Why you’re on the team:
I have no choice – I was the whole team for a short while and now absolutely love the fact that we have a group of skilled and fun colleagues who work hard and strive to laugh every day!
Personal Accomplishments
I have been married to my lovely and fun-loving wife, Lorette, for over 25 years and together we have 4 motivated, fun-loving children. As a whole, all 4 of these young people have been the best accomplishment that I have been associated with. I have learned from them and hopefully they continue to learn from me.
I love the fact that I still play hockey and have done so since the age of 5. Playing hockey with the old boys as many as 4 times a week is my “release valve” and makes me very happy. I am also proud of the fact that I have been involved with some great volunteer projects over the years as one must give back to the community in which they live!
Professional Accomplishments
My greatest leap of faith took place when I left a secure job and secure company and joined a company that was on the verge of bankruptcy. The faith was in my abilities to help turn the ship around and we did so. I am proud to this day of the business success of the Saskatchewan Roughriders and take solace that I played a part in that success.
- Labatt Breweries of Canada (14 years in various management positions)
- The Saskatchewan Roughrider Football Club
- Director of Marketing & Corporate Development from 2000 – 2004 inclusive (5 seasons)
- Responsible for the following initiatives:
- Branding of Riderville & “Canada’s Team”
- Fan-based marketing initiative (melon-head campaign; Football Hero; Heart of the Nation etc)
- Also includes the #1 Pre-game celebration in the CFL
- Capacity point set at stadium in 2002
- Impressive increases in sponsorship to over $1.4M and in Riders becoming #1 merchandiser in CFL, #1 Ratings Driver on TSN and #1 Draw in opposition stadiums
- Phoenix Advertising
- VP of Business Development
- Increased gross revenue by 40% in 2.5 years
- Started Fraser Strategy in October of 2007
- Most recently managed the Saskatchewan Pavilion at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
- Responsible for Marketing, Communications, Sponsorship, Programming and Event Management of Pavilions in Vancouver and Whistler
- Over $2M in unpaid advertising value – coverage nationally and internationally including Wall Street Journal
Community involvement:
- Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of Tourism Saskatchewan
- Rider liaison for the 2003 Grey Cup (and also worked on 4 other Grey Cups in other major Canadian Cities)
- Chair of the 2004 Western Canadian AAA Midget Championship
- Marketing Chair of the 2006 World Under 17 Hockey Championship
- AVP of the 2010 World Junior Hockey Championship
- President of Hockey Regina Inc.
- Has been a minor hockey coach for 21 consecutive years
- Currently sits on the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame & Museum Board of Directors.
Education Background
Bachelor of Arts (Economics) – University of Saskatchewan
Hobbies:
- Playing rec hockey
- Coaching minor hockey
- Gardening
- Reading
- Travelling with Lorette (and sometimes the kids)
- Camping
- Helping out on the farm
Favourite super hero:
BATMAN – because he is rich, chicks dig him, he drives fast, he walks up walls and he has a cape!
Favourite book:
Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne
Favourite cartoon character:
EASY – Yosemite Sam – because he is an extremely grouchy gunslingin’ cowboy with a hair-trigger temper who is obviously misunderstood. He would have made a great hockey player! Oh, one more thing, he is short!
Favourite Song:
“You Never Even Called Me by My Name” by David Allen Coe
Most inspirational person I know:
A gentleman by the name of George Creelman who lives in Florida now.
Why:
George became the General Manager for Labatt Saskatchewan in the early 90’s and he was the first person I ever met in the baby-boomer dominated workplace that actually tried to have fun at his job. I had been chastised somewhat for my belief that work should be fun and George was a successful manager who really didn’t give a shit what people thought of him…and I loved it! He taught me that my philosophy was not wrong as he believed that you could achieve great things and still have a giggle doing it. I especially loved it when upper level executives came in and George would give them the gears – he was a friggin’ classic!
Thankfully the workplace today has less of the “serious” baby-boomers and more of the young male and female professionals who understand that the work needs to be done but it does not need to be done in such a manner that nobody enjoys it! We all work hard and hopefully we all do well but isn’t the relationships that we build and the laughs that we have just as important! I believe the answer is yes and I know George Creelman would agree!
Favourite quote:
“My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was much less competition.”
Indira Gandhi
Indian politician (1917 – 1984)
Contact Details:
C: (306) 530-9556
