Golden Gael contributions to the Olympics extend beyond the athletic field and into the executive branch. In June, three Queen’s graduates were named to the leadership team of the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
After an intensive recruiting process that drew many interested and qualified parties, Queen’s Commerce grads Jeff Chan, ArtSci ’74 Terry Wright, COM ’79, and John McLaughlin, COM ’79, were selected. Their appointments mean that half of the current VANOC leadership team is comprised of Queen’s alumni. “It’s a coincidence as far as I’m concerned” Chan told the Journal in a telephone interview. Three more executives are expected to the team in the coming months, and there are several other Queen’s grads within the organization..
Chan was selected the senior vice president of human resources after the executive search, and estimates that it was his “old human resources background, and scratch consulting work” for McKinsey & Company —one of the world’s leading management consulting firms— that allowed him to become involved in the project.
“Both others worked on the bid and were in the same class together [Queen’s Commerce ’79],” Chan said. Of the three, Chan retains the strongest links to Queen’s. A past recipient of the Special Athletic Recognition Award and current member of the university board of trustees of the University, Chan remains a strong er of the athletic program, and is actively involved in Queen’s community life as a member of the executive committee of the planned $200 million Queen’s (Physical Education and Student Life) Centre. His education at Queen’s in organizational behaviour, combined with his professional experience with McKinsey, make Chan an ideal fit for guiding VANOC through its stages of growth and operation over the next six years.
Fellow Queen’s graduates Terry Wright and John McLaughlin were overqualified for their respective roles of senior vice president of Olympic planning, and vice president and comptroller, given their roots in British Columbia’s athletic community. The two chartered ants were heavily involved in the planning process of the 1994 Victoria Commonwealth Games. In addition, Wright was a senior manager with EXPO ’86 and the ’99 Pan American Games. McLaughlin was also part of the EXPO ’86 team, as well as serving on the board of directors of the ’96 BC Winter Games.
Despite their overwhelming credentials, the VANOC Gaels are sure to face many challenges in carrying out their responsibilities in the months.
“Right now, it’s all about planning and setting a solid foundation” Chan said.
The ability to plan carefully and effectively is hindered by the various groups pressuring the team to act in certain ways. Chan remains confident that the committee can overcome any of these obstacles.
“It’s not exactly the first Olympic Games,” he said. “It’s about lessons learned and avoided. Athens and [the 2006 Winter Games] in Torino, Italy will provide a good model for dealing with security, broadcasting contracts, and all kinds of other issues.”
For now the VANOC team is expected to grow from the current seven official employees to a force of 35,000 in the coming years.
“Everyone else is afraid that we’ll only hire Queen’s grads” Chan said.
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