Award-winning brand marketing and digital global leader to drive GURU’s global marketing team and sales strategy
Montréal, Québec, March 1, 2023 – GURU Organic Energy Corp. (TSX: GURU) (“GURU” or the “Company”), Canada’s leading organic energy drink brand, is pleased to announce the appointment of Rajaa Grar as Chief Revenue Officer for the Company, effective immediately.
Rajaa Grar is an award-winning brand marketing and digital global leader with close to 20 years of experience. From July 2020 until August 2022, she was Chief Marketing and Digital Officer at Nutrabolt, owner of C4 Energy, where she successfully refocused the company’s marketing efforts, resulting in doubling the company’s digital and total revenue over a two-year period. Ms. Grar also served as Head of Global Brand Marketing at Paula’s Choice Skincare (acquired by Unilever in 2020) where she oversaw social, influencer, digital content and omnichannel sales, led a complete creative rebrand and transformed the 25-year skincare brand into a social media darling, propelling its brand buzz and awareness with young millennials and Gen-Z consumers. Ms. Grar has extensive marketing experience building many of today’s most popular CPG and retailer brands, including Amazon, Starbucks, and Coors Light.
Ms. Grar holds a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management, a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University in Marketing and International Business, and a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the University of Montreal.
“We are thrilled that Rajaa has agreed to join the GURU team,” said Carl Goyette, President and CEO of GURU. “Her achievements as CMO and Chief Digital Officer fit perfectly with what we were looking for to grow our brand and revenue streams in Canada and the U.S. The timing of her appointment could not be better as we enter a pivotal year where marketing and digital will be key to our ongoing brand awareness and revenue generation activities in Canada. In addition, her extensive knowledge of the U.S. energy drink market is a huge asset and could lead us to accelerate the timeline of our growth initiatives in the $18+ billion U.S. market.”
“GURU has all the ingredients it needs to succeed in this competitive but large and growing market – a truly clean, functional, organic energy drink brand with untapped potential in Canada and the U.S. where health and wellness consumer trends are ever growing, a strong management team, a premium distribution partner and a solid balance sheet,” said Rajaa Grar, Chief Revenue Officer of GURU. “Its success so far in Quebec and in California natural food stores is a strong indicator of what we will be able to achieve in North America. I am eager to jump in and help make it happen.”
About GURU Products
All GURU energy drinks are plant-based, high in natural caffeine, free of artificial sweeteners, artificial colours and flavours, and have no preservatives. In addition, all drinks are organic, vegan and gluten free – and the best thing is their amazing taste.
About GURU
GURU Organic Energy Corp. (TSX: GURU) is a dynamic, fast-growing beverage company launched in 1999, when it pioneered the world’s first natural, plant-based energy drink. The Company markets organic energy drinks in Canada and the United States through an estimated distribution network of over 25,000 points of sale, and through guruenergy.com and Amazon. GURU has built an inspiring brand with a clean list of organic plant-based ingredients. Its drinks offer consumers good energy that never comes at the expense of their health. The Company is committed to achieving its mission of cleaning the energy drink industry in Canada and the United States. For more information, go to www.guruenergy.com or follow us @guruenergydrink on Instagram and @guruenergy on Facebook.
For further information, please contact:
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GURU Organic Energy Investors Carl Goyette, President and CEO Ingy Sarraf, Chief Financial Officer 514-845-4878 |
Media Lyla Radmanovich PELICAN PR 514-845-8763 |
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements include, but is not limited to, information with respect to our objectives and the strategies to achieve these objectives, as well as information with respect to our beliefs, plans, expectations, anticipations, estimates and intentions. These forward-looking statements are identified by the use of terms and phrases such as “may”, “would”, “should”, “could”, “expect”, “intend”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “believe”, or “continue”, the negative of these terms and similar terminology, including references to assumptions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these terms and phrases. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purposes of assisting the reader in understanding the Company and its business, operations, prospects and risks at a point in time in the context of historical and possible future developments and therefore the reader is cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking statements are based upon a number of assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following risk factors, which are discussed in greater detail under the “RISK FACTORS” section of the annual information form for the year ended October 31, 2022: management of growth; reliance on key personnel; reliance on key customers; changes in consumer preferences; significant changes in government regulation; criticism of energy drink products and/or the energy drink market; economic downturn and continued uncertainty in the financial markets and other adverse changes in general economic or political conditions, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and geopolitical developments, global inflationary pressure or other major macroeconomic phenomena; global or regional catastrophic events; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; inflation; revenues derived entirely from energy drinks; increased competition; relationships with co-packers and distributors and/or their ability to manufacture and/or distribute GURU’s products; demand for GURU’s product is somewhat seasonal; relationships with existing customers; changing retail landscape; increases in costs and/or shortages of raw materials and/or ingredients and/or fuel and/or costs of co-packing; failure to accurately estimate demand for its products; history of negative cash flow and no assurance of continued profitability or positive EBITDA; repurchase of common shares; intellectual property rights; maintenance of brand image or product quality; retention of the full-time services of senior management; climate change; litigation; information technology systems; fluctuation of quarterly operating results; risks associated with the PepsiCo distribution agreement; accounting treatment of the PepsiCo Warrants; and conflicts of interest, as well as those other risks factors identified in other materials we have made public, including those filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities from time to time and which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial could also cause actual results to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained herein is based upon what we believe are reasonable assumptions as at the date they were made, investors are cautioned against placing undue reliance on these statements since actual results may vary from the forward-looking statements. Certain assumptions were made in preparing the forward-looking statements concerning availability of capital resources, business performance, market conditions, and customer demand. Consequently, all of the forward-looking statements contained herein is qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements, and there can be no guarantee that the results or developments that we anticipate will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences or effects on our business, financial condition or results of operation. Unless otherwise noted or the context otherwise indicates, the forward-looking statements contained herein are provided as of the date hereof, and we do not undertake to update or amend such forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law.