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Aphria board members receive a compensation of $150,000 annually in cash, and deferred share units worth another $150,000

Company filings show that Aphria board members receive a compensation of $150,000 annually in cash, and deferred share units worth another $150,000 — an amount that is slightly above the industry average of $125,000 for a company of Aphria’s size. Board members of some of Canada’s largest banks, for example, receive an annual compensation of between $250,000 and $300,000.

In the 2019 fiscal year, Butts received a compensation of $87,500 for sitting on the board of Canada Goose.

“As we continue to add bench strength to the company, Jodi will bring exceptional experience to the board. Not only as a seasoned executive, but as a lawyer and entrepreneur and particularly when it comes to governance and driving growth within organizations,” said Aphria spokesperson Tamara Macgregor.

The Leamington, Ont.-based cannabis company has come under scrutiny for corporate governance issues after it became the target of short sellers alleging company executives had engaged in self-dealing and purchased a number of cannabis assets in Latin America for an inflated price.

The short seller attack led to a number of executive departures and board changes at the company earlier this year, including two of Aphria’s founders and its former CEO Vic Neufeld. In April, at the behest of the Ontario Securities Commission, Aphria had to take a $50 million writedown of its Latin American assets, which added to the company’s financial struggles that quarter.