimately be realized by the NEO. The assumptions used in calculating the valuations are set forth in Note 16 to the Company’s Audited Financial Statements in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025. |
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Name | Number of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested (#) | Market Value of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested ($)(5) | Equity Incentive Plan Awards Number of Unearned Shares, Units or Other Rights That Have Not Vested (#) | Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Market or Payout Value of Unearned Shares, Units or Other Rights That Have Not Vested ($) | ||||||||
John Mazarakis | 13,300,000(1) | 8,152,900 | — | — | ||||||||
19,000,000(2) | 11,647,000 | — | — | |||||||||
Tyson Macdonald | 6,650,000(3) | 4,076,450 | — | — | ||||||||
9,500,000(4) | 5,823,500 | — | — | |||||||||
Sean Apfelbaum | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
(1) | This amount reflects the unvested Mazarakis Time-Vested RSUs that were issued to Mr. Mazarakis on May 9, 2025. 6,650,000 RSUs shall become vested when the 30-day VWAP of the Company’s shares exceeds $0.85 (as adjusted for dividends and stock splits) at any time on or after the second anniversary of the Effective Date and during the term of the Mazarakis Time-Vested RSU award agreement. An additional 6,650,000 RSUs shall become vested when the VWAP of the Company’s shares exceeds $1.05 (as adjusted for dividends and stock splits) at any time on or after the third anniversary of the Effective Date and during the term of the Mazarakis Time-Vested RSU award agreement. |
(2) | This amount reflects the unvested Mazarakis Performance-Vested RSUs that were issued to Mr. Mazarakis on May 9, 2025. 6,333,333 RSUs shall become vested when the six-month trailing AEBITDA of the Company exceeds $150,000,000 and the Company’s net leverage is below 2.2x; an additional 6,333,333 RSUs shall become vested when AEBITDA exceeds $165,000,000 and net leverage is below 2.2x; and the final 6,333,333 RSUs shall become vested when AEBITDA exceeds $205,000,000 and net leverage is below 2.2x, in each case as determined in accordance with the terms of the award agreement. |
(3) | This amount reflects the unvested Macdonald Time-Vested RSUs that were issued to Mr. Macdonald on May 9, 2025. 3,325,000 RSUs shall become vested when the 30-day VWAP of the Company’s shares exceeds $0.85 (as adjusted for dividends and stock splits) at any time on or after the second anniversary of the Effective Date and during the term of the Macdonald Time-Vested RSU award agreement. An additional 3,325,000 RSUs shall become vested when the VWAP of the Company’s shares exceeds $1.05 (as adjusted for dividends and stock splits) at any time on or after the third anniversary of the Effective Date and during the term of the Macdonald Time-Vested RSU award agreement. |
(4) | This amount reflects the unvested Macdonald Performance-Vested RSUs that were issued to Mr. Macdonald on May 9, 2025. 3,166,667 RSUs shall become vested when the six-month trailing AEBITDA of the Company exceeds $150,000,000 and the Company’s net leverage is below 2.2x; an additional 3,166,667 RSUs shall become vested when AEBITDA exceeds $165,000,000 and net leverage is below 2.2x; and the final 3,166,667 RSUs shall become vested when AEBITDA exceeds $205,000,000 and net leverage is below 2.2x, in each case as determined in accordance with the terms of the award agreement. |
(5) | The amounts in this column represent the fair market value of the RSUs as of December 31, 2025, based on the closing price of the Company’s stock of $0.6130 on December 31, 2025, which was the last business day of the year. |
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i. | Change in Ownership of the Company. A change in the ownership of the Company which occurs on the date that a Person acquires ownership of the stock of the Company that, together with the stock held by such Person, constitutes more than 50% of the total voting power of the stock of the Company, except that any change in the ownership of the stock of the Company as a result of a private financing of the Company that is approved by the Board will not be considered a Change in Control. |
ii. | Change in Effective Control of the Company. If the Company has a class of securities registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act, a change in the effective control of the Company which occurs on the date that a majority of members of the Board is replaced during any 12-month period by Directors whose appointment or election is not endorsed by a majority of the members of the Board prior to the date of the appointment or election. For purposes of this clause (ii), if any Person is considered to be in effective control of the Company, the acquisition of additional control of the Company by the same Person will not be considered a Change in Control. |
iii. | Change in Ownership of a Substantial Portion of the Company’s Assets. A change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the Company’s assets which occurs on the date that any Person acquires (or has acquired during the 12-month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition by such person or persons) assets from the Company that have a total gross fair market value equal to or more than 50% of the total gross fair market value of all of the assets of the Company immediately prior to such acquisition or acquisitions. For purposes of this subsection (iii), gross fair market value means the value of the assets of the Company, or the value of the assets being disposed of, determined without regard to any liabilities associated with such assets. |
iv. | Persons will be considered to be acting as a group if they are owners of a corporation that enters into a merger, consolidation, purchase, or acquisition of stock, or similar business transaction with the Company. |
v. | Notwithstanding the foregoing, a transaction will not be deemed a Change in Control unless the transaction qualifies as a change in control event within the meaning of Code Section 409A, as it has been and may be amended from time to time, and any proposed or final Treasury Regulations and Internal Revenue Service guidance that has been promulgated or may be promulgated thereunder from time to time. |
