WM Technology, Inc. Announces Public Company Board of Directors

By: WM Technology, Inc. via Business Wire

July 14, 2021 at 07:00 AM EDT

Board of Directors further strengthens WM Technology’s expertise in cannabis technology, data analytics and retail

WM Technology, Inc. (“WM Technology” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: MAPS), a leading technology and software infrastructure provider to the cannabis industry, today announced the Company’s Board of Directors following its public debut on the Nasdaq on June 16, 2021.

“We have assembled a best-in-class Board of Directors with highly experienced leaders in the technology, retail, and cannabis sectors,” said Chris Beals, Chief Executive Officer of WM Technology. “Their collective expertise will play a key role in guiding WM Technology forward as we execute our growth strategy and scale our technology platform globally. On behalf of the entire WM Technology team, I’d like to welcome these seasoned veterans to our company, mission and vision.”

WM Technology’s Board of Directors is comprised of nine (9) members, including Scott Gordon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Silver Spike Capital, Chris Beals, Chief Executive Officer of WM Technology, Tony Aquila, Douglas Francis, Brenda Freeman, Olga Gonzalez, Justin Hartfield and Fiona Tan. The outstanding vacancy will be filled by an affirmative vote of a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors.

Additional Information on Board Members

Tony Aquila has served as a member of WM Technology’s board of directors since June 2021. In June 2019, Mr. Aquila founded AFV Partners, an affirmative low-leverage capital vehicle that invests in long-term mission critical software, data and technology businesses and serves as its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since its founding. In 2005, Mr. Aquila founded Solera Holdings Inc., and led it as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer to a $1 billion initial public offering in 2007, and in the following years sourced and executed over 50 acquisitions significantly expanding Solera’s total addressable market. Mr. Aquila oversaw Solera’s $6.5 billion transaction from a public-to-private business in 2016. Mr. Aquila currently serves as the Chairman for Aircraft Performance Group, LLC, a global provider of mission critical flight operations software, since January 2020, RocketRoute Limited, global aviation services company, since March 2020, APG Avionics LLC, an aviation data and software company for the general aviation market, since September 2020 and Canoo Inc., a mobility technology company, since December 2020. From November 2018 to July 2020, Mr. Aquila served as the Global Chairman of Sportradar Group, a sports data and content company.

Christopher Beals has served as WM Technology’s Chief Executive Officer and as a member of its board of directors since June 2021. Mr. Beals served as WM Holding Company, LLC’s (“Legacy WMH”) Chief Executive Officer from March 2019 to June 2021 and as a member of its board of managers since October 2015. Mr. Beals previously served as Legacy WMH’s General Counsel from September 2015, and Legacy WMH’s President from February 2016 to March 2019. Mr. Beals previously served as Senior Vice President of Colbeck Capital Management from December 2014 to August 2015 and Senior Corporate Counsel & Data Privacy Officer at T-Systems International GmbH from February 2013 to December 2014. He also previously worked as an associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP and Covington & Burling LLP. Mr. Beals holds a B.S. in Systems Engineering and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Douglas Francis has served as a member of WM Technology’s board of directors since June 2021. Mr. Francis is a co-founder of Legacy WMH, and served as chairman of Legacy WMH’s board of managers since March 2019 and as a member of Legacy WMH’s board of managers prior to that. Mr. Francis previously served as Legacy WMH’s Chief Executive Officer from February 2016 until March 2019 and as Legacy WMH’s President from January 2009 to February 2016. Mr. Francis has served in management positions in each of Legacy WMH’s current subsidiaries. Mr. Francis holds a B.S. in Business Administration and Management from Chapman University.

Brenda Freeman has served as a member of WM Technology’s board of directors since June 2021. Since February 2020, Ms. Freeman has served as Chief Executive Officer for Arteza, Inc., a direct-to-consumer arts and crafts manufacturing and supply company. Ms. Freeman founded and has served as President of Joyeux Advisory Group LLC, a firm providing advisory services to early-stage startups and Fortune 500 companies, since January 2018. From March 2016 to December 2018, Ms. Freeman was Chief Marketing Officer of Magic Leap, Inc., a virtual reality technology company, and from December 2018 to April 2019 was Senior Advisor to the Chief Executive Officer. From March 2015 to March 2016, Ms. Freeman served as Chief Marketing Officer of National Geographic Channel, a television network and channel. Ms. Freeman has been a member of the boards of directors of Blue Apron Holdings, Inc. since October 2020, of Caleres, Inc. since April 2017 and of Avnet, Inc. since November 2018. Ms. Freeman previously served on the board of directors of Herman Miller, Inc. from January 2016 to June 2019 and on the board of directors of RTW Retailwinds, Inc. from April 2019 to April 2020. Previously, Ms. Freeman served as Chief Marketing Officer at Turner Broadcasting Systems, Inc. and was Vice President, television marketing at DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. Ms. Freeman holds a B.S. degree in chemical engineering and an M.B.A degree from the University of Maryland.

