Bruce Linton
Greenlane HoldingsAbout Bruce Linton
Bruce Linton (age 59) is an independent director of Greenlane Holdings, Inc. (GNLN) and joined the board in 2025. He serves on the Audit Committee (and is designated as an SEC “audit committee financial expert”), is a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, and chairs the newly formed Digital Assets Committee, bringing extensive experience in corporate strategy, governance, and scaling organizations in policy‑driven industries; he is the founder and former Chairman/CEO of Canopy Growth Corporation and has held multiple public company roles across cannabis and life sciences technology ecosystems .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canopy Growth Corporation | Founder; former Chairman & CEO | Not stated | Led scaling of first federally regulated cannabis producer on NYSE; policy‑driven industry scaling experience |
| Martello Technologies Group Inc. | Co‑Chairman; former CEO | 2013–2023 | Technology operations oversight and corporate strategy |
| Collective Growth Corp. (SPAC) | Chief Executive Officer & Chairman | 2019–2021 | Cannabis/technology SPAC sponsor leadership |
| Gage Growth Corp. | Executive Chairman | 2019–2021 | Medical cannabis technology innovation oversight |
| Mind Medicine | Director | 2019–2021 | Medicinal biotech governance |
| Óskare Capital | Non‑Executive Chairman | 2020–2022 | Life sciences venture capital leadership |
| Melodiol Global Health Ltd. | Director | 2022–2024 | Health & wellness governance |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure/Status |
|---|---|---|
| Red Light Holland Corp. (psychedelic wellness) | Advisor and Chairman of Advisory Committee | Current |
| Canadian Olympic Foundation | Director | Current |
| Ottawa Hospital Foundation | Executive Committee member | Current |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member (financial expert); Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee member; Digital Assets Committee chair .
- Independence: Board affirmed Linton is “independent” under Nasdaq and SEC rules; director since 2025 .
- Board/committee activity: In FY2024, Board met 21 times; each director then serving attended 100% of applicable Board/committee meetings. Audit Committee met 6 times; Compensation Committee met 2 times; Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee met 2 times. Digital Assets Committee was established in October 2025 and did not meet during FY2024 .
- Executive sessions: Independent directors meet regularly in executive session; agendas/presiding led by the Chairman (Donald Hunter) .
- Risk oversight: Audit (financial reporting/compliance), Compensation (risk from pay programs), Nominating/Governance (governance guidelines), Digital Assets (market, liquidity, custody, cybersecurity, regulatory risks) .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Policy/Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (independent directors) | $60,000 | Paid quarterly; FY2024 policy baseline |
| Committee/Board chair fee | $16,000 | Paid quarterly for chair roles (Board or committee) |
| Meeting fees | $10,000 or $5,000 | Additional fees to certain directors for attendance beyond 10 designated Board meetings in FY2024 (examples cited) |
| Expense reimbursement | Reasonable out‑of‑pocket expenses | For Board and committee meetings |
Implication: As Digital Assets Committee chair, Linton’s compensation structure includes a chair fee per policy; specific FY2025 dollar amounts for Linton not disclosed in the proxy excerpt .
Performance Compensation
| Award Type | Instrument | Shares/Value | Vesting/Trigger | Terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strategic Advisory Warrants (individual) | Warrants to purchase Class A Common Stock | 520,833 shares (right to acquire within 60 days noted) | Advisory warrant exercise contingent on shareholder approval; subject to vesting/forfeiture terms in Advisory Agreements | 10‑year expiry; beneficial ownership cap ≤19.99%; not exercisable until stockholder approval; Nasdaq Rule 5635(c) stockholder approval sought (company believes not equity compensation, but may be deemed compensatory) |
Performance metrics tied to compensation (directors):
| Metric | Disclosure | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Director‑level performance metrics for equity awards | Not specified for directors | No director‑specific performance criteria disclosed; 2019 Equity Incentive Plan permits performance goals broadly, but no targets for Linton disclosed . |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Potential Interlock/Exposure |
|---|---|---|
| Red Light Holland Corp. | Advisor/Advisory Committee Chair | Psychedelic wellness sector; no specific GNLN transaction disclosed |
| Mind Medicine | Former Director | Medicinal biotech; prior role only |
| Gage Growth Corp. | Former Executive Chairman | Medical cannabis; prior role only |
| Óskare Capital | Former Non‑Executive Chairman | Life sciences venture capital; prior role only |
| Martello Technologies Group Inc. | Former Co‑Chairman/CEO | Tech operations; prior role only |
| Melodiol Global Health Ltd. | Former Director | Health & wellness; prior role only |
No explicit related‑party transactions with these entities are disclosed in the proxy excerpt; Audit Committee reviews related‑person transactions per charter .
Expertise & Qualifications
- SEC “audit committee financial expert” designation; deep experience in governance, financial oversight, and compliance .
- Founder/operator track record scaling Canopy Growth; leadership across SPAC, venture, biotech, and technology boards underscores strategic and capital‑markets fluency .
- Digital assets oversight: chairs committee governing staking, lending/yield, arbitrage strategies, protocol governance, valuation, controls, and cybersecurity/regulatory risk—critical given treasury strategy shift .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Beneficial Ownership (Shares) | % Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bruce Linton | Not disclosed in table excerpt | — | Footnote: excludes 520,833 shares issuable upon exercise of Strategic Advisory Warrants within 60 days after Oct 2, 2025; total Class A shares outstanding 4,714,563 as of Oct 28, 2025 |
Section 16(a) filings compliance for FY2024 was satisfied by reporting persons; no director/officer litigation pending noted for indemnification .
Governance Assessment
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Strengths:
- Independent director with audit committee financial expert status; enhances financial oversight quality .
- High governance engagement: committee memberships and chair role in Digital Assets; board processes include regular independent executive sessions .
- Board/committee cadence robust in FY2024 (21 board meetings; committees met multiple times) indicating active oversight; Linton joined in 2025, so future attendance should be monitored .
-
Potential conflicts and RED FLAGS:
- Advisory Warrants to Linton (and select insiders) tied to the financing and digital asset treasury strategy could be viewed as compensatory and may create perceived conflicts; company is seeking shareholder approval under Nasdaq Rule 5635(c) and notes potential dilution and change‑of‑control considerations in aggregate warrant structures. Beneficial ownership caps at ≤19.99% mitigate but do not eliminate governance optics risk .
- Digital Assets Committee’s remit includes evaluating related‑party transactions involving digital assets/liquidity pools—while positive for oversight, Linton’s dual role as chair and advisor receiving warrants requires rigorous conflict management and transparent recusal protocols on any self‑interested matters .
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Risk controls:
- Indemnification agreements standard; no current litigation naming directors/officers; Section 16 filings compliant for FY2024 .
- Audit Committee charter explicitly includes related‑party transaction review; Nominating & Corporate Governance maintains board evaluations; Compensation Committee assesses pay‑risk .
Overall: Linton strengthens board financial and strategic capacity, particularly in policy‑driven and digital asset domains, but the advisory warrant structure requires close monitoring for independence safeguards (recusals, clear disclosure) to preserve investor confidence .