Aurora Cannabis is promoting one of its own to the role of chief commercial officer. The Edmonton, Alberta-based company named Miguel Martin, president of Aurora USA and head of CBD brand Reliva, to the role effective immediately.  

"This appointment allows us to take full advantage of Miguel's depth of international CPG experience to drive Aurora's revenues and brand strength in our global core markets," said Michael Singer, executive chairman and interim CEO of Aurora. "Miguel has a proven track record of running profitable global sales and marketing teams in complex, highly regulated industries that are adjacent to cannabis. His new role at Aurora is indicative of our commitment to combining sales and marketing excellence with driving profitability in our core businesses."

Martin has 25 years of experience in the international CPG industry. He joined Aurora from Reliva, where he was CEO, becoming Aurora USA CEO in May when Aurora’s acquisition of Reliva closed. Before his time with Reliva, Martin served as president of e-cigarette manufacturer Logic Technology. He also previously held the role of senior vice president and general manager of Altria Sales and Distribution. The company noted that his experience with highly regulated industries would be a boon for Aurora. 

Martin succeeds Darren Karasiuk as chief commercial officer. “On behalf of our Board of Directors and management team, I would like to thank Darren for his invaluable contributions to the development of Aurora's commercial strategy,” Singer said. 

Karasiuk said, “I am proud of my accomplishments at Aurora, most notably leading an incredibly dedicated and talented team that has been able to achieve leading market share in Canada and abroad."

Besides Reliva, among Aurora’s brands are Aurora, Aurora Drift, San Rafael ’71, Daily Special, AltaVie, MedReleaf, CanniMed, Whister and Roar Sports, which span the medical and consumer cannabis markets.