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vi. | Further and for the avoidance of doubt, a transaction will not constitute a Change in Control if: (A) its sole purpose is to change the jurisdiction of the Company’s incorporation, or (B) its sole purpose is to create a holding company that will be owned in substantially the same proportions by the persons who held the Company’s securities immediately before such transaction |
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Subordinate Voting Shares | Multiple Voting Shares | Total(1) | ||||||||||||||||
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner | Number Beneficially Owned | % of Total Subordinate Voting Shares | Number Beneficially Owned | % of Total Multiple Voting Shares | Number of Capital Stock Beneficially Owned | % of Total Capital Stock | ||||||||||||
Chicago Atlantic Opportunities, LLC(2) | 108,101,862(2) | 10.0% | — | — | 108,101,862 | 9.8% | ||||||||||||
Keith Capurro, Ryan Breeden, and KCRB LLC | 61,093,465(3) | 5.8 | — | — | 61,093,465 | 5.7 | ||||||||||||
Gary Primm and GEP Ventures, LLC | 59,630,517(4) | 5.6 | — | — | 59,630,517 | 5.5 | ||||||||||||
Roger Primm and RP Holding, LLC | 59,630,517(5) | 5.6% | — | — | 59,630,517 | 5.5% | ||||||||||||
NEOs and Directors | ||||||||||||||||||
John Mazarakis | 9,833,737(6) | * | — | — | 9,833,737 | * | ||||||||||||
Tyson Macdonald | 5,507,180(7) | * | — | — | 5,507,180 | * | ||||||||||||
Sean Apfelbaum | 137,855 | * | — | — | 137,855 | * | ||||||||||||
Ross M. Hussey | 906,653(8) | * | 16,803 | 7.2% | 2,586,953 | * | ||||||||||||
Victor E. Mancebo | 807,867(9) | * | — | — | 807,867 | * | ||||||||||||
Judd T. Nordquist | 1,285,757(10) | * | 845 | * | 1,370,257 | * | ||||||||||||
Kyle Kingsley | 16,435,882 | 1.5 | — | — | 16,435,882 | 1.5 | ||||||||||||
Michael Steiner | 1,675,903 | * | — | — | 1,675,903 | * | ||||||||||||
Christopher J. Hagedorn | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
Directors and executive officers as a group (9 persons)(11) | 42,053,688 | 4.0% | 17,648 | 7.6% | 43,818,488 | 4.1% | ||||||||||||
* | Represents less than 1% |
(1) | Total share values assume all outstanding Multiple Voting Shares have been converted to Subordinate Voting Shares. Each Multiple Voting Share is convertible into 100 Subordinate Voting Shares. |
(2) | Reflects the Vireo Shares as reported on Form 4 filed with the SEC on June 13, 2025 on behalf of Chicago Atlantic Credit Opportunities, LLC (“CACO”), Chicago Atlantic Equity Fund LLC (“CAEF”), Chicago Atlantic Credit (“CAC”), Chicago Atlantic Credit Company (“CACC”), Chicago Atlantic Advisers, LLC (“CAA”), Chicago Atlantic Group GP, LLC (“CAGGP”), Chicago Atlantic Group, LP (“CAG”), Chicago Atlantic GP Holdings, LLC (“CAGPH”), Chicago Atlantic Manager, LLC (“CAM”), Chicago Atlantic Opportunity GP, LLC (“CAOGP”), Chicago Atlantic Opportunity Portfolio, LP (“CAOP”). CAGGP is the general partner of CAG, which is the managing member of CAA, which is the investment manager of CACO and CAOP. CAGPH is the managing member of CAM, which is the managing member of CACO. CAGPH is also the sole member of CAOGPm which is the general partner of CAOP. The business address for the foregoing entities is 420 N Wabash Ave, Suite 500, Chicago, Illinois 60611. Additionally, this reflects 6,091,179 exercisable warrants held collectively by the aforementioned entities, 15,680,000 of convertible debt, and 8,000,000 shares held by private funds affiliated with Chicago Atlantic. |
(3) | Reflects the Vireo Shares as reported on Schedule 13D filed with the SEC on August 1, 2025, on behalf of Keith Capurro, Ryan Breeden and KCRB LLC. Mr. Capurro has sole voting and dispositive power over 1,781,570 subordinate voting shares and shared voting and dispositive power over 58,421,110 subordinate voting shares. Mr. Breeden has sole voting and dispositive power over 890,785 subordinate voting shares and shared voting and dispositive power over 58,421,110 subordinate voting shares. KCRB LLC has shared voting and dispositive power over 58,421,110. Mr. Capurro owns 65.7% of the ownership interests of KCRB LLC and Mr. Breeden owns 34.3% of the ownership interests of KCRB LLC. Mr. Capurro, Mr. Breeden and KCRB LLC acquired the subordinate voting shares described above as consideration for common stock of Deep Roots Holdings, Inc. when Vireo completed its acquisition of Deep Roots Holdings, Inc. on June 6, 2025. The address of Mr. Capurro and KCRB LLC is 2542 Meraki, Reno, NV 89508. The address of Mr. Breeden is 1813 South 9th Street, Las Vega, NV 89509. |
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(4) | Reflects the Vireo Shares as reported on Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on July 28, 2025, on behalf of Gary Primm and GEP Ventures, LLC, which have shared voting and dispositive power over 59,630,517 subordinate voting shares. The address for Mr. Primm is 3945 Jacob Lake Circle, Las Vegas, NV 89118. The address for GEP Ventures, LLC is P.O. Box 94825, Las Vegas, NV 89193. |
(5) | Reflects the Vireo Shares as reported on Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on September 19, 2025, on behalf of Roger Primm and RP Holding, LLC, which have shared voting and dispositive power over 59,630,517 subordinate voting shares. The address for Mr. Primm is 5100 Franktown Road, Washoe Valley, NV 89704. The address for RP Holding, LLC is 5310 Kietzke Lane, Unit 101, Reno, NV 89511. |
(6) | This amount does not include (i) the 13,300,000 Mazarakis Time-Vested RSUs, which will not become vested within 60 days of March 24, 2026, or (ii) the 19,000,000 Mazarakis Performance-Vested RSUs that are subject to vesting to the extent that performance objectives are met. |
(7) | This amount does not include (i) the 6,650,000 Macdonald Time-Vested RSUs, which will not become vested within 60 days of March 24, 2026 or (ii) the 9,500,000 Macdonald Performance-Vested RSUs that are subject to vesting to the extent performance objectives are met. |
(8) | Includes 787,741 Vireo Options to purchase Subordinate Voting Shares that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of March 24, 2026. |
