New president for Lorillard’s blu eCigs

The e-cigarette company, blu eCigs, acquired by Lorillard last year, has appointed Jim Raporte as its new president.

The company said that, with more than 30 years of experience across tobacco, food and business services industries, Raporte was set to lead blu eCigs’ “functional operations” and help drive its transition from an emerging startup to a large scale second-generation company.

Raporte will work closely with blu eCigs founder and previous president, Jason Healy.

Healy is said to have chosen to step down as president and hand over the reins of the company he created in 2009 to Raporte so as to focus on the company’s creative marketing and product development efforts.