Wendy Milne

Wendy Milne

President, Go Brands

President, Go Brands

THE SIT DOWN

"YOU DON'T NEED TO BE FIRST TO MARKET. YOU NEED TO BE THE BEST TO MARKET"
"YOU DON'T NEED TO BE FIRST TO MARKET. YOU NEED TO BE THE BEST TO MARKET"
"YOU DON'T NEED TO BE FIRST TO MARKET. YOU NEED TO BE THE BEST TO MARKET"

Wendy Milne

Wendy Milne

Wendy Milne has built a career on the unglamorous side of glory: Execution.

She grew up asking "How come?", but her real education began in the data room of the Toronto Blue Jays, where she learned that passion without numbers is just noise. From there, she entered the bootcamp of Labatt Breweries in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In a world of tough sales and tight margins, she learned that you don't build a business by selling beer; you build it by becoming a partner.

In 2017, she left the safety of banking and big beer to join Canopy Growth right as the "Green Rush" began. She describes it as "building the plane while flying it" and sometimes realizing the plane had no wings. While others chased stock prices, Wendy was in the trenches, building the seed-to-sale value chain and leading the retail division through a brutal divestiture, achieving profitability exactly when the market was crashing.

Today, she leads Go Brands, and she is done with the "Potency Wars." While the industry fights over who has the highest THC, Wendy is looking at the data: 64% of consumers want lighter options.

Her mission is simple but contrarian: Transform cannabis from a "Stoner's Game" into a "Social Ritual," creating the Light Beer category for a new generation.

DEFINING MOMENTS

Image
2008

The Truth in Numbers

Toronto Blue Jays. The Lesson: "Get very comfortable in the data. No matter if you are in sales or creative, the data tells you why you are doing what you are doing."

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2014

The Bootcamp

Labatt Breweries, Halifax. Learning the ropes in a hard-nosed market. The Lesson: "I met the most talented relationship builders I've ever come across. They taught me you don't build a relationship to sell; you build it to serve."

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2019

The Turbulence

Canopy Growth. Leading through the market crash. The Lesson: "We realized our plane didn't have wings. I learned you can slow down without becoming immobile. You don't have to be first; you have to be best."

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2023

The Pivot

Go Brands. Ignoring the "High THC" trend. The Lesson: "It is easy to get romanticized by a shiny object. Real discipline is saying no to the quick win to build the category that actually matters."

Image
2008

The Truth in Numbers

Toronto Blue Jays. The Lesson: "Get very comfortable in the data. No matter if you are in sales or creative, the data tells you why you are doing what you are doing."

Image
2014

The Bootcamp

Labatt Breweries, Halifax. Learning the ropes in a hard-nosed market. The Lesson: "I met the most talented relationship builders I've ever come across. They taught me you don't build a relationship to sell; you build it to serve."

Image
2019

The Turbulence

Canopy Growth. Leading through the market crash. The Lesson: "We realized our plane didn't have wings. I learned you can slow down without becoming immobile. You don't have to be first; you have to be best."

Image
2023

The Pivot

Go Brands. Ignoring the "High THC" trend. The Lesson: "It is easy to get romanticized by a shiny object. Real discipline is saying no to the quick win to build the category that actually matters."

Image
2008

The Truth in Numbers

Toronto Blue Jays. The Lesson: "Get very comfortable in the data. No matter if you are in sales or creative, the data tells you why you are doing what you are doing."

Image
2014

The Bootcamp

Labatt Breweries, Halifax. Learning the ropes in a hard-nosed market. The Lesson: "I met the most talented relationship builders I've ever come across. They taught me you don't build a relationship to sell; you build it to serve."

Image
2019

The Turbulence

Canopy Growth. Leading through the market crash. The Lesson: "We realized our plane didn't have wings. I learned you can slow down without becoming immobile. You don't have to be first; you have to be best."

Image
2023

The Pivot

Go Brands. Ignoring the "High THC" trend. The Lesson: "It is easy to get romanticized by a shiny object. Real discipline is saying no to the quick win to build the category that actually matters."

Imagine someone with the perfect mix of operational chops, team leadership, empathy, and the ability to turn my what if we just ideas into an actual business plan." 
Imagine someone with the perfect mix of operational chops, team leadership, empathy, and the ability to turn my what if we just ideas into an actual business plan." 

Grant Caton - Co Founder, Go Brands

Grant Caton - Co Founder, Go Brands

Working at

Working at

Go Brands

Go Brands

“We are a small, scrappy team, and every single person is happy to wear whatever hat we have to.”
“We are a small, scrappy team, and every single person is happy to wear whatever hat we have to.”

— Wendy Milne

— Wendy Milne

Join Wendy's Team

Join Wendy's Team

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Connect with Wendy!

Connect with Wendy!

Wendy Milne

Wendy Milne

NEXT Leaders