Toronto 2015 Pan / Parapan American Games names CEO

TORONTO , Feb. 11 /CNW/ - 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.

    
    News Conference and Conference Call

    What:   Roger Garland, Chair of the Toronto 2015 Pan / Parapan American
            Games Organizing Committee, will introduce Ian Troop, Chief
            Executive Officer. Both will provide comments and be available
            for questions and interviews.

    When:   Thursday, February 11, 2010
            2 pm EST

    Where:  Direct Energy Centre
            Exhibition Place, Toronto
            Lobby - Hall A Entrance

            Enter building from Princes Boulevard
            Hall A is west of the Princes Gates
            Parking is available in lot directly across from Hall A entrance
    

Teleconference lines are available. Please register to receive call-in instructions:

Anne-Marie Radford, T. 416-327-0326

[email protected]

    
                     Ian Troop, Chief Executive Officer
         Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games Organizing Committee
    

Ian Troop is an experienced, skilled multinational business-builder and an involved community leader who believes in the fundamental value of sport in a healthy society.

Mr. Troop brings more than 28 years of senior operating experience with multinational corporations in the highly competitive consumer packaged goods industry. A graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University (Bachelor of Business Administration), Mr. Troop started his career with Procter & Gamble and for over 20 years, held a progression of leadership roles in Canada , Mexico , the United States and Poland . He moved to ConAgra Foods International as President, and built a billion dollar business with units in Canada , Mexico , India , Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East . Here, he was responsible for 3,000 employees, five plants and more than US$1.4B in sales. Most recently, Mr. Troop was Operating Advisor to OMERS (Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System) Private Equity, a $42-billion pension fund.

Mr. Troop also served on the Advisory Board of the National Hockey League Players Association. In 2006 and 2007, the Financial Post named Mr. Troop as one of Canada's top CEOs of the future. He is the Past Chairman of AgroTech Foods Ltd. (an Indian public company), past board member of Verde Valle ( Mexico ), Hunts-Universal Robina ( Philippines ) and Hunts-Chalkis ( China ). He currently serves as Chairman of Maxxam Scientific, on the board of Give & Go Foods, and on the Advisory Board of Mother Parkers and The Wheels Group.

An avid sportsman, Mr. Troop was high school athlete of the year at Toronto's Kipling Collegiate, and went on to play university football for Laurier. He is a member of the 1978 team inducted into the Laurier Hall of Fame. In 1979, Mr. Troop was an Ontario University Athletics all-star and in 1981, was drafted by the Canadian Football League's Hamilton Tiger Cats. In 2009, Mr. Troop was named Laurier's Alumnus of the Year.

Mr. Troop enjoys combining his love of community and sport. He co-founded a community hockey program in Warsaw , Poland and coached youth hockey in Cincinnati , Ohio and youth basketball at the Ontario Games. In his hometown of Georgetown, Ontario, Mr. Troop , as Chair, worked with other community members, the school board and local government on the Field of Dreams, an infrastructure project which was fully funded by the community.

He and wife Nicole are avid fans and supporters of their hockey player daughter Sofia and football player son Spencer.

For further information: Liz Borowiec, Toronto 2015, [phone], Mobile - [phone], [email protected]