(9) | Includes 722,741 Vireo Options to purchase Subordinate Voting Shares that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of March 24, 2026. |
(10) | Includes 1,143,315 Vireo Options to purchase Subordinate Voting Shares that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of March 24, 2026. |
(11) | Includes all current directors and executive officers. |
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1. | The Board of Directors of the Company, subject to receipt of all regulatory approvals including from the Canadian Securities Exchange, be and is hereby authorized to, at any time following the date of this resolution until the date of the Company’s next annual general meeting, consolidate (the “Share Consolidation”) the total number of issued and outstanding Subordinate Voting Shares, Multiple Voting Shares and Super Voting Shares (collectively, the “Shares”) in the capital of the Company on the basis of not less than twenty (20) pre-consolidated Shares for one (1) post-consolidated Share and not more than forty (40) pre-consolidated Shares for one (1) post-consolidated Share with the exact ratio of consolidation (the “Consolidation Ratio”) to be determined by the Board of Directors in its sole discretion all without further notice to, approval by or ratification of the shareholders of the Company; |
2. | Upon the Share Consolidation, no fractional post-consolidated Shares be issued and no cash paid in lieu of fractional post-consolidated Shares, such that any fractional interest in Shares resulting from the Share Consolidation will be rounded down to the nearest whole number of post-consolidated Shares or cancelled; |
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3. | For greater certainty, notwithstanding the passing of this resolution and the authorization provided for herein, the Board of Directors shall have the absolute discretion to determine if and when to affect the Share Consolidation, if at all, and to determine the final Consolidation Ratio in accordance with the terms hereof, and for greater certainty, the Board of Directors may and is hereby authorized in its absolute discretion to determine not to affect the Share Consolidation and to otherwise abandon or revoke this resolution at any time before it is acted upon, all without further notice to, approval by or ratification of the shareholders; |
4. | The Board of Directors may and is hereby authorized to, without further notice to, approval by or ratification by the shareholders, modify, vary or amend the terms and conditions of the Share Consolidation as may be required by the regulatory authorities having jurisdiction of the Share Consolidation, the Company or its affairs; and |
5. | Any director or officer of the Company be and is hereby authorized and directed to, in the name of and on behalf of the Company, execute and deliver all such documents and to do all such acts and things as are considered necessary or advisable to give effect to this resolution and any matters incidental thereto, the execution of any such document or the doing of any such act or thing being conclusive evidence of such determination and the Company’s approval and ratification thereof. |
• | the continuing listing requirements of the Canadian Securities Exchange; |
• | our ability to meet the initial requirements for a U.S. national securities exchange with respect to our Subordinate Voting Shares should the opportunity arise for issuers in the cannabis industry to be permitted to do so; |
• | the historical trading price and trading volume of our Subordinate Voting Shares; |
• | the number of our Subordinate Voting Shares and Multiple Voting Shares issued and outstanding; |
• | the then-prevailing trading price and trading volume of our Subordinate Voting Shares and the anticipated impact of the Share Consolidation on the trading market for our Subordinate Voting Shares; and |
• | prevailing general market and economic conditions. |
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2025 | 2024 | |||||
Audit Fees | $1,424,402 | $802,859 | ||||
Audit-Related Fees | — | — | ||||
Tax Fees(1) | $18,011 | $106,568 | ||||
All Other Fees | — | — | ||||
Total | $1,442,413 | $909,427 | ||||
(1) | Includes fees for services related to preparing and filing Form T1134 Information Return Relating to Controlled and Not Controlled Foreign Affiliates of Vireo and the T2 Corporation Income Tax Return together with related schedules. |
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• | Base Annual Incentive Shares. Pursuant to the Mazarakis Employment Agreement, on each anniversary date during the term thereof, the Company shall issue to Mr. Mazarakis 3,200,000 Subordinate Voting Shares (or equivalent common shares should Subordinate Voting Shares cease to be available for issuance), fully vested upon issuance (the “Base Annual Incentive Shares”). |
• | Additional Annual Incentive Shares. Beginning January 1, 2027, and continuing for each of the next four subsequent calendar years, the Company shall issue to Mr. Mazarakis 10,000,000 Subordinate Voting Shares (or equivalent common shares should Subordinate Voting Shares cease to be available for issuance), which will be fully vested when issued (the “Additional Annual Incentive Shares”). The Additional Annual Incentive Shares shall be issued at the same time the Company otherwise issues annual incentive awards to similarly situated senior executives of the Company or, in the absence of such issuance, on or about April 1. The Additional Annual Incentive Shares will not be issued unless the average daily trading volume (“ADTV”) for the Subordinate Voting Shares for the 20-trading day period preceding the date of issuance is at least equal to 900,000 shares. |
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• | Growth Equity Awards. The Board has approved a conditional award of performance-vesting restricted share units (the “Growth Equity Awards”) to Mr. Mazarakis. The Growth Equity Awards are conditioned on disinterested Shareholder approval in accordance with the policies of the CSE (including, without limitation, CSE Policy 6 – Distributions & Corporate Finance). The Growth Equity Awards are divided into three “phases” (referred to as the “Phase 1 RSUs,” “Phase 2 RSUs,” and “Phase 3 RSUs”) with each phase having a formula to determine the number of underlying Subordinate Voting Shares and a specified set of performance criteria that must be achieved for that phase to vest, summarized as follows: |