Olga Gonzalez has served as a member of WM Technology’s board of directors since June 2021. Since January 2021, Ms. Gonzalez has served as Global Business Leader for Wild Fork Foods, an online specialty food service. Prior to that, Ms. Gonzalez held various leadership positions at Walmart Inc., including Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Walmart México y Centroamérica from July 2017 to April 2020, Vice President Commercial & Operations Finance at Walmart México y Centroamérica from October 2014 to June 2017, Chief Financial Officer at Walmart Chile from 2011 to 2014, and Vice President, Internal Audit Services Latin America at Walmart US from 2010 to 2011. Prior to that, Ms. Gonzalez had served as Director, Internal Audit at General Motors Company from 2006 to 2010 and from 1996 to 2004, Vice President, Enterprise Risk and Assurance Services at the 88 TABLE OF CONTENTS American Express Company from 2004 to 2006, and Internal Audit at Banco Santander from 1989 to 1996. Ms. Gonzalez holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico and an M.B.A. from Florida International University.

Scott Gordon has served as a member of WM Technology’s board of directors since June 2021. Mr. Gordon has been the Chairman of Silver Spike’s board of directors and has served as its Chief Executive Officer since its inception. Since 2016, Mr. Gordon has been the co-founder and Chairman of Egg Rock Holdings, parent company of the Papa & Barkley family of cannabis products with related subsidiary assets in manufacturing, processing, and logistics. Egg Rock Holdings also is the parent company of Papa & Barkley Essentials, a hemp-derived CBD business based in Colorado. From 2016 to 2018, Mr. Gordon was also President of Fintech Advisory Inc., investment manager for a multibillion dollar family office fund focused on long-term and opportunistic investments in emerging markets. From late 2013 to 2016, Mr. Gordon served as a Portfolio Manager at Taconic Capital Advisors, a multi-strategy investment firm. Prior to joining Taconic, Mr. Gordon was a Partner and Portfolio Manager at Caxton Associates from 2009 to 2012. He was also a Senior Managing Director and Head of Emerging Markets at Marathon Asset Management from 2007 to 2009. Earlier in his career, Mr. Gordon held leadership positions at Bank of America and ING Capital. Mr. Gordon was a founding member of the Emerging Markets business at JP Morgan where he worked upon graduating from Bowdoin College in 1983.

Justin Hartfield has served as a member of WM Technology’s board of directors since June 2021. Mr. Hartfield is a co-founder of Legacy WMH, and served as a member of Legacy WMH’s board of managers since inception and served as Legacy WMH’s chairman of the board from February 2016 to March 2019. Previously, Mr. Hartfield served as Legacy WMH’s Chief Executive Officer until February 2016. Mr. Hartfield holds a B.S. in Computer and Information Sciences and Supportive Services from the University of California, Irvine.

Fiona Tan has served as a member of WM Technology’s board of directors since June 2021. Since September 2020, Ms. Tan has served as Global Head of Customer and Supplier Technology for Wayfair LLC. Prior to that Ms. Tan held various leadership positions at Walmart Inc., including Head of Technology, Walmart US from March 2019 to September 2020, Senior Vice President, Engineering, Customer Technology, WalmartLabs from January 2017 to March 2019 and Vice President, Engineering, International Markets, WalmartLabs Strategy, and Operations from April 2014 to January 2017. Prior to that Ms. Tan was Vice President, Engineering for Ariba, Inc. Ms. Tan also previously worked for 16 years at TIBCO Software, Inc., as well as for Oracle Corporation. Ms. Tan holds an M.S. in Computer Science from Stanford University and a B.S. in Computer Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

About WM Technology, Inc.

WM Technology, Inc.’s (Nasdaq: MAPS) mission is to power a transparent and inclusive global cannabis economy. Now in its second decade, WM Technology has been a driving force behind much of the legislative change we’ve seen in the past 10 years.

Founded in 2008, WM Technology, is a leading technology and software infrastructure provider to the cannabis industry, comprising a B2C platform, Weedmaps, and B2B software, WM Business. The cloud-based SaaS solutions from WM Business provide an end-to-end operating system for cannabis retailers. WM Business’ tools support compliance with the complex, disparate, and constantly evolving regulations applicable to the cannabis industry. Through its website and mobile apps, WM Technology provides consumers with the latest information about cannabis retailers, brands, and products, facilitating product discovery and driving engagement with our retail and brand customers.

WM Technology holds a strong belief in the power of cannabis and the importance of enabling safe, legal access to consumers worldwide. Since inception, WM Technology has worked tirelessly, not only to become the most comprehensive platform for consumers, but to build the software solutions that power businesses compliantly in the space, to advocate for legalization, social equity, and licensing in many jurisdictions, and to facilitate further learning through partnering with subject matter experts on providing detailed, accurate information about the plant.

Headquartered in Irvine, California, WM Technology employs approximately 430 professionals around the world. WM Technology supports remote work for all eligible employees and has hubs in Denver, Colorado; Los Angeles, California; and Kitchener, Ontario. Visit us at www.weedmaps.com.