Meet The Real-World Wavemaker

Raj Grover

Founder, President & Chief Executive Officer

Mayank Mahajan

Chief Financial Officer

Mayank Mahajan brings an exceptional range of expertise from a career in financial services, technology, manufacturing, trading and leasing that spans more than 15 years. Before joining High Tide, Mayank worked with Everyday People Financial Corp, Metamaterial Inc., Jubilant Bhartiya Group (Canada, India and USA), Genpact, and S.P. Nagrath & Co.

Mayank is a registered Chartered Professional Accountant in Canada, Certified Public Accountant in the United States and a Chartered Accountant in India. Mayank also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Gonzaga University in Washington, USA, and a Bachelor of Commerce from Chaudhury Charan Singh University in India.

Andy Palalas

Chief Marketing Officer

Andy Palalas is responsible for developing distribution channels, sourcing new market opportunities and overseeing the revenue portfolio of High Tide.

Andy is a business growth and sales professional with a decade of experience in implementing sales programs for established corporations and start-ups alike. With extensive experience in the loyalty marketing sector, a track record of explosive growth in franchise sales and operations, and a holistic mastery of ground-level business development through to overarching marketing strategy, he has most recently taken Famous Brandz from inception to the leading manufacturer of licensed consumption accessories internationally.

A relentless relationship builder and value provider, Andy focuses on developing systems for predictable revenue while working with stakeholders, vendors and partners to position High Tide as a force multiplier to growth in our industry.

Aman Sood

Chief Operating Officer

Aman Sood is a seasoned leader with over two decades of experience in retail sector project management, operations, technology, and cost optimization. He has proven successes in new market identification and strategic positioning for companies of all sizes. Having led the building and management of 25 New Leaf Cannabis retail locations, Aman is a pioneer in the legal market who specializes in spearheading operational improvements to reduce shrink, enhance productivity, increase sales, and drive efficiencies.

Immediately following High Tide’s acquisition of META Growth in 2020, Aman began to oversee the operations of all High Tide stores while leading a major strategic shift to transform High Tide’s information and technology systems to better support a truly global company.

As director of operations with Meta Growth, Aman led business development for both New Leaf Cannabis and Meta Growth. During this time Aman increased profitability by developing various inventory and cash control measures to reduce shrink by over 90%.

Aman holds a master’s degree in business administration, as well as post graduate education in computer applications, merchandising, and cannabis. Aman has several certifications including cyber security specialization in business and master’s certificate in cannabis.

Aman uses his spare time to learn new technologies and loves to spend his time with his wife Sunita and two beautiful daughters Malika and Raashi at lakeside cottages when he gets an opportunity.

Omar Khan

Chief Communications and Public Affairs Officer

A seasoned cannabis industry professional, Omar came to High Tide from one of the world’s leading global communications companies, where he served as the National Cannabis Sector Lead. During his tenure, Omar worked with several licensed cannabis producers, retailers, and companies involved in the cannabis ancillary space to affect public policy changes and build a corporate profile.

He has over 20 years of experience working as a political and communications strategist in Canadian federal and provincial politics, including serving as Chief of Staff to several Ontario Ministers, including the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, the Minister of Economic Development and Trade and the Minister of Government Services. With a diverse policy background across healthcare, economics, regulatory affairs, and labour relations, Omar has a proven track record developing complex policy proposals, building stakeholder coalitions, and leading and executing communications plans.

Joy Avzar

Senior Vice President Legal and Compliance

Joy Avzar (LLB) brings over 20 years of legal and real estate experience to High Tide. Prior to joining High Tide, she was the Vice President & Legal Counsel for Meta Growth Corp. and before that she led the Real Estate and Facilities department for Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Company of Canada. Her legal career began at a Bay Street Law firm specializing in corporate and commercial matters.

Joy’s areas of expertise include mergers & acquisitions, real estate, contract negotiation, regulatory and compliance matters, corporate development and strategy development. In addition, she has led various aspects of corporate transformations, including the creation and implementation of flexible working within an organization.

Joy enjoys bringing her legal skills and business acumen together which enables her to take a more practical approach to legal matters.

Vahan Ajamian, CPA, CA, CFA

Capital Markets Advisor

Vahan Ajamian (CPA, CA, CFA) has nearly 20 years of capital markets experience including eight years of cannabis experience, initially as one of the first analysts to cover the sector for Beacon Securities. His expert opinions have been frequently quoted by media outlets like CBC, Marijuana Business Daily and BNNBloomberg. Vahan was also named one of the “Rising Stars” in the cannabis investment community by Business Insider for his equity research and analysis, as well as

“Top Investment Analyst in Cannabis” by Green Market Report. His prior firms also include Vext, MedMen, TD Securities and KPMG.

Sandy Sharma

Vice President, Human Resources

Sandy Sharma (CPHR, SHRM-SCP, CTMP & RPR) is the heart of the High Tide community, responsible for curating and developing the talented leaders that proudly represent our brands. With over 15 years of experience managing human capital across Oil & Gas, Banking, the Canadian Armed Forces, and Health Services, Sandy has built her profession around enabling leadership within a stable, team-focused corporate culture.

Sandy is an avid reader who enjoys the Alberta outdoors and is a passionate supporter of causes that benefit seniors and children.

