Vancouver - Five executives have been appointed to the leadership team of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC).

The executive team members will have responsibilities in the areas of finance, human resources, Olympic planning, sport and venue development.

"We have a blend of people who helped prepare Canada's successful 2010 Games bid and individuals who will bring new ideas and enthusiasm to our vision for an outstanding Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games," said John Furlong, chief executive officer of VANOC.

"These appointments were made after search that sparked interest from across the country and around the world. Our team mixes local expertise with international Games experience - it is a Canadian team for Canada's Games"

The VANOC Leadership Team consists of:

• John Furlong, CEO
• Terry Wright, Senior Vice President, Olympic Planning
• Cathy Priestner Allinger, Senior Vice President, Sport
• Jeff Chan, Senior Vice President, Human Resources
• John McLaughlin, Vice President and Comptroller
• Steve Matheson, Senior Vice President, Venue Development

The five executives will be joined by at least three others in the coming months who will be responsible for revenue, marketing and communications, legal services and Olympic services. Recruitment for those positions is still underway.

"This senior team will continue to build upon the work done by a group of dedicated and passionate individuals who have worked diligently this past year helping us make the transition from the Bid Corporation to Games Organizing Committee," added Furlong.

Furlong also announced a volunteer capital works committee to assist in the planning of the 2010 Games venue development program. David Podmore, president and chief executive officer of Concert Properties Ltd, will chair the committee. He will be assisted by Eric Martin, vice president, development, BOSA Developments. Other members of the committee will be announced in the near future. The committee will provide advice and support to VANOC to ensure the venues are delivered in accordance with the commitments outlined in the Vancouver 2010 Bid Book.

At present, 40 people are providing services to VANOC. The Organization will grow slowly over the next two years and will start to ramp up after the next Olympic Winter Games (Torino 2006). By Games time in 2010, some 1,200 people will be employed by VANOC, along with an estimated 3,000 Games staff and 25,000 volunteers.

The IOC selected Vancouver as the Host City of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games at its session in Prague on July 2, 2003. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. The Nominating Entities of the Vancouver 2010 Organizing Committee are the Government of Canada, the Province of British Columbia, the City of Vancouver, the Resort Municipality of Whistler, Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee and the Lil'wat and Squamish First Nations.

-2010-

Media Contacts:
Sam Corea
VANOC
1-604-806-1919

Jane Burnes
VANOC
1-250-889-1054

Backgrounder: VANOC Leadership Team

Terry Wright, Senior Vice President, Olympic Planning

Terry Wright will lead the integration of all aspects of 2010 Games planning and operations. Wright served as Vice President, Bid Development and Operations for the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation. Previously a senior manager with EXPO 86 and the 1994 Victoria Commonwealth Games, Wright has also provided core planning support to the 1999 Pan American Games, Goodwill Games and the World Masters' Games. Wright graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree from Queen's University. A Chartered Accountant by training, he has lectured extensively for the Institute of Charted Accountants.

Cathy Priestner Allinger, Senior Vice President, Sport

Cathy Priestner Allinger will work with the International Olympic Committee and international sports federations and the Canadian sport community to ensure the 2010 Games meet the highest standards of competition. An Olympic medallist in speed skating, Priestner Allinger has been involved with all aspects of sport and sport management. Her most recent roles include: Managing Director of Games Operations for the 2006 Torino Olympic Games, and Managing Director of Sport for the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Games. She is an Olympic Order recipient and inductee of the Canadian Hall of Fame and Olympic Hall of Fame.

Jeff Chan, Senior Vice President, Human Resources

Jeff Chan will guide VANOC through its stages of growth and operation over the next six years, ensuring that a strong culture is built on the foundations of the Olympic ideals. Chan has held senior human resources positions with American Express and AlliedSignal (now Honeywell) in Canada and the U.S., after gaining his initial human resources experience with Imperial Oil in Western Canada and Ontario. For the past 10 years, he has been with one of the world's leading management consulting firms, McKinsey & Company. Chan has an MBA (Industrial Relations) from the University of Western Ontario and a BA from Queen's University, specializing in organizational behaviour.

John McLaughlin, Vice President and Comptroller

John McLaughlin will lead the development of VANOC's financial plan and ensure the organization meets its financial objectives while adopting business practices of the highest standards. He served for two years as Vice President, Finance and CFO for the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation. His background includes several of BC's significant entertainment and sports projects starting with EXPO 86 and including MUSIC 91 and the 1994 Victoria Commonwealth Games. He has also consulted to a variety of sports and entertainment clients in Vancouver and was a member of the Board of Directors of the 1996 BC Winter Games. McLaughlin serves on the Board of Directors of Sport BC. He graduated from Queen's University and is a Chartered Accountant.

Steve Matheson, Senior Vice President, Venue Development

Steve Matheson will work with various stakeholders to plan, build and prepare the venues for the 2010 Winter Games. Matheson brings 15 years of executive experience managing a design, development and construction organization to VANOC. His most recent position was as Senior Vice President of Dominion Construction in Vancouver where he oversaw projects such as the development of General Motors Place, Richmond City Hall, and Burnaby Mountain School. Matheson is a Professional Engineer, with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Civil Engineering) from the University of British Columbia.