Vancouver - The Vancouver Organizing Committee of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) has announced the appointment of Ward Chapin as the organization's senior vice president of technology and systems, bringing the VANOC staff ranks to 90 full-time employees with a host of experience and skills.
Chapin joins VANOC from HSBC Bank where he held information technology and technical and corporate services roles in Canada and in Europe. Chapin will be responsible for managing and implementing the technology systems required to stage the 2010 Winter Games.
"Canada is my home and I am looking forward to this tremendous opportunity to contribute to the successful preparation and staging of Canada's 2010 Winter Games," said Chapin. "This is an exciting challenge as the Games are a huge and unique consumer of technology - from venues to procurement, logistics to media operations - each functional area will require reliable systems for smooth and efficient delivery of the Games."
Chapin's appointment completes VANOC's senior executive team as follows:
· John Furlong, Chief Executive Officer
· Ken Bagshaw, Senior Vice President and General Counsel
· Ward Chapin, Senior Vice President - Technology and Systems
· Dave Cobb, Senior Vice President - Revenue Communications and Marketing
· Steve Matheson, Senior Vice President - Venue Development
· John McLaughlin, Vice President and Comptroller
· Cathy Priestner Allinger, Senior Vice President - Sport
· Donna Wilson, Senior Vice President - Human Resources
· Terry Wright, Senior Vice President - Planning and Service Operations
VANOC is also pleased to announce the recent appointments of the following vice presidents:
· Linda Coady, Sustainability
· Andrea Shaw, Sponsorship Sales and Marketing
· Renee Smith-Valade, Communications
· Burke Taylor, Culture and Ceremonies
In addition, managing directors have been appointed in the following Games functional areas:
· David Whyte, Venue Development
· Herwig Demschar, Venue Operations
· Guy Lodge, Services and Non Competition Venues
VANOC's team of full time staff is working in a variety of departments such as venue development, logistics planning, sport, communications, marketing, finance, legal, accommodation and project scheduling. This workforce will grow over the next five years to reach an estimated 1,200 employees just before the Games in 2010. An estimated 3,000 temporary workers and 25,000 volunteers will join VANOC's team at Games time in early 2010.
"People are the essential component of a successful Games," said Donna Wilson, VANOC's Senior VP of Human Resources. "With five years to go, we already have attracted a very talented group of employees with diverse backgrounds. Many have previous major games and event experience, while others are working on their first Games. Our goal is to ensure maximum public accessibility to employment opportunities while still targeting certain specialized skills."
The following is an example of the diversity of backgrounds and experience on the VANOC team:
· 21 employees with previous Olympic, Paralympic or Commonwealth Games organizing experience. This adds up to 120 years of major Games experience.
· 3 Olympians; 1 Paralympian
· 26 athletes with national or provincial competition experience
· 20 languages spoken by VANOC employees
· VANOC employees come from eight Canadian provinces - including BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland
· Internationally, eight home countries are listed on the VANOC team roster - Austria, Australia, England, Finland, France, India, Ireland and USA
Last week, at the close of the Vancouver working session of the International Olympic Committee's Coordination Commission for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Commission Chairman René Fasel commented that VANOC has made the transition from bid to organizing committee and is delivering winning results by attracting high-quality, experienced staff.
"VANOC has set a primary goal for the recruitment of employees and volunteers who bring the depth of experience and energy that are fundamental to staging a highly successful Games in 2010 on behalf of all Canadians," stated VANOC CEO John Furlong. "We are already well on our way towards that goal by attracting the best and the brightest to our team."
VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Whistler will host the Paralymic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010.
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