Tenacious Labs appoints OTO CEO James Bagley as Board Director

Press Release – London, 11th October 2021: Tenacious Labs, a leading international CBD group championing scientific rigour, effective regulation, and product quality, is delighted to announce the appointment of James Bagley, co-founder and CEO of luxury CBD brand OTO, as Board Director.

James joins the business with significant experience of scaling up businesses within the consumer and discretionary spend arenas. Prior to his role at OTO, he was the CEO of DMD Ventures, a luxury drink wholesaler and retailer, and was VP of Sales and Marketing at Naked Wines UK. 

Under his leadership, OTO has experienced significant growth over the last year. This has seen the brand expand through partnerships with leading retailers, fitness and leisure operators, including the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Boom Cycle, Selfridges, Harrods, Sweaty Betty and Liberty to seamlessly incorporate CBD into consumers’ daily rituals and routines.

James will sit on the Board of Directors alongside its current members: Nicholas Morland, co-founder and CEO; Adrian Clarke, co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer; Sally Hayes, Chief Financial Officer; and Susie Macarthur, Chief Operating Officer. The Board’s Chair is former Commander-in-Chief, Land Forces, Sir Nick Parker.

Nicholas Morland, co-founder and CEO of Tenacious Labs, commented: “I’m delighted to welcome James to Tenacious Labs. OTO is a brand we hugely admire and, under James’ leadership, has gone from strength-to-strength in recent years to become a genuinely leading UK consumer brand. His expertise in driving growth and supporting the development of our global brands will be crucial in reaching Tenacious Labs’ goal of become the leading consumer-centric cannabinoid group in the world.”

Adrian Clarke, co-founder and CCO of Tenacious Labs, commented: “Having James join us with his years of consumer brand building and retail experience and his intricate understanding of the international CBD market is an exciting moment for Tenacious Labs. The Tenacious Labs commercial team especially look forward to working with him closely, and applying his skills and knowledge in order to grow our brands around the world."

James Bagley, co-founder and CEO of OTO and Director of Tenacious Labs, commented: “I feel proud and honoured to be joining the team at Tenacious Labs. Through its work with the Jersey Government, helping develop regulations that will strengthen the CBD industry worldwide, it has shown it is a business that believes in doing things properly – something for which I have great respect. It makes perfect sense to formalise our relationship through this natural step, and I look forward to us achieving great things for Tenacious Labs together.”