The Founder & President of Red Wolf Risk

Alex Hearding is one of the cannabis industry’s leading specialists in operational risk management, quality systems, and federal readiness.

With more than 17 years of experience building, operating, and advising licensed cannabis businesses, Alex helps cultivators, manufacturers, retailers, lenders, and insurance carriers implement the systems needed to thrive as the industry transitions toward greater federal oversight and institutional expectations.

His work sits at the intersection of three critical disciplines:

This unique combination allows Alex to help organizations not only improve compliance and quality but also reduce losses, improve insurability, strengthen lender confidence, and increase enterprise value

Unlike many consultants who entered cannabis from outside industries, Alex built his career inside the cannabis industry itself.

He was involved in Colorado’s early regulated cannabis market and participated in the development, licensing, construction, and operation of commercial cannabis facilities during the industry’s formative years. His background includes cultivation, manufacturing, facility operations, regulatory compliance, worker safety, and operational leadership.  

Over time, Alex recognized a critical gap:

Cannabis businesses were being evaluated by regulators, lenders, insurers, and investors using standards that most operators had never been taught to implement.

That realization led him to focus on operational risk management and quality systems as the foundation for long-term success.

Alex is one of the few professionals in cannabis who can effectively bridge three worlds that rarely communicate well with one another:

Hands-on experience supporting cultivation, extraction, manufacturing, and retail operations.

Implementation of ISO 9001, GMP, GACP, CAPA, document control, training programs, supplier qualification, and audit readiness systems.

Deep expertise in underwriting, claims management, loss prevention, operational risk assessment, and insurance optimization.  

This perspective allows Red Wolf Risk to develop solutions that satisfy operators, regulators, insurers, lenders, and investors simultaneously.

Alex developed the Operational Preparedness System (OPS) after years of assessing cannabis facilities and identifying recurring operational weaknesses.

OPS is a structured framework that combines:

• Operational Risk Assessments
• Quality Management Systems
• SOP Development
• CAPA Programs
• Training Systems
• Supplier Qualification
• Equipment Management
• Audit Readiness
• Claims Preparedness

The framework helps cannabis businesses become:

✓ Federal-Ready

✓ GMP-Ready

✓ Insurance-Ready

✓ Acquisition-Ready

✓ Institution-Ready

OPS has helped operators strengthen operations while generating measurable insurance savings and reducing operational risk.

 Today, Alex focuses heavily on helping cannabis operators prepare for the next phase of industry evolution.

His work frequently involves implementation of:

• ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems
• Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP)
• Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
• CAPA Programs
• Internal Auditing
• Supplier Qualification Programs
• Equipment Maintenance Systems
• Training Management Systems
• Document Control Systems

These programs help organizations prepare for future federal oversight, pharmaceutical partnerships, lender due diligence, investor scrutiny, and international market opportunities.