○ | Phase 1 RSUs. The Phase 1 RSUs represent a number of Subordinate Voting Shares equal to 1.5% of the fully diluted equity of the Company determined as of the date of the “Phase 1 Performance Criteria” are satisfied, or, if earlier, as of the date of accelerated vesting described below. The “Phase 1 Performance Criteria” means the achievement of all of the following performance goals: (i) the Company has a market capitalization of not less than $1 billion USD determined using 90-day volume weighted average price of the Company’s Subordinate Voting Shares, (ii) the Company has a net leverage ratio of less than 3.0x (where net leverage is determined by dividing the difference between the Company’s total consolidated indebtedness for borrowed money and the Company’s total consolidated cash by the trailing twelve month adjusted EBITDA), (iii) the Company’s trailing twelve month adjusted EBITDA is not less than $100,000,000, USD, (iv) there has been no material equity issuance within the prior 12 months other than in connection with any mergers, acquisitions, consolidations or similar transactions by the Company, (v) the adjusted EBITDA is not less than $0.096 USD per share, and (vi) the 20-day ADTV for the Company’s Subordinate Voting Shares is at least equal to 900,000. |
○ | Phase 2 RSUs. The Phase 2 RSUs represent a number of Subordinate Voting Shares equal to 2.5% of the fully diluted equity of the Company determined as of the date of the “Phase 2 Performance Criteria” are satisfied, or, if earlier, as of the date of accelerated vesting described below. The “Phase 2 Performance Criteria” means the achievement of all of the following performance goals: (i) the Company has a market capitalization of not less than $1.25 billion USD determined using 90-day volume weighted average price of the Company’s Subordinate Voting Shares, (ii) the Company has a net leverage ratio of less than 3.0x (where net leverage is determined by dividing the difference between the Company’s total consolidated indebtedness for borrowed money and the Company’s total consolidated cash by the trailing twelve month adjusted EBITDA), (iii) the Company’s trailing twelve month adjusted EBITDA is not less than $150,000,000 USD, (iv) the adjusted EBITDA is not less than $0.1199 USD per share, and (v) the 20-day ADTV for the Company’s Subordinate Voting Shares is at least equal to 900,000. |
○ | Phase 3 RSUs. The Phase 3 RSUs are divided into two traches. |
• | The first tranche represents a number of Shares equal to 2.5% of the fully diluted equity of the Company determined as of the date of the “Phase 3A Performance Criteria” are satisfied, or, if earlier, as of the date of accelerated vesting described below. The “Phase 3A Performance Criteria” means the achievement of all of the following performance goals: (i) the Company has a market capitalization of not less than $1.75 billion USD determined using 90-day volume weighted average price of the Company’s Subordinate Voting Shares, (ii) the Company has a net leverage ratio of less than 3.0x (where net leverage is determined by dividing the difference between the Company’s total consolidated indebtedness for borrowed money and the Company’s total consolidated cash by the trailing twelve month adjusted EBITDA), (iii) the Company’s trailing twelve month adjusted EBITDA is not less than $200,000,000 USD, (iv) the total shareholder return is not less than 65% where the beginning share price is equal to the volume weighted average share price for the 90-day period ending on December 31, 2025, and the ending share price is determined using the 90-day volume weighted average price of the Company’s Subordinate Voting Shares, and (v) the 20-day ADTV for the Company’s Subordinate Voting Shares is at least equal to 900,000. |
• | The second tranche represents a number of Shares equal to 2.5% of the fully diluted equity of the Company determined as of the date of the “Phase 3B Performance Criteria” are satisfied, or, if earlier, as of the date of accelerated vesting described below. The “Phase 3B Performance Criteria” means the achievement of all of the following performance goals: (i) the Company has a market capitalization of not less than $2 billion USD determined using 90-day volume weighted average price of the Company’s Subordinate Voting Shares, (ii) the Company has a net leverage ratio of less |
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• | U.S. Tax Impacts for Mr. Mazarakis. To the extent any of the Incentive-Based Compensation become earned and vested, whether upon grant (such as for the Base Annual Incentive Shares), based on achievement of the specified performance goals (such as for the Growth Equity Awards), or as a result of accelerated vesting events, all as described above, Mr. Mazarakis will generally have taxable ordinary income equal to the fair market value of the Subordinate Voting Shares issued to him as of the applicable settlement date. Mr. Mazarakis will have tax basis in the Subordinate Voting Shares received based on the amount included in income and will realize a capital gain or loss when he later disposes the Subordinate Voting Shares to the extent the amount received is more or less than the tax basis in the Subordinate Voting Shares, which will either be long or short term capital gain/loss depending how long the Subordinate Voting Shares were held. |
• | U.S. Tax Impacts for the Company. The Company generally will be entitled to a deduction at the same time, and in the same amount, as Mr. Mazarakis recognizes ordinary income, subject to certain limitations imposed under the Internal Revenue Code, such as the $1 million deduction limit under Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m). |
• | Section 409A. The Company intends that the Incentive-Based Compensation will comply with, or otherwise be exempt from, section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code, but makes no representation or warranty to that effect. |
Name | Number of Shares Granted | ||
Named Executive Officers: | |||
