The leader of cannabis fintech solutions expands its marketing team to support rapidly growing business
BONITA SPRINGS, FL — Green Check Verified (GCV), the leading fintech provider of compliant cannabis banking solutions and services, today announced the hiring of Staci Firios as Chief Marketing Officer, and Brett Puffenbarger as Vice President of Marketing for its Cannabis Division.
Related: Green Check Verified Partners with HSLC to Strengthen Cannabis Business Compliance
With financial institutions increasingly embracing cannabis-related lines of business, Green Check Verified has seen a record expansion of both financial institutions and cannabis businesses on its platform. To bolster this expansion, the company has hired key leaders for its marketing and business development efforts. Staci Firios joins GCV with more than 25 years of marketing experience, the majority of which has been in financial services and fintech. Most recently, she was the CMO of Tier1 Financial Solutions and previously worked as the VP of Marketing Capabilities & Enablement at Prudential. At GCV, Firios will be responsible for marketing strategy, marketing performance, communications initiatives, and branding.
Related: Operational Security Solutions (OSS) Announces Strategic Partnership With Green Check Verified
“I’m pleased to join Green Check Verified at such a critical period of growth and expansion for the company,” said Staci Firios. “The legal cannabis industry is rapidly expanding. Not only are additional states legalizing the sale of cannabis products, but the complexity of regulations requires uniquely focused solutions. It’s exciting to join the Green Check team and help to connect legal cannabis businesses with the financial solutions that will help them grow.”
Related: Green Check Verified Acquires PayQwick to Power the Cannabis Financial Ecosystem
Prior to joining GCV, Brett Puffenbarger held a variety of marketing, sales, and business development positions both within and outside of the cannabis industry. Recently, he co-founded Good Highdeas, a bespoke advisory and consulting company that works with cannabis businesses on all things media, marketing, and public relations. He was also the interim CEO of Buds for Vets, which helped veterans in Florida obtain their medical marijuana card.
Related: Green Check Verified Hires Paul Chesek as Chief Growth Officer Driving Expansion
“Financial services is often overlooked in the greater cannabis conversation, so informing the masses about cannabis-specific fintech companies will be integral to the industry’s overall success,” said Brett Puffenbarger. “I look forward to working with the incredible Green Check team to ensure every cannabis business, throughout the entire supply chain, has access to the proper financial tools.”
Related: Green Check Verified Announces Integration with Cannabis ERP Platform Canix
“We’re very grateful to have both Staci and Brett join the GCV team,” said Kevin Hart, CEO of Green Check Verified. “Their combined expertise will be very valuable as we continue to expand our company and services in the growing cannabis sector.”
GCV counts over 120 US banks and credit unions as clients, and has recently surpassed 4,000 cannabis businesses on its platform. GCV was also recently ranked the third Best Place to Work in Fintech in 2022 by American Banker and won the Top Compliance Leader award at this year’s Payments, Banking, and Compliance Conference.
About Green Check Verified
Green Check Verified (GCV) is a regulatory software and services company founded in 2017 by a team of technology, banking, and regulatory experts. GCV focuses on the intersection between community banking and the emerging legal cannabis industry and aims to provide the services and tools needed to connect these two industries in compliant and profitable ways. For more information about Green Check Verified, visit www.greencheckverified.com.
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