COC Announces Resignation of Chief Executive Officer and Secretary General
Chris Rudge

TORONTO, April 7 /CNW/ - The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) today announced the resignation of Chief Executive Officer and Secretary General Chris Rudge, effective April 15, 2010.

"They say timing is everything and throughout my many careers I've always observed that it is important to know when to go," said Rudge. "The past seven plus years have been inspiring, and were highlighted by an unforgettable Vancouver Games that are sure to leave an indelible mark on our national soul."

"It was a privilege to work with our outgoing President Mike Chambers and a dedicated board and staff who truly embraced a passion for the Olympic Movement," Rudge continued. "I wish our new president, Marcel Aubut, and the new board every success as they move the organisation forward, building on a solid foundation and capturing the excitement and success of 2010."

"It has been a pleasure and a privilege for me to have had Chris as our CEO and Secretary General over the course of seven of the nine years of my presidency," said COC President Michael Chambers. "I believe we were a great team and we put in a good many miles together working for the betterment of sport in Canada. Others can measure the results. I do wish to express how much my colleagues at the COC have appreciated Chris' significant contributions over the period of his tenure.

"The Canadian sport community is undeniably in a much better place today owing in great part to Chris' passionate pursuit of its interests. He has been a tremendous asset to our organization and he will be missed. We of course wish him every success in his future endeavors."

"I would like to thank Chris for his years of dedication to the Olympic Movement and the contributions he made in building a stronger COC and sport system in Canada," said COC President-Elect Marcel Aubut. "I know he will be missed by his many friends and colleagues. Chris is not one to sit still and I know we will see him accomplish much more as he moves on to his next mountain to climb."

Named the COC's CEO in January 2003, Rudge was a board member of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and was also active in the push to bring the 2015 Pan American Games to Ontario's Greater Golden Horseshoe Area, sitting on the Toronto 2015 Board of Directors. He was also the Chair of the Own the Podium Steering Committee for the past two years.

"Support for high performance sport in Canada has come a long way and our athletes no longer toil in obscurity," noted Rudge. "The Own the Podium program conferred upon us the right to debate whether we are capable of setting and pursuing audacious goals."

Rudge has been active on a number of other boards, including The Paxen Group Inc. (Melbourne, Florida), Merrill Lynch Canada and the National Ballet of Canada. He also served as an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia's School of Human Kinetics.

Rudge is a former senior executive and member of the Office of the CEO of Quebecor World Inc., which was the world's largest commercial printer, employing 43,000 people at 160 plants in 16 countries in North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia. In 12 years with the company, Rudge held several executive positions including: executive vice-president, Marketing, Communications and International Development; and Chairman, CEO and President, Que-Net Media. He has also been President of Quebecor Printing Canada, and President, International Operations and special assistant to the CEO at Quebecor Printing Inc.

Prior to joining Quebecor World Inc. in 1991, he was president and part owner of Web Offset Publications (Pickering, Ont.). Rudge has also been general manager in sales and marketing at Maclean Hunter Printing and has held various senior advertising sales positions at The Financial Post, including National Advertising Manager.

"Finally, to all the athletes, coaches and sport leaders I had the opportunity to meet and work with, many thanks for sharing your dreams and passions with Canada," Rudge added in closing. "You make us better."

The COC's Board of Directors expects to name a successor to the position shortly.

About the Canadian Olympic Committee

The Canadian Olympic Committee is a national, private, not-for-profit organization committed to sport excellence. It is responsible for all aspects of Canada's involvement in the Olympic Movement, including Canada's participation in the Olympic and Pan American Games and a wide variety of programs that promote the Olympic Movement in Canada through cultural and educational means. For news and information, visit the COC website at www.olympic.ca and find the team on both Facebook (Canadian Olympic Team) and Twitter (CDNOlympicTeam).

For further information: Isabelle Hodge, Canadian Olympic Committee, [phone], [email protected]