John Mazarakis — Chief Executive Officer and Co-Executive Chairman | [•](1) | ||
Tyson Macdonald — Chief Financial Officer | — | ||
Sean Apfelbaum — General Counsel and Corporate Secretary | — | ||
All current executive officers as a group | [•](1) | ||
All current non-employee directors as a group | — | ||
Each nominee for election as a director | — | ||
Each associate of any of the foregoing | — | ||
Each other person who received at least 5% of all options granted | — | ||
All consultants, excluding current executive officers | — | ||
All employees, excluding current executive officers | — | ||
(1) | Represents the aggregate of (i) 3,200,000 Subordinate Voting Shares for one year of the Base Annual Incentive Shares, (ii) 40,000,000 Subordinate Voting Shares for all four years of the Additional Annual Incentive Shares, and (iii) [•] Subordinate Voting Shares, equal to 9% of the Company's fully diluted equity as of the Record Date, as an estimate of the maximum number of Growth Equity Awards that may be earned. |
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Plan Category | Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights (a) | Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights (b)(3) | Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column (a)) (c) | ||||||
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders | 25,874,398(1) | $0.71 | 82,170,679(4) | ||||||
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders | 68,403,720(2) | $0.35 | — | ||||||
Total | 94,278,118 | $0.45 | 82,170,679 | ||||||
(1) | At December 31, 2025, the following Awards were outstanding under the 2019 Incentive Plan: (1) Options exercisable for a total of 15,860,088 Shares, representing 1.5% of the then outstanding number of Shares; and (2) RSUs covering the right to receive a total of 10,014,310 Shares, representing 0.9% of the then outstanding number of Shares. |
(2) | At December 31, 2025, the following Awards were outstanding outside of the 2019 Incentive Plan to certain executive officers and employees pursuant to the terms of their employment agreements or amendments thereto: (1) Options exercisable for a total of 18,852,813 Shares, representing 1.7% of the then outstanding number of Shares; and (2) RSUs covering the right to receive a total of 49,550,907 Shares, representing 4.6% of the then outstanding number of Shares. |
(3) | The weighted average exercise price does not take into account outstanding RSUs. RSUs do not have an exercise price and are delivered without any payment by the award recipient. |
(4) | As of December 31, 2025, an aggregate of 82,170,679 Shares remained available for issuance under the 2019 Incentive Plan, representing approximately 7.6% of the then outstanding number of Shares. No Shares are reserved and available for issuance outside of the 2019 Incentive Plan. |
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1. | The Incentive-Based Compensation to be issued under the Second Amendment to the Mazarakis Employment Agreement to Mr. Mazarakis is hereby authorized and approved. |
2. | The Company is hereby authorized to issue the Shares in the amounts and at the prices and on the terms as contemplated by the Second Amendment to the Mazarakis Employment Agreement in respect of the Incentive-Based Compensation, as determined by the Board in its discretion as permitted by the terms thereof. |
3. | Any director or officer of the Company is hereby authorized and directed for and in the name of and on behalf of the Company to execute, or to cause to be executed, whether under the corporate seal of the Company or otherwise, and to deliver or cause to be delivered all such other documents and instruments, and to do or cause to be done all such other acts and things as, in the opinion of such director or officer, may be necessary or desirable in order to carry out the intent of this resolution, including, without limitation, the execution of any such document or the doing of any such other act or thing being conclusive evidence of such determination. |
4. | All actions heretofore taken by or on behalf of the Company in connection with any matter referred to in any of the foregoing resolutions are hereby approved, ratified and confirmed in all material respects. " |
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BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS | |||
Name: John Mazarakis | |||
Title: Chief Executive Officer and Co-Executive Chairman of the Board | |||
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1. | ROLE AND OBJECTIVE |
2. | COMPOSITION |
• | The Committee is composed of three or more directors, as designated by the Board from time to time. |
• | All members of the Committee must qualify as “independent” and all must be financially literate (as such terms are defined under applicable securities laws, the BCBCA and exchange requirements for audit committee purposes). One member of the Committee should qualify as an “audit committee financial expert” under Section 407 of the U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
• | Each member of the Committee must be able to read and understand fundamental financial statements, including a company’s balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement. |
• | Members of the Committee may not accept directly or indirectly any consulting, advisory, or other compensatory fee from the Company or any subsidiary thereof, provided that, unless the rules of the exchange on which the Company’s shares are listed provide otherwise, compensatory fees do not include the receipt of fixed amounts of compensation under a retirement plan (including deferred compensation) for prior service with the Company (provided that such compensation is not contingent in any way on continued service); or be an affiliated person of the Company or any subsidiary thereof. |
• | Members of the Committee shall not have participated in the preparation of the financial statements of the Company or any current subsidiary of the Company at any time during the past three years. |
• | Members of the Committee will be appointed annually at a meeting of the Board, typically held immediately after the annual shareholders’ meeting. Each member will serve until his or her successor is appointed unless (1) he or she resigns or is removed by the Board or (2) he or she otherwise ceases to be a director of the Company. Any member may be removed or replaced at any time by the Board. |
