By Timothy S. Donahue
Top Takeaways:
- Leadership move: Steven Przybyla has been named president of Ispire Technology.
- Roles retained: He remains chief legal officer and corporate secretary.
- Investor focus: Przybyla will take a larger role in investor relations and regulatory communications.
Ispire Technology is promoting another U.S.-based executive to a larger role.
The company has appointed Steven Przybyla as president, effective immediately, and has expanded the chief legal officer’s responsibilities as the vaping technology company strengthens its U.S. leadership and places greater emphasis on communicating its regulatory and growth strategy to investors.
Przybyla will retain his current positions as chief legal officer and corporate secretary while assuming the president’s role. He will also lead investor communications, working with CEO Tuanfang Liu and CFO Jay Yu on investor relations.
The company said the appointment is intended to provide investors with a consistent point of contact for Ispire’s regulatory strategy, commercial development, and long-term growth plans.
Przybyla has served as Ispire’s chief legal officer and secretary since September 2023, playing a key role in the company’s regulatory strategy as it expands its involvement in U.S. nicotine technology and compliance.
His promotion follows another senior leadership change at Ispire.
In July, the company moved former co-CEO Michael Wang to the role of CEO of Aspire North America, leaving Chairman Tuanfang Liu as Ispire’s sole chief executive. The latest appointment further expands the company’s U.S.-based leadership structure.
Przybyla’s background spans both the regulated nicotine and cannabis markets.
Before joining Ispire, he served as general counsel and corporate secretary at 22nd Century Group, where he was involved in regulatory matters related to the company’s VLN reduced-nicotine cigarettes. The FDA authorized VLN King and VLN Menthol King cigarettes as modified-risk tobacco products in 2021, allowing them to be marketed with authorized reduced-nicotine exposure claims.
He also previously held legal and executive roles at the cannabis company Jushi.
At Ispire, Przybyla has increasingly become involved in the company’s work beyond traditional vaping hardware, particularly its investment in compliance technology.
He previously served as a director and corporate secretary of IKE Tech, Ispire’s joint venture focused on biometric age verification, product authentication, and other compliance technologies for regulated nicotine markets.
