Shares fall slightly as Aurora Cannabis co-founder steps down

EDMONTON — Aurora Cannabis Inc. says co-founder Steve Dobler will retire as president and as a director of the company at the end of the month.

“On behalf of our board of directors and management team, I would like to thank Steve for all his contributions to Aurora and for his tenure as a director on our board,” said Michael Singer, executive chairman and interim CEO of Aurora. “His keen business insight and unparalleled passion for the company will be greatly missed. Steve’s decision to retire and help streamline our leadership team further supports the objectives of our business transformation plan as we remain focused on driving Aurora to become a profitable and robust global cannabis company. “

Dobler has held the roles at the cannabis company since December 2014.

With the retirement of Dobler, the board will have nine directors, seven of whom remain independent.

The move follows the departure of founder Terry Booth, who stepped down as chief executive earlier this year.

Aurora announced in February that it was taking $1 billion in writedowns and would lay off 500 employees as part of a shakeup to its spending plans.

In May, the company announced it was entering the U.S. market with the acquisition of hemp-based cannabidiol company Reliva LLC.

Headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, Aurora is a pioneer in global cannabis dedicated to helping people improve their lives. The Company’s brand portfolio includes Aurora, Aurora Drift, San Rafael ‘71, Daily Special, AltaVie, MedReleaf, CanniMed, Whistler, and ROAR Sports.

Aurora had a $2.01 billion market cap and its shares had fallen $0.80 to $17.85 at the time this article was posted.

Canadian Press