Wednesday February 9, 2022 | TORONTO, ON
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
The Canadian Premier League (CPL) and Canadian Soccer Business (CSB) announced this week about their process to replace CPL Commissioner David Clanachan who left the role in January.
An Executive Committee was recently formed from member clubs, and is comprised of:
- Scott Mitchell Managing Partner and CEO of Forge FC
- Dean Shillington Chairman Pacific FC and SixFive Sports and Entertainment Co-founder
- Ian Allison President & C.O.O. Cavalry FC
- Derek Martin President & Founder HFX Wanderers FC
In the joint announcement on February 7, it was stated by CPL and CSB that the Executive Committee has determined that the new role will combine two roles into one: both CPL Commissioner and CEO, Canadian Soccer Business.
Scott Mitchell becomes Chair:
Scott Mitchell, also co-founder of CPL/CSB and current CEO, will transition to Chairman as part of this restructuring process.
Scott Moore leading the executive search:
Scott Moore has been appointed to lead the search for a new Commissioner and CEO. Moore is one of Canada’s leading sports and media executives. He has worked with League Executives and Commissioners worldwide and has unique insights into the qualities needed for the position.
“Beyond Scott Moore’s wealth of experience and success in the business of sport, Scott has spent the last 18 months consulting with CSB and has intimate and unique knowledge into the project and what kind of leader we need to take this to the next level,” said Scott Mitchell.
“This is an exciting and historic time for soccer in Canada, and we believe the consolidation of the CPL and CSB roles will prove to be incredibly alluring and lead to a very successful search for the ideal candidate,” said Mitchell in the news release this week.
Search committee:
Moore will be aided in the search process with the establishment of a search committee comprised of Mitchell, together with Josh Simpson who is a former national team player and President of the Langford-based Pacific FC, as well as Fernando López, CEO, Atlético Ottawa and Valour FC CEO Wade Miller.
About Canadian Premier League
Canadian Premier League (CPL) is Canada’s Tier 1 domestic professional men’s soccer league entering its fourth season in 2022, competing in the Concacaf and FIFA sanctioned series of competitions.
The inaugural season was in 2019, with the 2020 season played entirely in a ‘COVID bubble’, and the 2021 season with training under COVID restrictions and most games with audiences at COVID-safe venues.
CPL says that playing in world-class and unique venues, and partnering with strong community-led ownership groups, makes CPL “a league for Canadians, by Canadians” that brings professional soccer to eight communities coast-to-coast.
The CPL has announced plans to expand to 10 markets in 2023 with a team in Vancouver and a conditional franchise awarded to Saskatoon.
The new team in Vancouver will mean two teams in BC, the other being Pacific FC based out of Langford with games at Starlight Stadium.
About Canadian Soccer Business
Canadian Soccer Business (CSB) represents a suite of top-tier national assets that are core to the sport of soccer in Canada. This includes representation for all corporate partnerships and media rights (broadcast and distribution) related to Canada Soccer’s core assets including its national teams, along with all rights associated with the Canadian Premier League – Canada’s professional men’s soccer league that debuted coast-to-coast in April 2019.