Summer Frein Joins Turning Point Brands as CMO

Turning Point Brands has hired former Cronos executive, Summer Frein, as its Chief Marketing Officer. Effective immediately, Frein is responsible for driving Turning Point Brands’ marketing strategy across the company’s extensive brand portfolio.

“As Turning Point Brands continues to transform into a more diversified consumer packaged goods company, Summer’s vast experience leading the planning, strategic development and execution for notable consumer brands will be extremely valuable,” said Yavor Efremov, president and CEO of Turning Point Brands. “I look forward to working closely with Summer as she helps our team to improve our differentiated, world-class brands’ profile and consumer acceptance.”

Frein previously served as general manager at Cronos Group where she designed and implemented the company’s sales and marketing strategy, according to a press release. Frein also previously led Cronos Group’s U.S. brand sales operations, including building and managing brand and retail partnerships for the Lord Jones and Happy Dance brands.

Prior to joining Cronos Group, Frein held a variety of senior leadership roles at Altria Group, Inc., across sales, digital and brand marketing, strategy and business development. Notably, in 2018, she led Altria’s cannabis research investment initiative as part of Altria’s strategy and business development group.

“Over the course of my 15-year career, I have worked with leading adult-use consumer brands on many different sides of the business and watched Turning Point Brands evolve into the leading Company that it is today,” said Frein. “This new opportunity will allow me to work with the dynamic team at Turning Point Brands to develop a long-term marketing strategy and help to fully unlock the value of the Company’s iconic Zig-Zag and Stoker’s brands.”