The Canadian Premier League finally has a boss.
On Wednesday, the yet-to-be-launched professional soccer league named longtime Tim Hortons executive David Clanachan as its first chairman and commissioner. The CPL, which also announced its intentions to launch in 2019, believes it has found the right person to lead it into its inaugural campaign.
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“David is an inspirational leader that speaks to the soccer fan in all of us," Bob Young, CPL board of governors member and owner of the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats, said in a league statement. His business acumen is second to none and his experience will help us achieve our goal of creating a league that ultimately becomes an important part of Canada’s sports and cultural landscape.”
Clanachan is the current chairman of RBI Canada, the Canadian arm of the company that owns fast food chains Tim Hortons, Burger King and Popeye's. He has previously served as Tim Hortons Canada chairman and COO, and will continue in an advisory role at RBI.
His primary job is with the CPL, however.
“My No. 1 mandate is Canadian players, Canadian coaches, development of Canadian administration,” he told the Canadian Press.
The first order of business for Clanachan is to bring more teams into the fold. The league previously announced Hamilton (owned by Young) and Winnipeg (operated by the CFL's Blue Bombers) as founding cities, but expects to launch with eight to 10 teams.
“It’s going to take time,” Clanachan said of getting the CPL established. “But I can see the commitment and the passion of the people that are involved and that what attracts me to it.”