As Chief Information Officer, Darryl is responsible for all information technology and systems used at Aurora globally. This includes everything from technological solutions and advancements for Aurora’s industry-leading production facilities to advanced Business Intelligence, Analytics, and Data Science used to make better decisions at Aurora, to supporting and expanding Aurora’s world class e-commerce platform. In addition, Darryl is responsible for cybersecurity and the non-physical aspects of security at Aurora’s facilities. Darryl has more than 20 years of experience in senior IT leadership, project delivery and IT strategic planning at publicly traded international corporations, with a specific focus on driving business value. He has a record of delivering technology for multi-billion-dollar organizations and providing a competitive advantage in technology for fast-growing startups. Before joining Aurora, Darryl was CIO at Capital Power Corporation, a $3 billion, TSX listed independent power producer where he ran the corporation’s mission-critical IT systems, as well as the development of the corporation’s strategic technology vision to drive competitive differentiation. Darryl sits on the Board of Directors of multiple not-for-profits and charitable organizations, including as the Board Chair of Cybera, which is responsible for overseeing the development of Alberta’s cyberinfrastructure. He is also on the Board of Directors of the Rainbow Society of Alberta, a registered charity dedicated to fulfilling wishes of Alberta children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses. Darryl is a member of the Council of Chief Information Officers, the CIO Association of Canada, and the Project Management Institute.
CIO Peer Forum 2020, Day 1: Plenary speaker
Building a new IS function to support exponential growth in a new global industry
Darryl will discuss the journey that Aurora Cannabis has been on with its expansion from 2 countries to 25 countries and an increase from 200 employees to over 3300 in the last 24 months. He will provide an overview of the strategy he took to build up an IT function from scratch, the current state of the IT function, and review the lessons learned in supporting a company growing exponentially.