CEO brings international experience to Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence
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May 15, 2008
The Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence Board of Directors is pleased to welcome the Institute’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Michael Wright.
Wright is an accomplished leader in sport management and marketing across North America and comes to the Institute from Blue Equity in New York City where he was Senior Vice President. Blue Equity is a private equity firm that invests in business enterprises and opportunities in media, financial services, real estate and sports and entertainment.
“We are extremely pleased to have Michael leading the Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence,” said Board Chair Jim Reed. “We were searching for someone who could lead our operations and create strategic revenue opportunities while at the same time cultivate essential, mutually-beneficial relationships with our primary partners, sport associations, schools, community agencies and provincial, national and international organizations.”
Previously, Wright worked for 20 years with IMG USA and IMG Canada, a worldwide sports and lifestyle management and marketing firm with an international staff of 2,000 and over 60 offices in 25 countries. IMG represents hundreds of sports figures, artists, celebrities and prestigious organizations around the world.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to join such a dynamic organization,” said Wright. “There is something fulfilling to me personally about helping young people develop not only their physical skills, but, by extension, their life skills. I like the fact that the Institute is made up of an extremely diverse and talented group and I will work to bring all our stakeholders together and help tell our story locally, nationally and internationally. Perhaps most importantly, we are poised to play a leadership role within the Canadian sport community in the area of research as it relates to athletic performance; allowing us to contribute to overall wellness and fitness while stoking the competitive spirit across our nation.”
The Toronto native served as Senior Vice President for IMG USA in New York for 10 years, initially heading up the Corporate Consulting Division and Olympic Sales and Marketing, where he was involved in strategic consulting, program management and brand development. Between 2001 and 2005, Wright was responsible for IMG’s Olympic New Business Development activities and worked on behalf of the US Olympic Committee and their Olympic teams for the Salt Lake, Athens, Torino and Beijing Games.
Wright got his start in sports marketing and event management with IMG Canada in 1986. He is interested in other cultures and once took a year long sabbatical to travel and volunteer across Europe and North America. He is active in many sports including cycling, basketball, tennis, squash, football and hockey and is currently training for the 2008 New York City Marathon. Wright assumed his new role in late March.
The Institute is a visionary partnership of Camosun College, the Canadian Sport Centre Pacific and PacificSport Victoria. It is a Canadian first and brings together excellence in sport and exercise education, world-class athlete performance services, community health and wellness and sport technology research and under one roof.
Phase I of the 117,570 square foot facility opens in September 2008. It includes classrooms, fitness and strength training facilities, a double gymnasium, a lit all-weather multi-sport playing field, sport medicine and rehabilitation services, high performance sport services, sport technology research facilities, multi-purpose rooms, library and food services.
A proposal has been made to the Federal Government under the Building Canada Infrastructure Program to fund Phase II of the building which will include a third gymnasium (to allow for national and international competitions), additional specialized labs, an outdoor training track and additional equipment and fittings.
The Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence will serve students, high performance athletes and coaches from across the country and thousands of the region’s children, youth and adult community members each year.
Contact
| Susan Haddon Director, College & Community Relations Camosun College 250–370–4231 – office 250–588–9298 – cell haddon@camosun.bc.ca | Joanna Fox Manager, Communications CSC Pacific 250–744–5537 250–882–5426 jfox@cscpacific.ca |
Last updated: December 21, 2009 1:16 pm
