ANDREW NIKOLAI Managing Director | CSG Partners
Andrew Nikolai leverages his capital markets expertise to build sophisticated leveraged solutions for CSG ' s middle market clients. Since joining the firm in 2018, he ' s raised over $ 1 billion in subordinated and senior debt, including high-yield bond offerings.
A former CSG analyst, Andrew ' s hands-on knowledge of leveraged ESOP structures is extensive. From transaction due diligence to financial modeling to multiparty negotiations, he ' s led all aspects of the dealmaking process.
Andrew began his career with GfK, a global leader in market research. Working primarily with hedge funds and other buy-side clients, he synthesized proprietary point-of-sale data to inform technology sector investment opportunities.
A CFA charterholder, Andrew is also an active supporter of Northeastern University ' s cooperative education program.
THOMAS SHEFFIELD Executive Vice President | HUB International
Thomas Sheffield currently serves as Executive Vice President & ProEx( Professional & Executive Risk) Leader of HUB East. In this role, he leads a team of financial lines insurance experts providing consultation and guidance to clients facing some of the most challenging risks in business. He has worked extensively with teams to develop solutions and guide clients in emerging risk areas, including Cannabis, Digital Assets, Cryptocurrencies, Artificial Intelligence and many others. More importantly, he hopes to inspire teams and clients to think differently about the role of risk management and insurance in their businesses.
HUB International’ s ProEx practice provides a comprehensive range of services including analytics, litigation support, and risk management services to HUB clients of all sizes by delivering comprehensive executive liability, professional liability, cyber & technology, and transactional risk solutions, while providing better placement, analytics, and insights to protect leaders and their businesses from existing and evolving threats.
Based out of the Berkeley Heights, NJ and New York City offices, Tom holds over 25 years of leadership experience in the insurance and liability arena. His specialized expertise is in strategic planning, management of organizational change, risk identification and mitigation, operations, and product design / development.
Tom holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from the University of Idaho and a Juris Doctor degree from DePaul University College of Law.
PANEL: THE VIEW FROM THE TOP: CANNABIS CEOS ON 2025’ S CRITICAL CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES
JOSEPH ANDREAE Chief Executive Officer | CULTA
Joe Andreae is a seasoned operator and innovator in the legal cannabis industry with well over a decade of experience spanning cultivation, extraction, retail, and brand development across multiple states.
He began his career in cannabis via the cultivation supply sector, working with lighting and hydroponic equipment for the medical market. From there, he moved into extraction innovation in Colorado, co-owned a medical cannabis dispensary in California, and founded
9 • State of the Cannabis Industry Conference