Canadian Olympic Committee Names Top Communicator To Its Team

PMO Press Secretary Carl Vallée named Executive Director, Communications

MONTREAL, March 12, 2015 /CNW/ - On Thursday, the Canadian Olympic Committee named the newest member of its executive team, Carl Vallée, who joins the organization as Executive Director of Communications, effective April 6, 2015. Vallée will report to the Chief Marketing Officer, Derek Kent.

"We are excited to add such a talented individual with a stellar reputation to our communications team," said Chris Overholt, CEO and Secretary General, Canadian Olympic Committee. "Carl has global communications experience dealing in high pressure situations which will be of great benefit to our organization."

"Carl's outstanding strategic communications background and speech writing skills will help our team aggressively tell the athletes' stories to Canadians," said Kent. "As we head into the Toronto 2015 Pan Am games and the 2016 Rio Olympics, we are very pleased to have someone of his communications caliber join our team."

Mr. Vallée is currently serving as Press Secretary to Prime Minister Harper  – a position he has held for nearly four years. In that key role, he has provided strategic advice to the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers on multiple issues and policy files. He has been a lead spokesperson for the government and worked with counterparts in foreign governments at international press conferences and meetings to ensure the Prime Minister's policies were properly communicated. He is fluently bilingual in English and French, and he can write in both official languages. He developed communication products including strategies, speeches, press releases and social media tools for the Prime Minister. Prior to his Press Secretary role, he served as Deputy Press Secretary and in other communications functions in his six years in government.

"I am very excited and proud to join the Canadian Olympic Committee and I look forward to leading a dynamic communications team which has already done an outstanding job in promoting sport in this country," added Vallée. "I am grateful for the opportunity to work with high caliber leaders such as Marcel Aubut, Chris Overholt and Derek Kent who have already made a tremendous contribution to the Olympic Movement in Canada."

Vallée succeeds Marc-André Plouffe, who stepped down from the Canadian Olympic Committee in November 2014.

SOURCE Canadian Olympic Committee

Yvon Long, Senior Manager, Media Relations, Phone: [phone], [email protected]; Cherry Ye, Coordinator, Corporate Communications, Phone: [phone], [email protected]

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http://www.coa.ca