REYNOLDS NAMED RIDER PRESIDENT
The Saskatchewan Roughriders Board of Directors announced on Tuesday that Craig Reynolds will be the Club’s next President and Chief Executive Officer.
Craig had been with the Riders for the previous six seasons after originally joining the Club as the Chief Financial Officer in June, 2009. After three years, Craig was promoted to Senior Vice-President & CFO where he has remained to date.
As an organizational leader Craig has been accountable for the Club’s strategic planning, budgeting, financial reporting, treasury, human resource and stadium operations functions. He has also worked closely with Football Operations providing forecasting, modeling and analytics assistance to the team in managing the league-wide salary cap and maximizing value for money.
Recently, Craig was a member of the 2013 Grey Cup Executive Committee and chaired the Operations Committee. In this role, he was responsible for all aspects of ticketing, sponsorship, marketing, retail, and stadium operations, delivering record revenue for the Club. Craig also played a lead role in the Grey Cup Legacy Project resulting in the expansion of the current Mosaic Stadium. Under Craig’s guidance the Club’s stabilization reserves have grown from $1 million to over $12 million in five years.
Most notably, Craig has led all aspects of the Club’s involvement in the development of the new Mosaic Stadium, Saskatchewan’s iconic new sports and entertainment venue. It is his vision that the new Mosaic Stadium will create an opportunity to grow revenue, enhance the ability to recruit and retain players, coaches, and staff, and deliver a world class fan experience for the organization’s passionate fan base. Additionally, Craig, while working alongside the Club’s senior leadership team, has developed the Club’s capital campaign designed to acquire the organization’s financial commitment to the stadium build.
The 39-year-old grew up in Foam Lake, SK before attending the University of Saskatchewan where he completed a Bachelor of Commerce, with Distinction, and a Masters in Professional Accounting. He then obtained his Chartered Accountant Designation in 2001 from the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants. Craig began working with KPMG in 1998 in Saskatoon before transferring to the company’s Luxembourg location. From there he moved to London, England in 2003 to work for Thomson Scientific in a Financial Accounting role. Just prior to relocating back to Saskatchewan to join the Riders, Craig worked for Suncor Energy in Alberta for four years where he departed as Senior Manager of the Oil Sands Cost Management Program.
(Courtesy Saskatchewan Roughriders)
Lots of credentials for sure, but a big change at President – from a former football player like Hopson to a pencil pusher/accountant type.
Hope he does not fit the stereotype of an accountant – boring. Big shoes to fill – good luck and all the best Craig!
The King is dead. Long live the King.
The next question – who takes over the job Craig was doing?
Oh look at that Obama, looks like you were wrong again, as usual
-Craig
I was impressed with his resume until I read that he was involved in the budget. Someone held the scouting and recruitment budget to bare bones and it showed. It won't matter who's in charge of anything if they can't find some football players that are more than hype.
Elsewhere in Rider news.
#82 Dan DePalma is getting NFL attention.
Rider coaching staff let him into three games last year and you wonder why George Cortez is gone.
Never heard of this person before this announcement, exclusive behind the scenes with credential and personal accomplishment. Local inside the box decision are what separate the CFL from the NFL as "professional sports" entities. Anyways, congratulations Craig Reynolds on your new appointment with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, much success.
Congratulations Craig Reynolds on your new job! May you and the Rider organization have a very long and successful friendship! To Mr Jim Hopson, Thankyou for your many years of service to the organization, and happy retirement!
Status quo, old boys club still pulling strings from the dark shadows.
"#82 Dan DePalma is getting NFL attention.
Rider coaching staff let him into three games last year and you wonder why George Cortez is gone.”
2 completely different games. Ricky Williams tore up the CFL didn’t he? Only to go back down south to Miami and rush for 1000 yards 2 years later.
Yawn!! ……. so much hype for nothing, same old same old.
Maybe Craig will give the green light on Roy entering the plaza of honour?
I liked what I saw about De Palma the brief times he came into the game. Remember his TD? Showed a lot of speed and promise. If he would make it in the NFL I would be happy for him but sad that our OC never used him when there was a huge need for somebody to step up.
If Craig focuses on the business side and not football operations, I see good things happening. This will allow Taman and company to work on the on field product and player personnel.
Just think, the Rider President could have been Pamela Wallin, but for her fatal appointment by Harper to the Senate.
-Hot Sally
Hiring somebody with a solid business background to run a business? Who the hell ever heard of such a thing?
Smart hire. Maybe not sexy. But smart. Should make for a better separation of the business side and the football operations side.
Could have been worse if it was Obama.
Youth movement in Rider upper management and coaching good to see; now the challenge will be to get the next generation of Rider stars on the field in place.
As long as he stays out of the football side and sticks to what he knows. Pencil pushers can be scary when all they see is DOLLARS.
Local talent with fantastic credentials. Too bad that this province abors, mistrusts, is indifferent to anyone with an education greater than Jethro Bodines'. The prejudice for education will be out as this man will be run otta town after a few losses. Some nitwit above already has him pegged for supposedly poor scouting a few posts away from nfl interest for a practice player. Go figure