One of the first congratulatory telephone calls John Furlong, the newly-appointed CEO of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games received was from Canadian International Olympic Committee (IOC) member and Vancouver 2010 board member Dick Pound.
A day earlier there were several reports that Pound had said the selection process was hijacked and Furlong was not qualified for the job.
In a CBC radio interview Pound said he supported Furlong but stood by his earlier comments. “My preference in terms of ability is the other candidate,” he said, whose name has been kept secret.
Jack Poole, chairman of the Vancouver 2010 board of directors, confirmed Furlong’s appointment at a news conference Friday.
Furlong will be paid $300,000 a year and can receive a 25 per cent bonus if all objectives are met.
The Canadian Press reports that more than 200 applications were reviewed by a seven-member search committee.
Michael Phelps, a member of the board who chaired the CEO Search Task Force said, “we considered many well-qualified applicants during this rigorous process. We believe that John’s leadership will help us produce an outstanding Winter Games in 2010”.