• | Where a vacancy occurs at any time in the membership of the Committee, it may be filled by a vote of a majority of the Board. |
• | The Chair of the Committee may be designated by the Board or, if it does not do so, the members of the Committee shall elect a chair by vote of a majority of the full Committee membership. The Chair of the Committee must be an independent director (as described above). |
• | If the Chair of the Committee is not present at any meeting of the Committee, a majority of the Committee members who are present will choose one of the other members of the Committee to preside. |
• | The Committee must appoint a secretary (the “Secretary”) who need not be a member of the Committee or a director of the Company. The Secretary must keep minutes of the meetings of the Committee. This role is normally filled by the Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the Company. |
• | No Committee member may simultaneously serve on the audit committees of more than two other public companies with active business operations or significant assets. |
• | The members of the Committee may be entitled to receive such remuneration for acting as members of the Committee as the Board may from time to time determine. |
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3. | MEETINGS |
• | The Committee must meet at least once each calendar quarter, at the discretion of the Chair or a majority of its members, as circumstances dictate or as may be required by applicable legal or listing requirements. |
• | The Chair of the Committee must prepare and/or approve an agenda in advance of each meeting. |
• | Notice of the time and place of every meeting may be given orally, in writing, by facsimile or by email to each member of the Committee at least two (2) business days prior to the meeting time. |
• | A member of the Committee may in any manner waive notice of the meeting. Attendance of a member at a meeting constitutes waiver of notice of such meeting, except where a member attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business on the grounds that the meeting was not lawfully called. |
• | Any member of the Committee may participate in the meeting of the Committee by means of telephone conference, video conference or other communication equipment, and the member participating in a meeting pursuant to this paragraph will be deemed, for purposes hereof, to be present in person at the meeting. |
• | A majority of Committee members who are present in person, by video conference, by telephone, or by a combination thereof, will constitute a quorum. |
• | If within one hour of the time appointed for a meeting of the Committee, a quorum is not present, the meeting shall stand adjourned to the same hour on the second business day following the date of such meeting at the same place. If at the adjourned meeting a quorum as hereinbefore specified is not present within one hour of the time appointed for such adjourned meeting, such meeting shall stand adjourned to the same hour on the second business day following the date of such meeting at the same place. If at the second adjourned meeting a quorum as hereinbefore specified is not present, the quorum for the adjourned meeting shall consist of the members then present. |
• | If and whenever a vacancy exists, the remaining members of the Committee may exercise all of its powers and responsibilities so long as a quorum remains in office. |
• | At all meetings of the Committee, every issue must be decided by a majority of the votes cast. In case of an equality of votes, the matter will be referred to the Board for decision. Any decision or determination of the Committee reduced to writing and executed by all of the members of the Committee will be fully effective as if it had been made at a meeting duly called and held. |
• | The Committee shall have the right to determine who shall and who shall not be present at any time during a meeting of the Committee. |
• | The Committee shall meet periodically in executive session separately with each of the General Counsel and the head of internal audit, if any; the CEO and CFO are also expected to be available to attend meetings of the Committee, but a portion of every meeting will be reserved for executive session, without the CEO, CFO, General Counsel, head of internal audit, if any, or any other member of management, being present. |
• | The Committee may by specific invitation have other persons in attendance, including such officers, directors and employees of the Company and its subsidiaries, and other persons, including internal auditors and the Company’s independent auditor (the “Independent Auditor”), as it may see fit, from time to time, to attend at meetings of the Committee. |
• | The Board may at any time amend or rescind any of the provisions hereof, or cancel them entirely, with or without substitution. |
• | Minutes of Committee meetings will be sent to all Committee members. |
• | The Chair of the Committee must report the Committee’s findings, activities and recommendations to the Board. |
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4. | RESOURCES AND AUTHORITY |
• | The Committee has full access to the officers and employees of the Company and its subsidiaries and to such information with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries as it considers necessary or advisable to perform its duties and responsibilities. |
• | The Committee has the authority to obtain advice and assistance from internal or external legal, accounting or other advisors and resources, as it deems advisable to carry out its duties. |
• | The Company shall provide appropriate funding, as determined by the Committee, for the payment of compensation to the Independent Auditor and any advisors engaged by the Committee, and for the payment of ordinary administrative expenses of the Committee that are necessary or appropriate in carrying out its duties. |
• | The Committee has the authority to communicate directly with the Independent Auditor and internal auditors, with or without the participation of Company management. |