Sri Pavithra Priyalakshmi

Vice President, Digital and eCommerce

Sri Pavithra brings over a decade of global experience in eCommerce, digital transformation, and project delivery leadership to High Tide. Her impressive background spans B2B, B2C, and DTC markets across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. She has led large-scale digital initiatives, built high-performing cross-functional teams, and driven measurable growth through data-driven strategies and customer-centric innovation. Sri excels at aligning technology, marketing, and operations to deliver lasting business impact.

Throughout her career, she has managed complex digital ecosystems, launched multi-platform commerce solutions, and collaborated with diverse stakeholders to deliver scalable, high-impact results. Her expertise spans Shopify Plus, Magento, Salesforce Commerce, and headless commerce architectures, as well as composable technology stacks with strategic capabilities in PIM/ERP/CRM integrations, omnichannel customer journeys, acquisition-to-retention optimization, and data analytics that enable brands to scale with agility and precision.

At High Tide, Sri is spearheading the digital governance and innovation roadmap, driving a vision where technology, data, and customer experience come together to build a future-ready digital ecosystem that positions the company for long-term industry leadership.

Shanon Hewett-Throop

Vice President, Procurement & Sourcing.

Shanon Hewett is a forward-thinking strategist and driver of successful organizational change. She has held key senior leadership positions in Health & Wellness, as well as in Food & Beverage, and brings over 15 years of accomplished management experience to High Tide Inc.

With her progressive leadership style and tactical approach to problem-solving, Shanon has been an instrumental figure in the building of High Tide’s accessory production business. She continues to lead and oversee major internal projects such as the launch of CBD City, High Tide’s US-based CBD business, and the recent Meta Growth acquisition.

Shanon is particularly skilled at cost control, supply chain management, and improving workflow efficiency. Her areas of expertise include Business Development, Project Management, and Strategic Growth.

Mitesh Patel

Senior Creative Director

Mitesh Patel is an accomplished Creative Director with over a decade of experience in brand building, product design, and marketing strategy. He specializes in creating packaging, signage, and campaigns that resonate with consumers and drive strong commercial results. His work has been featured in leading retailers including Costco, Walmart, Pottery Barn, Home Depot, Target, and Lowe’s. Mitesh brings a hands-on, insight-driven approach to every project, blending creativity with a deep understanding of consumer behavior and regulatory standards. He’s known for building high-performing teams and leading them with a collaborative, strategic mindset. Passionate about design that delivers impact, Mitesh consistently creates work that builds brand loyalty, supports long-term growth, and exceeds expectations.

Raj Grover

Executive Chairman

Since starting his first company at the age of 22, Raj has established himself as one of Canada’s foremost business strategists and dealmakers. He is the founder of High Tide and its subsidiary companies Valiant Distribution and Canna Cabana and is the co-founder of High Tide’s subsidiary, Famous Brandz. 

Through organic growth and strategic acquisitions, Raj has grown High Tide from one small shop of 2 employees in 2009 into Canada’s largest cannabis retailer with over 200 locations and over 1,700 amazing  team members and business interests spanning North America and Europe. 

While committed to building a strong, profitable, and sustainable business, Raj also believes passionately that those who enjoy success hold a particular responsibility to give back. In that vein, he spearheaded the launch of High Tide’s CSR program, Rising Tide for Good which has supported many worthy causes both cannabis related and otherwise. On a personal level, Raj has also been a long-time supporter of Operation Smile, an organization that works to deliver free, safe cleft surgery to children in need, saving them from a lifetime of pain and isolation. 

Onekanew Christian Sinclair

Independent Director

Christian Sinclair served as Onekanew (Leader) of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN) from 2016 to 2021. One of Canada’s Top 40 under 40, Christian is a highly sought after negotiator and project manager for Indigenous communities and mainstream corporations. Christian is adept at bridging the interests of First Nations and industry into mutually beneficial opportunities, social prosperity, and sustainable development. Under Christian’s leadership, the OCN is considered one of Canada’s top 20 First Nations and is a leader in cannabis investments both nationally and internationally.

Arthur Kwan

Independent Director

Arthur is the Co-Founder, President & CEO of Aspen Island Therapeutics Inc. DBA The Newly Institute, whose mission is to become the largest operator of psychedelic assisted psychotherapy clinics in Canada.  He has over 20 years of investment banking, capital markets, and leadership experience.

He began his investment career in 1997 with TD Asset Management. Arthur has since held progressively senior investment banking positions with Scotia Capital, PI Financial, and Paradigm Capital, where he was Managing Director, Investment Banking.  Over his career, he has successfully originated, advised, negotiated, and executed on transactions with an aggregate value exceeding $1 billion.  In 2020, Arthur was featured in the Top 100 People in Finance magazine.

Arthur holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Simon Fraser University, a Masters of Business Administration in International Finance from Wilfrid Laurier University, the Chartered Financial Analyst designation from the CFA Institute, and the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors. He is also a graduate of the European Summer School for Advanced Management program from the University of Aarhus in Denmark.

Kathleeen Skerrett

Independent Director

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 Toronto and is a member of the Law Society of Ontario.

Menashe Kestenbaum

Independent Director

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 $1.4B market cap in 2021. He is also a General Partner of LeverageVC, a venture capital fund focused on early-stage technology investments, including having made investments in AI and e-commerce. Menashe has now turned his focus onto disrupting the mental health industry with Glimmer, where he acts as CEO. Mr. Kestenbaum brings deep expertise in scaling technology companies, navigating public company governance across multiple exchanges, and evaluating emerging technology and AI opportunities. His experience managing dual-listed companies on the TSX and NASDAQ is directly relevant to High Tide’s listing structure.