Toronto 2015 Pan American Games Names CEO

TORONTO, ONTARIO, February 11, 2010 – Ian Troop, a veteran business builder and executive with multinational experience, will lead the Toronto 2015 Pan / Parapan American organizing committee as Chief Executive Officer, Roger Garland, Chair of the committee’s board of directors announced today.

“Ian Troop brings an exceptional scope of skills and work experience to this highly complex project,” said Garland. “He is a self-starter who has built organizations from the ground up and has proven he can motivate and lead diverse groups in challenging environments. Troop is visionary and understands how the Games can inspire our athletes and people in our communities.”

Troop will oversee the $1.4 billion budget for the event which will also include tasks related to: competition and training venue agreements with, participating universities, 17 municipalities and more than 50 facilities; 19,000 volunteers; construction of major new facilities and upgrades to others; dozens of vendor and supplier contracts; transportation, security and communications technology services; Games marketing, sponsorship, ticketing and broadcast programs; and staging successful athletic competitions featuring 48 sports.

“I’m proud to be part of an extraordinary undertaking that will make a profound and lasting difference,” said Troop. “This will be an incredible international event with an unprecedented legacy for sport and for the entire community in the Greater Golden Horseshoe area.”

Troop was chosen as a result of a search begun shortly after the Toronto 2015 bid win of the Games November 6, 2009. Troop, stepping down as an advisor with OMERS Private Equity, has more than 28 years experience in the consumer packaged goods industry. With industry giant Procter & Gamble, Troop held senior brand marketing and leadership jobs in Canada, Poland, the United States and Mexico, where he learned Spanish and developed an appreciation of the culture. As president of ConAgra Foods International, he built a billion dollar business with major units in Canada, Mexico, Latin America and overseas. Troop has many connections to sport. He was on the National Hockey League Players Association Advisory Board and in his home town of Georgetown, led the development of a fully community-funded athletic facility. Troop was a high school athlete of the year, a member of the Wilfrid Laurier University 1978 Hall of Fame football team and was drafted by the Canadian Football League’s Hamilton Tiger Cats in 1981.

Troop says his first steps include building a senior management team. Also at the top of the list is to get up to speed on the venue projects to continue moving them forward, and also, to cultivate the relationships that will be so important to the Games’ success.

“I am very excited that people and organizations are raring to go and anxious to be part of these Games,” said Troop. “I look forward to actively working with all the Games partners so that we can take advantage of this support and ensure there are widespread opportunities for full participation.”

Additional quotes

“A strong and inspired leader, Ian Troop is the ideal candidate for this crucial role. The Toronto 2015 Games will be tremendous on many fronts, and will leave behind a lasting legacy for high performance sport development, not only in Southern Ontario, but for all of Canada. With the leadership and truly national vision of Troop, this country's summer athletes are about to get a major boost."

- Marcel Aubut, incoming President of the Canadian Olympic Committee; member of the Toronto 2015 board of directors

“Troop is a seasoned business thinker with a wealth of international experience in demanding assignments. He is high-energy, focused, an achiever and a great team builder.”

- Roger Martin, Dean of the Rotman School of Management

“Having worked under Troop many years ago at Procter & Gamble, I know that he will effectively combine his management expertise with his passion for sport and excellence for a positive and significant impact on the Games and on sport.”

- Ivar Sisniega, three-time Mexican Olympian (Modern Pentathlon) and Olympic flag-bearer; Director of Sport/Operations of the Guadalajara 2011 Pan American Games; former Minister of Sport for Mexico

The Pan Am Games is a major international multi-sport event, held every four years for athletes of the 42 PASO member nations. They comprise all Olympic summer sports, as well as other non-Olympic events. The 2015 Games will serve as an athlete qualifier in many sports for the 2016 Olympic Games. The Toronto 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games will draw 10,000 athletes and officials and feature 48 sports across 17 municipalities across the Greater Golden Horsehoe area.

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