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C h a i n D r u g s t o r e D a i l y 5 9 Tu e s d a y, A u g u s t 9 , 2 0 1 6 DELIVERING GROWTH SOLUTIONS IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT An interview with Steve Valentino, Vice President, CROSSMARK Drug. CDD: What is the most interesting chal- lenge facing the retail industry today? SV: Our industry is always working through a new cycle of change. Healthcare trends are becoming a driving force in the U.S., labor costs are rising, big data complexity is driving the need for insights that translate into solutions, defining Omni Channel and how online shopping connects to brick-and-mortar retail stores, and the challenge of making shopping experiential and fun again. These trends present complexity in defin- ing go-to-market strategies for CPG ven- dors. CDD: You talk about trends for the retail industry. Are there are trends specific to the drug industry that present a chal- lenge? SV: Significant trends in healthcare are creating a rising tide. We are moving from a treatment culture to a wellness culture, driven by Millennials. The wave of Baby Boomers with increased health needs is also upon us, as thousands of people in the U.S. turn 65 years old every day and will for the next 15 years, according to the U.S. Census. The Affordable Care Act, insurance man- dates, consumerism and a physician shortage will all drive a need for services and in-store support for retailers ready to provide them, along with suppliers ready to engage. In addition to these market forces, consolidation in the drug industry will further compound the complexity of supplier/retailer engagement. At CROSSMARK Drug, our retailer teams have been supporting our CPG vendor clients by helping them think through potential impacts to their business that these trends may bring. CDD: With trends causing this ever-changing environment, how does CROSSMARK stay connect- ed to provide a differentiated level of expertise in the industry? SV: Today, insights are our main curren- cy. The ability to effectively and effi- ciently glean insights and drive a plan to activation and measurement is what truly creates differentiation. CPG vendors hire CROSSMARK to help them develop a smarter way to faster growth for their business. We develop strategies across the drug and drug wholesale channel to capitalize on market trends and drive dif- ferentiation, as well as provide unique and thoughtful activation for each retail- er. With our world-class capabilities in analytics and insights, shopper and expe- riential marketing, and merchandising and execution, we deliver solutions to CPG vendors to solve for their challenges in today's dynamic, ever-evolving envi- ronment. CROSSMARK Drug can help to develop winning strategies and activate plans through tools and execution capabilities that master challenges and engineer growth opportunities. CDD: What are your recommen- dation to suppliers on how to nav- igate through this change? SV: With change comes opportunity. The CROSSMARK teams help our CPG clients understand how to benefit from change where possible and how to miti- gate risk where necessary. For example, our retail teams can be deployed to ensure optimal retail execution, even where retailers are squeezed for labor dollars. The CROSSMARK Drug sales teams can help vendors develop retailer- specific plans that optimize the benefits of available resources. If you feel your sales team is having difficulty navigating through the sea of change, we'd be happy to help. For more information, visit www .crossmark.com. MEET YOUR NEW SQUEEZE: HELLO NATURALLY FRIENDLY ORAL CARE PRODUCTS hello ® naturally friendly™ oral care debuts new toothpaste options, bringing smiles to kids and adults alike. Fluoride- free and SLS-free toothpastes for both kids and adults are now available, as well as hello extra whitening peroxide free fluoride toothpaste in pure mint. In addition to the new products, hello has updated its kids and adult toothpaste packaging to FSC-certified, responsi- bly-sourced craft paper boxes printed with soy inks. The unique designs fea- ture bold colors and the brand's signa- ture tone of voice, a blend of serious sci- ence with a wink. hello respects a brusher's right to choose. For those who prefer toothpaste without fluoride and SLS, hello's new fluoride-free SKUs for kids and adults are made with aloe vera, erythritol and xylitol. hello's fluoride-free pastes help clean, whiten and remove plaque. hello kids fluoride-free and SLS-free tooth- paste is available in a natural watermelon flavor. For adults, fluoride-free and SLS- free toothpaste is offered in a natural sweet mint flavor. "We wanted to develop effective oral care that's as friendly as possible," said Craig Dubitsky, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of hello products. "Some folks don't dig fluoride, SLS or peroxide, so we set out to create new, naturally friendly options that folks wouldn't just use, but that they'd love. With ingredi- ents