Team
In Ancient Rome, an augur was responsible for interpreting natural phenomena considered as omens.
As Cicero confirmed in the first century B.C., since the establishment of the Republic,"no public affair was undertaken without auguries".
Interpreters of the will of Jupiter, masters of signs, it was then out of the question to take an important decision, to start a project or a new adventure, without consulting the augur.
The message primarily consisted of the observation of the song and flight of the birds and had to be elucidated to determine a course of action based on the good or bad omen from the augur.
The augur thus does not make a prediction but interprets the signs requested at a specific time for a specific application.
This is what we do at Augur Associates: we accompany you in these new markets where context is key, and knowledge is decisive.
Benjamin-Alexandre JEANROY
CEO & Cofounder
A former consultant for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Benjamin-Alexandre, co-founded in 2016 the think tank ECHO Citoyen, working on drug policy reform in France. He is also the co-founder of the Syndicat Professionnel du Chanvre (SPC), of the European and French chapters of LEAP, the Thémis participatory network, of the French Psychedelic Society, and of the patient advocacy group Espoir (Im)patient.
Since 2016, he has worked towards creating bridges between actors involved in cannabis, notably through his political advisory and the editorial management of collaborative, groundbreaking white papers.
Benjamin-Alexandre is an international relations graduate of Sciences Po Paris and the United Nations-mandated University for Peace (UPEACE). He speaks fluently French, English and Spanish.
Aurélien BERNARD
Cofounder & Partner-Head of Media and Industry
Aurélien Bernard is the founder of Newsweed (2015), the leading French-language cannabis media outlet, covering legal and global cannabis news across six languages and six countries.
As Cofounder and Partner at Augur Associates, he leads the Media and Industry practice, advising European and North American companies on market entry, regulatory strategy, and industry positioning in France and the EU.
His expertise spans the full cannabis and hemp value chain — from cannabinoid science and extraction to regulatory frameworks, medical cannabis policy, and CBD market dynamics. He has collaborated with Prohibition Partners, Euromonitor, and co-authored several landmark white papers on cannabis regulation in France.
A member of SPIIL (French Independent Online Press Union) and referenced on Google News, Aurélien is regularly cited in academic research and consulted by mainstream media as a specialist source on cannabis policy.
Aurélien holds a degree from Rennes School of Business and speaks French, English and Spanish.
Christophe NOURISSIER
Partner & Head of Sustainability
A former green lobbyist and political advisor, Christophe shifted to ESG and sustainability consulting before joining Augur as an environmental expert and co-founding Augur ESG & Augur Hemp. His work notably includes developing a complete life cycle monitoring of hemp production to measure and promote positive environmental impact and its potential as a replacement for heavily polluting industries.
He thrives in supporting innovative and green companies, creating sustainable business models and navigating the voluntary carbon market to help scale up the industrial uses of hemp.
A business law and intellectual property graduate from the University of Jean-Monnet in Paris, Christophe speaks fluent French and English.
Nathaniel Loxley
Partner & Technical Director
Nathaniel founded Vitality Hemp in 2014, an innovative biomaterials company.
With experience growing hemp under licence and creating low-carbon natural and regenerative products for DIY uses and the built environment, Nathaniel has been working with Augur Associates to consult on agricultural regenerative best practices and connect projects within the emergent global hemp industry.
Additionally, Nathaniel is the current director of research and innovation at the British Hemp Alliance, a multi-stakeholder membership organisation committed to adapting hemp into a progressive bio-economy. His work with farmers and industry aims to help educate and promote the development of a robust, equitable and profitable domestic value chain.
Nathaniel is a graduate of Business Management from Solent University (UK) and is proficient in English.