Personnel Appointment

Prohibition Partners Launches PPX, Names Heidi Whitman Managing Director

London – – October 07, 2026 -- Prohibition Partners has appointed Heidi Whitman as Managing Director of PPX, a new advisory and media pillar combining the firm's decade-old cannabis market infrastructure with her independent network of regulators, financiers and formulators across the UK, EU and Latin America.

Prohibition Partners merges a decade of client relationships with Whitman's independent advisory book

Prohibition Partners has worked with some clients since 2017, building intelligence, media and events infrastructure including Cannabis Europa, Cannabis Health, Mind Forward and Business of Cannabis. Whitman's own clientele, built across three independent ventures, a company exit and years of advisory work, now gains access to that full network under the PPX structure.

Function Health Names Ex-Instagram, Uber, Spotify Exec Taj Alavi as First CMO

Austin – October 05, 2026 -- Function Health has appointed Taj Alavi as its first Chief Marketing Officer, tasking the former Instagram, Uber and Spotify executive with scaling consumer adoption of its preventive health testing platform.

Alavi brings three consumer-tech scale-up track records to a health startup

At Instagram, Alavi led global brand marketing and launched the Stories feature as the platform grew from 300 million to 1 billion users. She later ran global brand and creative at Uber before serving as Global Head of Marketing at Spotify, overseeing growth, product and marketing for a $13 billion business spanning music, podcasts and audiobooks. She most recently consulted for Neko Health, a European health-screening company.

NYU Langone Recruits Three Top Orthopedic Surgeons to Expand Sports Medicine

New York City – September 25, 2026 -- NYU Langone Health has recruited three senior orthopedic surgeons -- Dr. Sabrina M. Strickland, Dr. F. Winston Gwathmey, and Dr. Andreas H. Gomoll -- to lead new specialty centers within its orthopedics division, currently ranked No. 2 nationally by U.S. News & World Report.

NYU Langone builds out joint-preservation leadership with three senior hires

Dr. Strickland arrives from the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, where she practiced for more than two decades, to become the inaugural director of NYU Langone's new Center for Patellofemoral Disorders. Her clinical focus spans knee cartilage repair, patellar stabilization, ACL and meniscus surgery, and joint preservation; she also uses 3D-printed joint models to refine surgical techniques for patients with atypical bone structures, addressing a gap left by biomechanical research that relies primarily on cadaveric 'normal' joints.

New Jersey American Water Names DeAndrea Government Affairs Director

Camden, N.J. – September 24, 2026 -- New Jersey American Water has appointed Fred DeAndrea as director of Government Affairs and promoted Sakeema M. James to senior manager of Government Affairs, strengthening a team tasked with managing regulatory and legislative relationships as the utility expands infrastructure investment across the state.

DeAndrea joins from Comcast after two decades in New Jersey public policy roles

DeAndrea most recently served as senior director of government and community affairs for New Jersey at Comcast, leading advocacy efforts across the state. He began his career as a district representative for U.S. Rep. Robert E. Andrews and holds a political science degree from Rutgers University. He has served on the Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce board and the Southern New Jersey Development Council.

2XU Hires Ex-Under Armour Exec to Lead North America Push

Melbourne – September 24, 2026 -- Australian performance brand 2XU has appointed Aaron Brown as Head of Wholesale & Business Development, North America, tasking a two-decade sporting goods veteran with expanding the company's commercial footprint across the United States and Canada.

Brown exits HydraPak's global sales leadership to join 2XU's North American buildout

Brown most recently served as Vice President of Global Sales at HydraPak, overseeing global revenue strategy, sporting goods, run specialty and outdoor retail channels, OEM partnerships and international distribution. Before that, he spent more than ten years at Under Armour, rising to Director of Sales with responsibility for North American commercial strategy across key and specialty accounts, spanning merchandising, go-to-market execution, ecommerce and inventory planning.

Noto Group Names Schofield, Johns Senior Partners to Grow Consumer Practice

Leeds – September 24, 2026 -- Noto Group, an executive search and leadership advisory firm serving consumer brands across North America and Europe, has appointed Kirsty Schofield and Cody Johns as Senior Partners, expanding the firm's global consumer leadership practice.

Schofield brings 15 years of UK-based search experience to fashion, beauty and wellness mandates

Schofield, a founding member and shareholder of PartnerWise, built a senior-level search practice serving consumer brands across Europe, Asia and North America. She holds Hogan assessment certification and will work alongside Senior Partner John Copeland to extend Noto Group's international reach in fashion, lifestyle, beauty and wellness sectors.

Special Olympics Northern California Adds Five Directors to Board

Pleasant Hill, Calif. – September 22, 2026 -- Special Olympics Northern California (SONC) has appointed five new members to its Board of Directors as the organization works to strengthen its financial base and expand inclusive sports programming across the region.

SONC recruits finance, law and pro-sports executives for board expansion

The new directors are Colleen Atkinson, Kevin Brown, Richard Rahm, Brian Wentzel, and athlete leader Devon Yoshimine. David Solo, President and CEO of SONC, said the group brings expertise spanning corporate finance, professional sports operations, grassroots coaching and lived athlete experience to support the organization's growth goals.

Virginia Housing Board Adds Gray, Olivieri to Oversight Panel

Virginia – – September 22, 2026 -- Virginia Housing has named Davon Gray and Michael Olivieri to its Board of Commissioners, the panel that sets policy, approves budgets and oversees operations for the state's public mortgage and housing finance authority.

Gray brings 25 years of advocacy and policy strategy to the board

Gray currently serves as Vice President of Policy for Purpose Built Communities. He previously held roles at the American Institute of Architects, including Managing Director of Advocacy and Engagement programs. A 12-year veteran of the U.S. Army National Guard and Reserves, Gray holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Southern Mississippi and a master's degree in public administration from DeVry University.

Corgi Insurance Names Stuart Wilkinson VP of State Government Affairs

Atlanta – September 22, 2026 -- Corgi, an AI-native insurance carrier, has appointed Stuart Wilkinson as its new Vice President of State Government Affairs, bringing more than 15 years of legislative and regulatory experience to the company as it expands its insurance platform across multiple U.S. states.

Wilkinson joins from PrizePicks, where he led government affairs during a period of rapid company growth

Before that role, Wilkinson served as Deputy Director of External Affairs in the Office of Georgia Governor Brian P. Kemp and as Deputy Director of Transition for the Georgians First Committee. He also worked as a Vice President at McGuireWoods Consulting, representing corporate and nonprofit clients on legislative and regulatory matters.

Proterra Investment Partners Hires Park, Elevates Coad in Capital Push

Minneapolis – September 21, 2026 -- Proterra Investment Partners has hired Jennie Park as Head of Capital Formation and appointed Matt Coad as Head of Investor Solutions, expanding leadership as the food value chain-focused alternative asset manager grows its institutional investor base.

Park joins from H.I.G. Capital, a $75 billion global alternative investment firm

At H.I.G. Capital, Park served as a Principal responsible for capital raising and investor relations across the firm's credit strategies in North America. She previously held Managing Director roles at Briarcliffe Credit Partners focused on private credit fundraising, and led North American business development and investor relations at Vantage Infrastructure. Earlier stops include Apollo Global Management, Anchorage Capital, and leveraged finance at Goldman Sachs, where she began her career.