5. | RESPONSIBILITIES |
A. | Chair |
• | provide leadership to the Committee with respect to its functions as described in this Charter and as otherwise may be appropriate, including overseeing the logistics of the operations of the Committee; |
• | chair meetings of the Committee, unless not present (including executive sessions), and report to the Board following each meeting of the Committee on the findings, activities and any recommendations of the Committee; |
• | ensure that the Committee meets on a regular basis and at least four times per year; |
• | in consultation with the Committee members, establish a Committee meeting calendar; |
• | establish the agenda for each meeting of the Committee, with input from other Committee members, and any other parties, as applicable; |
• | ensure that Committee materials are available to any director on request; |
• | act as liaison and maintain communication with the Chair of the Board and the Board to optimize and coordinate input from Board members, and to optimize the effectiveness of the Committee. This includes, at least annually and at such other times and in such manner as the Committee considers advisable, reporting to the full Board on: |
• | all proceedings and deliberations of the Committee; |
• | the role of the Committee and the effectiveness of the Committee in contributing to the objectives and responsibilities of the Board as a whole; and |
• | the principal operating and business risks identified by management and how each is either mitigated or managed. |
• | ensure that the members of the Committee understand and discharge their duties and obligations; |
• | foster ethical and responsible decision making by the Committee and its individual members; |
• | encourage Committee members to ask questions and express viewpoints during meetings; |
• | together with the Board, oversee the structure, composition, membership and activities delegated to the Committee from time to time; |
• | ensure that resources and expertise are available to the Committee so that it may conduct its work effectively and efficiently and pre-approve work to be done for the Committee by consultants; |
• | facilitate effective communication between members of the Committee and management; and |
• | perform such other duties and responsibilities as may be delegated to the Chair by the Board from time to time. |
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B. | The Committee |
• | review the annual audited financial statements to satisfy itself that they are presented in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP” or “applicable Accounting Principles”), and report thereon to the Board and recommend to the Board whether the financial statements should be approved prior to their being filed with the appropriate regulatory authorities. The Committee will also review and approve the interim financial statements, management’s discussion and analysis relating to annual and interim financial statements, annual and interim financial press releases and any other public disclosure documents that are required to be reviewed by the Committee under any applicable law or regulation before the Company publicly discloses this information or files with the appropriate regulatory authorities. The Committee must discuss significant issues regarding applicable Accounting Principles, practices, and judgments of management with management and the Independent Auditor. The Committee must satisfy itself that the information contained in the annual audited financial statements, the interim financial statements and management’s discussion and analysis relating to such annual and interim financial statements is not significantly erroneous, misleading or incomplete and that the audit and review functions have been effectively carried out; |
• | review management’s internal control report. In consultation with the Independent Auditors, the Committee will assess the integrity of management’s risk assessments and oversee the adequacy and effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures and ensure implementation of such controls and procedures; |
• | be satisfied that adequate procedures are in place for the review of the Company’s public disclosure of financial information extracted or derived from the Company’s financial statements, and periodically assess the adequacy of these procedures; |
• | meet no less frequently than annually with the Independent Auditors and the CFO or other principal financial officer of the Company in charge of financial matters, to review accounting practices, internal controls and such other matters as the Committee, CFO or other principal financial officer of the Company, deems appropriate; |
• | inquire of management and the Independent Auditors about significant risks or exposures, both internal and external, to which the Company may be subject, and assess the steps management has taken to minimize such risks; |
• | review the post-audit or management letter containing the recommendations of the Independent Auditors and management’s response and subsequent follow-up to any identified weaknesses; |
• | oversee the Company’s plans to adopt changes to policy choices under applicable Accounting Principles, and related disclosure obligations; |
• | in consultation with the Board, ensure that there is an appropriate standard of conduct and ethics including applicable to the Company, if necessary, adopting and overseeing a corporate code of ethics for senior financial personnel; |
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• | establish procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of: |
• | complaints received by the Company regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters; and |
• | confidential, anonymous submission by employees of the Company of concerns regarding questionable accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters; and |
• | establish and review related party transaction policies and review and approve related-party transactions entered into by the Company. |
• | oversee the Company’s internal audit function; |
• | annually review and approve the internal audit plan including scope, procedures, timing and staffing of the audit; |
