Former AmerisourceBergen executive joined Ananda last year

CYNTHIANA, Ky. — David Neu has been appointed CEO of Ananda Health, the U.S. nutraceuticals business of Australia-based Ecofibre Ltd.

David Neu

Neu, former president of AmerisourceBergen Drug Corp. and Good Neighbor Pharmacy, had been Ananda’s executive chairman. He joined the company in 2019, and Ananda has since seen continued growth, with its strategy maturing to focus on wholesale distribution supply chains and their respective pharmacies in the independent, chain and health practitioner channels.

“David has quickly demonstrated the value of his industry experience, strategic perspective and leadership,” said Ecofibre CEO Eric Wang. “His vision and performance focus combined with his commitment to improve people’s lives while serving the best long-term interests of the company make him uniquely qualified to lead Ananda Health as it expands its position as the most professional CBD brand in the U.S.

“As executive chairman, David worked with the Ananda Health team to secure key strategic relationships with influential partners. As CEO, he will continue to implement Ananda Health’s strategy to be the preferred provider of hemp-derived CBD products to a broad array of health care providers.”

Ecofibre chairman Barry Lambert commented, “David has a long and successful record as a leader in the U.S. health care industry and is a passionate philanthropist. He and I are both strong advocates of the benefits of hemp-derived CBD, and I am delighted he has accepted an expanded role in this executive capacity.”

Neu said, “I am honored and energized by the opportunity to lead this fast-growing health care organization. Over the past six months, I have gained an invaluable understanding about this extraordinary company and industry. I am incredibly impressed by our team members and their commitment to serve our customers, move the company forward, and build an even stronger foundation for the future. I am proud of the progress we are making with our premium brand, product expertise, and quality focus. Our proprietary production technology has matured to ensure Ananda Health product lines are best in class. Our continued investment in the innovation and product research with multiple academic medical institutions have also been key differentiators as we have quickly become an industry leader in the hemp-derived CBD market.

“As regulatory clarity for hemp-derived CBD extract continues to improve, I expect that hemp-derived CBD products will eventually become an integral part of the U.S. and global health care system. Immediate priorities for Ananda Health will be to continue the expansion of its distribution model for retail pharmacies, continue to accelerate sustainable growth into other channels, and build out our product offerings to align with those channels.”

Neu has served on the board of directors of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) and is the former chairman of the Healthcare Distribution Alliance (HDA). In 2010, Neu and his wife, Esperanza, cofounded the Neu Family Foundation to support causes related to health and education to include establishing scholarships at colleges and universities for students in need. In the last three years, together they were recognized as Philanthropists of the Year by the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Greater Philadelphia, received the Jefferson Health’s Presidents Award, were recognized with the Humanitarian of the Year Award by the American Association for Cancer Research and were honored with an honorary doctorate by Wingate University.