Bryan Olson
About Bryan Olson
Bryan Olson is Chief Human Resources Officer (non‑employee, fractional) at The Cannabist Company (CBSTF), age 51 as of April 28, 2025, having joined the company in 2017 and previously serving as Chief People & Administrative Officer; effective August 6, 2024 he transitioned to a 50% time consulting arrangement via ourCHRO, LLC while continuing to vest in his outstanding equity awards . His background spans CHRO at global law firm K&L Gates, senior HR roles at Aetna and United Technologies, and earlier practice as an executive compensation attorney at Skadden Arps; he began his career at Fidelity Investments . Company‑level TSR or financial performance linkages specific to Olson’s pay were not detailed in filings; his 2024 bonus eligibility was prorated with a 55% target (January 1–July 31, 2024) prior to his consultant transition .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| K&L Gates (global law firm) | Chief Human Resource Officer | Not disclosed | Led global HR for a large professional services firm |
| Aetna | Senior HR executive positions | Not disclosed | Human capital leadership at a major payer |
| United Technologies Corporation | Senior HR executive positions | Not disclosed | HR leadership at diversified industrial |
| Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom | Attorney (employee benefits & executive compensation) | Not disclosed | Deep technical expertise in executive comp and benefits |
| Fidelity Investments | Early career | Not disclosed | Foundation in financial services |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceres Coin, LLC (private) | Chief Administrative Officer (non‑employee consultant) | Not disclosed | Administrative leadership in fintech/digital assets context |
Fixed Compensation
| Year/Term | Component | Terms | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 6, 2024–Aug 5, 2025 initial term | Consulting fee (Fractional CHRO via ourCHRO, LLC) | 50% time allocation; continues until terminated per agreement | $26,250 per month |
| FY 2024 paid | Consulting fees paid under engagement | Payments during 2024 under the engagement | $131,250 |
Performance Compensation
| Plan year | Metric(s) | Target | Performance period | Actual payout | Vesting/other terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 (pre‑consultant) | Not disclosed | Target bonus 55% of salary in effect during period | Jan 1, 2024–Jul 31, 2024 | Not disclosed | Eligible under executive bonus plan for 2024 through July 31, 2024 |
Equity award structure at the company level utilizes RSUs and PSUs with multiple performance measures; awards are “at‑risk” and tied to long‑term value creation, but Olson‑specific PSU metrics/weights were not disclosed .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Date (as of) | Shares beneficially owned | % of shares outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 21, 2023 | 301,522 | Not disclosed | From 2023 proxy ownership table |
| Mar 11, 2024 | 1,477,296 | 0.32% | From 2024 10‑K ownership table |
| Aug 8, 2025 | 1,837,468 | <1% | From 2025 proxy ownership table (based on 499,178,724 shares O/S) |
- Equity plan and vesting: Under Olson’s Aug 6, 2024 engagement, “any outstanding unvested equity awards previously granted to Mr. Olson will continue to vest during the term” (reduces near‑term selling pressure from forced vest expiries, but maintains ongoing settlement cadence) .
- Hedging/pledging: Hedging transactions (short sales, puts/calls) by executives are prohibited under the Insider Trading Policy; no explicit pledging prohibition was disclosed for executives in the cited materials .
- Governance signal: In 2023, as part of an overhang‑reduction initiative, Olson voluntarily forfeited 174,139 one‑time performance‑vested RSUs granted in 2019 (alignment positive) .
Employment Terms
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current status | Chief Human Resources Officer (non‑employee consultant) |
| Company start date | Joined in 2017 (initially as Chief Human Capital Officer) |
| Consultant engagement | Fractional CHRO Engagement Agreement with ourCHRO, LLC; initial term Aug 6, 2024–Aug 5, 2025; 50% time allocation |
| Compensation (consultant) | $26,250 per month to ourCHRO, LLC |
| Bonus eligibility (2024) | Eligible for executive bonus plan for Jan 1–Jul 31, 2024; target 55% of salary during that period |
| Equity vesting | Unvested equity continues to vest during engagement term |
| Severance | Not disclosed for Olson |
| Change‑of‑control (CoC) | Not disclosed for Olson |
| Non‑compete / non‑solicit | Not disclosed for Olson |
| Related party context | Company has not adopted a related party transaction policy; Olson’s engagement via ourCHRO, LLC is disclosed as a related‑party transaction |
Compensation Structure Analysis
- Shift to consulting arrangement with continued equity vesting concentrates cash comp into fixed monthly fees while preserving long‑term equity incentives; absence of disclosed Olson‑specific performance metric weights/payouts limits pay‑for‑performance visibility for 2024 beyond the 55% target bonus for the partial‑year period .
- 2023 voluntary forfeiture of legacy performance RSUs by Olson is alignment‑positive and reduced equity overhang; the company signaled intent to balance future LTI between performance‑vested and time‑vested vehicles (retention + performance mix) .
- Company‑wide governance: hedging is prohibited; however, no explicit executive pledging policy was referenced in the cited sections; compensation committee uses an independent consultant (ClearBridge) and asserts multi‑metric incentive design and caps to mitigate risk .
Risk Indicators & Red Flags
- Section 16 timeliness: Olson had two late transactions reported on Form 5 for FY2024 (administrative error) — a modest compliance blemish to monitor .
- Related‑party oversight: The company states it has not adopted a related party transaction policy, while engaging Olson’s ourCHRO, LLC — a governance gap that could concern some investors .
- Insider trading/hedging: Policy prohibits trading on MNPI and hedging; adherence reduces risk of misalignment via derivatives .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Olson’s continued vesting and meaningful ownership (~1.84 million shares as of Aug 8, 2025; <1%) support alignment, and his 2023 voluntary forfeiture of performance RSUs is shareholder‑friendly .
- Retention risk: The fractional (50% time) CHRO engagement through Aug 5, 2025 with ongoing vesting and monthly fees suggests low near‑term flight risk, but lack of disclosed severance/CoC protections for Olson may reduce retention “stickiness” versus peers with defined protections .
- Trading signals: No Olson‑specific Form 4/5 transaction detail on size/direction was disclosed in proxies; only late filings were noted — monitor future Form 4 activity for any selling pressure around vest dates .
- Governance watch‑items: Absence of a related‑party transaction policy alongside the consulting arrangement is a governance negative; hedging is prohibited but pledging policy for executives was not disclosed in the cited materials .