• | review the results of the annual audit with the head of internal audit, including matters related to the conduct of the audit, and receive and review the head of internal audit’s interim review reports; |
• | oversee the internal audit budget and staffing; |
• | oversee the appointment and compensation of the head of internal audit. The head of internal audit will report functionally directly to the Committee and administratively to the CEO. |
• | be directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and retention of the Independent Auditor. |
• | recommend to the Board (and, if required by applicable law, regulation or listing requirement, for approval by shareholders) the selection, appointment and compensation of the Independent Auditors; |
• | ensure the lead audit partner at the Independent Auditor is replaced in compliance with applicable laws; |
• | directly oversee the work of the Independent Auditors, including the resolution of disagreements between management and the Independent Auditors regarding financial reporting; |
• | with reference to the procedures outlined separately in “Procedures for Approval of Non-Audit Services” (attached hereto as Appendix ‘A’), pre-approve all audit and non-audit services not prohibited by law to be provided by the Independent Auditors; |
• | monitor and assess the relationship between management and the Independent Auditors and monitor, confirm, support and assure the independence and objectivity of the Independent Auditors, including ensuring receipt from the Independent Auditor of a formal written statement delineating all relationships between the Independent Auditor and the Company and actively engaging in a dialogue with the auditor about any disclosed relationships or services that may impact the objectivity and independence of the Independent Auditor; |
• | review and approve the Independent Auditors’ audit plan, including scope, procedures, estimated fees, timing and staffing of the audit; |
• | review the results of the annual audit with the Independent Auditors, including matters related to the conduct of the audit, and receive and review the auditor’s interim review reports; |
• | obtain timely reports from the Independent Auditors describing critical accounting policies and practices, alternative treatments of information within applicable Accounting Principles that were discussed with management, their ramifications, and the Independent Auditors’ preferred treatment and material written communications between the Company and the Independent Auditors; |
• | review fees paid by the Company to the Independent Auditors and other professionals in respect of audit and non-audit services on an annual basis; and |
• | review and approve the Company’s hiring policies regarding partners, employees and former partners and employees of the present and former auditors of the Company. |
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• | perform any other activities consistent with this Charter and governing law, as the Committee or the Board deems necessary or appropriate; |
• | institute and oversee special investigations, as needed; and |
• | review and assess the adequacy of this Charter annually and submit any proposed revisions to the Board for approval. |
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1. | The external auditors to Vireo Health International, Inc. (the “Company”) must be prohibited from performing for the Company the following categories of non-audit services: |
a. | bookkeeping or other services related to the Company’s accounting records or financial statements; |
b. | financial information systems design or implementation; |
c. | appraisal or valuation services, fairness opinion or contributions-in-kind reports; |
d. | actuarial services; |
e. | internal audit outsourcing services; |
f. | management functions; |
g. | human resources services; |
h. | broker or dealer, investment adviser or investment banking services; |
i. | legal services; |
j. | expert services unrelated to the audit; and |
k. | any other service that the Canadian Public Accountability Board, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board or any other applicable regulatory authority determines is impermissible. |
2. | In the event that the Company wishes to retain the services of the Company’s external auditors for minimal non-audit services (e.g. tax compliance, tax advice or tax planning), the Chief Financial Officer of the Company must consult with the Chair of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Committee”), who must have the authority to approve or disapprove on behalf of the Committee, such non-audit services in accordance with the requirements set forth under the “Exemption for minimal non-audit services” provided by Section 2.3 (4) of National Instrument 52-110 - Audit Committees, whereby |
a. | the aggregate fees paid for all the non-audit services that are not approved by the Committee is reasonably expected to constitute no more than five per cent of the aggregate fees paid by the Company and its subsidiary entities to the Company’s external auditor during the financial year in which the services are provided; |
b. | the Company or the subsidiary entity of the issuer, as the case may be, did not recognize the services as non-audit services at the time of the engagement; and |
c. | once recognized as non-audit services, the services are promptly brought to the attention of the Committee of the issuer and approved, prior to the completion of the audit, by the Committee. |
3. | All other non-audit services must be approved or disapproved by the Committee as a whole as set forth herein. |
4. | The Chief Financial Officer of the Company must maintain a record of non-audit services approved by the Chair of the Committee or the Committee for each fiscal year and provide a report on non-audit services to the Committee no less frequently than on a quarterly basis. |
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VIREO GROWTH INC. | ||||||
/s/ Kyle Kingsley | ||||||
By: | Kyle Kingsley | |||||
Its: | Co-Executive Chairman of the Board | |||||
EMPLOYEE: | ||||||
/s/ John Mazarakis | ||||||
John Mazarakis | ||||||
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