Jim Thompson, former president and co-founder of TSN, was named the new chief executive officer of the Canadian Olympic Association Monday, replacing Carol Anne Letheren who died suddenly last year.
Thompson’s appointment becomes effective March 4 and he will be located in the COA’s Toronto office.
Thompson says, “I honestly planned to stay retired. I was happy. I was having a ball. But the more people talked to me about this position, the more I realized this was the perfect opportunity for me at the right time in my life. I’m ready for the change and the challenge. Sports to me isn’t a job, especially elite sport. It’s a passion.
He added, “this is a critical and exciting time for amateur sport in Canada. And no one should under-estimate the opportunity that the COA has to make a real difference in the sport landscape of this country. With the new national sport policy under development, the Olympic Winter Games less than two weeks away, and a Canadian bid for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, the COA has a terrific opportunity to make a difference for high performance sport and athletes in Canada and to help high performance sport and athletes make a difference for Canada”.
COA President Mike Chambers said, “if ever there was proof that something worth having is worth waiting for, the appointment of Jim Thompson as the new CEO of the COA is it. His appointment follows an extensive search process. Given the unique nature of the COA – a national, private, not-for-profit sport organization with franchise rights to the world’s most highly recognized brand, the Olympic Rings, many outstanding candidates were attracted to the position”.
Thompson said his first priority as CEO will be to meet with as many members of the sport community as possible – athletes and coaches, federations, training centres, and governments.
