Farhan Lalji reporting new President for Leos

[David]

Duane Vienneau will be introduced shortly as the team's new COO, to become President of the football club in 2023.




DH

[DanoT]

'Currently Chief Grey Cup and Events Officer of the CFL" sounds like the purrfect background for the Lions new Pres.

[B.C.FAN]

He’s also in charge of Touchdown Atlantic and will be joining the Lions afterwards. The official
announcement:
https://www.bclions.com/2022/06/22/bc-l ... g-officer/

[Gridiron Ernie]

Nice little 3-minute interview video with the new man; https://www.tsn.ca/bc-lions-duane-vienn ... -1.1816248

[Toppy Vann]

If there was one message from the interview it was that the owner is looking to make games event-focused - like the first home game. That makes a ton of sense as that draws crowds.

I might have missed this but was there an actual recruitment process here?

My sense from the hire and the connection to the current Pres of BC Lions and the CFL is that this was not a recruitment process but typical of many entrepreneurs who hire based on what they hear or know about someone out there versus a full-out recruitment process that begins with a clear statement of roles and expectations and brings in people and assesses them against the role needed.

These quick-term events- based approach might be exactly their best marketing strategy here versus a longer-term approach. The longer-term things like sponsorships, partnerships and all that business community stuff that the top professional sports organizations get into takes more time to develop. Usually those spoils will only go to already successful teams and leagues.

If MLSE is any example in Toronto maybe that's not the way forward.

[DanoT]

If there was one message from the interview it was that the owner is looking to make games event-focused - like the first home game. That makes a ton of sense as that draws crowds.

I might have missed this but was there an actual recruitment process here?

My sense from the hire and the connection to the current Pres of BC Lions and the CFL is that this was not a recruitment process but typical of many entrepreneurs who hire based on what they hear or know about someone out there versus a full-out recruitment process that begins with a clear statement of roles and expectations and brings in people and assesses them against the role needed.

These quick-term events- based approach might be exactly their best marketing strategy here versus a longer-term approach. The longer-term things like sponsorships, partnerships and all that business community stuff that the top professional sports organizations get into takes more time to develop. Usually those spoils will only go to already successful teams and leagues.

If MLSE is any example in Toronto maybe that's not the way forward.

^^^ I agree, Toppy Van. Making each game an event is key, especially in a large market like Vancouver. Doman is on the right track, hiring a Pres with "Event Experience" as it is the way to go in a market in which the Lions are in competition with lots of other things going on.

Money attracts money and no one better to line up sponsorships, partnerships etc than Amar Doman himself, an owner that lives in Vancouver and who can use his ownership of other companies as a foot in the door to gain the backing of other corporations, while letting the new Lions team president focus on the game day events.

[cromartie]

COO is a good gateway position to the Presidency. You should understand the details of how the business runs prior to ascending to the top leadership position.

Preferable to hiring someone with an MBA from the outside and letting them cost control everything to oblivion. That's how you end up with the Argos.

[Toppy Vann]

COO is a good gateway position to the Presidency. You should understand the details of how the business runs prior to ascending to the top leadership position.

Preferable to hiring someone with an MBA from the outside and letting them cost control everything to oblivion. That's how you end up with the Argos.

Basically, there's not much of a structure in the Lions organization.
However, if the Lions were to have gone that route, then George Chayka would be the President.

Check out what George has been doing with the Lions over the years including (it says in the Leos Bio). One of them is biz partnerships. Now I think it's got to shift to event style outings for games to get the fans from home to stadiums. Then business will come in.





https://www.bclions.com/george-chayka-v ... -business/