Canada Soccer Announces New Transition Leadership Team

Canada Soccer today announced its new Transition Leadership Team to assist the Association while it seeks to fill the role of General Secretary.

The members of the Transition Leadership Team include:

     • Jason deVos — interim General Secretary
     • Kelly Brown — interim VP, Canada Soccer
     • Mathieu Chamberland — Chief Operating Officer
     • Sean Heffernan — Chief Financial Officer
     • Paulo Senra — Head of Public Relations & Communications

Jason deVos will take on the role of interim General Secretary, effective May 12, 2023, where he will focus on key external stakeholders. He will become the operational leader of the organization, working closely with the Board of Directors, in consultation with the Canada Soccer membership and key stakeholders.

Kelly Brown is the interim Vice President, Canada Soccer and will continue to serve as Chair, Ad Hoc Committee of the Board. This committee is compromised of legal and strategic advisors.

Mathieu Chamberland will continue as Canada Soccer’s Chief Operating Officer. He will primarily focus on internal stakeholders, including staff and the diverse Canada Soccer membership across the county.

Sean Heffernan will continue as Canada Soccer’s Chief Financial Officer. He will work closely with the interim General Secretary to provide financial support on all key areas of the Association during this leadership transition.

Paulo Senra will take on the new role of Head of PR and Communications. He will oversee corporate and National Team communications, while also elevating media relations both nationally and globally. In his role, he will work closely with and report directly to the new interim General Secretary.

“On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Jason for taking on this responsibility at an important time,” said Charmaine Crooks, interim President, Canada Soccer. “We look forward to working alongside Jason and the transition team as we continue to work collectively towards building and growing the game in Canada.”

“I’d like to thank the Board for their trust and am committed to working every day to ensure we continue building relationships and find positive resolutions on a variety of key matters facing our Association and membership,” added deVos. As a former player, I know and understand what it takes to compete, and enhancing the performance environment of our players will be a priority.”

With deVos moving into the role of interim General Secretary, Dave Nutt will become the interim Director of Development at Canada Soccer.

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BACKGROUND

Jason deVos has a deep history with soccer in Canada both as a former National Team player and administer. He has 49 caps for Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team and is currently a member of the Canada Soccer Executive Leadership Team serving as the Director of Development. He has been with the Association for the past six years.

Kelly Brown is the Executive Vice President of People, Legal and Corporate Affairs at Arterra Wines Canada. An experienced business leader, Brown is also a trained lawyer, and was previously the Chief People, Legal and Corporate Affairs Officer at Molson Coors Canada. Brown was elected a Canada Soccer Independent Director in 2020.

Mathieu Chamberland has a strong background in sport administration, with immense experience and history with Soccer Quebec. He has a deep understanding of provincial Member Associations’ needs and will be a fundamental liaison between Canada Soccer and our entire membership.

Sean Heffernan has strong finance, operations and management experience in his 30- year sports and corporate career. He has worked with both domestic and international businesses, private and public companies operating in industries of telecommunications, defence, manufacturing, financial service, non-profit organization and soccer including executive management on three FIFA World Cups.

Paulo Senra has led communications teams at the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Football League, and through his public relations and content work with global sports streaming and esports organizations, he has worked with various major sports properties, including: MLS, UEFA Champions League, the Premier League, NFL, MLB, NBA, WTA, and the Commonwealth Games.