like xylitol, stevia, aloe vera and erythritol, it's not just about what we took out, but what we put in." In addition to its new fluoride-free and SLS-free products, hello has also just launched a new extra whitening paste with no peroxide. This paste uses a gen- tle silica and calcium carbonate to safely and gently remove stains. Like all hello toothpastes, the new fluoride- and SLS- free pastes and extra whitening paste taste simply fab. The team at hello has said goodbye to many ingredients they feel aren't friendly to the environment or the peo- ple who use them: the full product line contains no dyes, no parabens, no artifi- cial sweeteners, no triclosan and no microbeads. In addi- tion to the new toothpastes, hello offers ADA approved fluoride kids toothpastes in bubble gum and blue raspber- ry flavors, and fluoride tooth- pastes in supermint and mojito mint flavors. Each hello fluoride tooth- paste is proven to prevent cavities and strengthen enamel. Beyond pastes, hello also offers toothbrushes featuring handles made from 50 percent recycled materials, and breath sprays free from alcohol, dyes, artificial sweeteners and propellant. hello sprays feature glycerin and xylitol to keep your mouth fresh, friendly, wonder- fully moisturized and ready for anything. For more information, contact Kim Sines by emailing kim@hello-products.com or calling 201.310.3354. ONCOTHYREON APPOINTS SCOTT D. MYERS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Oncothyreon Inc., a clinical-stage bio- pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of therapeutic products to improve the lives and outcomes of patients with cancer, has announced the appointment of Scott D. Myers as President, Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors, effec- tive April 4, 2016. Myers, 49, brings more than 20 years of industry expertise, including significant management, commercial- ization and business development expe- rience in multinational pharmaceutical companies. Myers most recently served as Chief Executive Officer and President for Aerocrine AB, a life sci- ences company based in Stockholm, Sweden and Morrisville, North Carolina. Aerocrine was acquired by Circassia Pharmaceuticals, a U.K.-based immunotherapy company, in July of 2015. Myers also served as an independ- ent Director for Orexo, AB, a pharma- ceutical company and is currently an industry advisor to EQT, a large Scandinavian investment fund. Prior to joining Aerocrine in 2011, Myers served as Vice President, Head of European Mid-Markets for UCB, a Belgian-based, global biopharmaceuti- cal company. In this role, Myers over- saw commercial operations and med- ical affairs for 32 countries in the EU. Prior to UCB, Myers served in senior roles responsible for business develop- ment, strategic marketing and pharma- ceutical portfolio management at sever- al leading companies including Johnson & Johnson. Myers received an MBA from the University of Chicago and a BA in Biology from Northwestern University. "Scott brings a wealth of opera- tional, business development and com- mercial experience that we believe will be invaluable to Oncothyreon," said Christopher S. Henney, Ph.D., D.Sc., Chairman of the Oncothyreon Board of Directors. "His significant leadership across multiple areas in the biopharma- ceutical arena will serve the company well, both in terms of product develop- ment and leveraging business develop- ment opportunities to strengthen the company." "I believe Oncothyreon's product pipeline, led by ONT-380 for HER2- positive breast cancer, offers promise to impact the future of cancer treat- ment," said Myers. "I look forward to leading the management team and working with the Board to guide the advancement of Oncothyreon's inno- vative therapeutic products as well as pursuing opportunities to further strengthen the company and build stockholder value." In connection with Myers' appoint- ment, Oncothyreon's Compensation Committee granted him an inducement stock option to purchase 2,848,855 shares of common stock pursuant to the NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). The stock option grant will be effective on April 4, 2016, the date Myers' employ- ment commences. The exercise price of the inducement stock option will be the closing price of Oncothyreon's com- mon stock on the effective date of the grant, and 25 percent of the award will vest on the first anniversary of the grant date, with the remaining portion of the option vesting monthly there- after, subject to Myers' continued serv- ice. About Oncothyreon Oncothyreon is a clinical-stage biophar- maceutical company specializing in the development of innovative therapeutic products for the treatment of cancer. Its goal is to discover, develop and commer- cialize novel compounds that have the potential to improve the lives and out- comes of cancer patients. Its most advanced product candidate is ONT-380, an orally active and selective small mol- ecule HER2 inhibitor. For more information, visit www.oncothyreon.com.