About Us

Peter Augruso

Peter Augruso recently retired as the Assistant Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Labour for the Government of Ontario where he led the Ministry’s operations division of 1,000 staff. He has been a keynote speaker, and leader in in Health and Safety and Employment standards fields for more than 30 years.

Throughout his professional career, Peter has continued to play, officiate, and administer the beautiful game. He was elected as the 36th President and Chair of the Board of Directors in 2018 after sitting on the former OSA Board for five years. His roots, however go back even further, having formerly been the District President of Soccer North West (SNO), President of one of the largest local clubs, as well as a team manager, coach and match official. His background provides keen insight into decisions affecting Ontario Soccer and its members.

Peter earned his Bachelor of Administration Degree from Lakehead University specializing in Human Resources and Industrial Relations. He is also holds a Certificate of Achievement in “Alternative Dispute Resolution” (ADR) through the University of Windsor – Faculty of Law.

DAVID CHOINIÈRE

David Choinière, a lifelong soccer enthusiast, eagerly accepted Soccer Canada’s invitation to become Secretary of its board of directors in September 2025, leveraging his legal expertise. For David, soccer has always been a source of inspiration and a driver of community engagement. His deep understanding of the sport’s dynamics stems from his extensive experiences as a player and coach at competitive levels.

As a lawyer specializing in commercial litigation at Lavery DE BILLY LLP in Montreal, he possesses notable expertise in dispute resolution, risk management, and governance. Bilingual in French and English, David holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Sherbrooke.
Determined to contribute to the success of Soccer Canada, he combines his legal skills and passion for the sport to promote excellence on both national and international stages.

Mr. Downey has extensive executive management experience in pro and amateur sport, and consumer packaged goods. Michael retired from full time employment in December 2023.

During his 15 years as CEO of Tennis Canada, Mr. Downey led the complete overhaul of the high-performance program including the establishment of Canada’s first ever, National Tennis Centre in Montreal, three regional U14 programs and the hiring of world renown coaches. Over the next decade, many Canadians developed in the Tennis Canada program achieved top 10 world rankings including Milos Raonic, Eugenie Bouchard, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Bianca Andreescu (2019 US Open Champion). In 2022 and 2023, Canada won for the first time ever, Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup world team titles, respectively.

During the pandemic, Michael led the critical negotiation which saw National Bank acquire the title sponsorship of the Canadian Opens for 10 years with record breaking NPV including a breakthrough investment in women’s and girls’ tennis. He was also successful in negotiating Rogers Communications’ deep dive into grass roots tennis, through the sponsorship of a new seed funding program which will help jumpstart 30 new year-round tennis facilities.

Between 2014-2017, Mr. Downey oversee British Tennis, the first expatriate to lead the 130-year-old LTA. He led the development of a plan which reversed a decade long decline in grassroots participation and revamped the entire British pro grass court circuit leading up to Wimbledon.

Mr. Downey has also held senior executive positions with Molson Canada and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, owners of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors and the then Air Canada Centre. After graduating from Western University in 1980 with an undergraduate degree in Business, Michael had a successful 8 year run at Warner Lambert both in Canada and as an expatriate Marketing and Sales Director based in Jakarta Indonesia.

In 2023, Michael was awarded the prestigious ACA Gold Medal in recognition of over 30 years’ experience as an exemplary marketing leader and most notably as Tennis Canada’s CEO.

Since retiring, Michael has volunteered his time to help the startup NSL, Calgary Wild franchise and Canada’s largest community tennis club, the Osten and Victor Alberta Tennis Centre. He is also a business advisor to the greater, a consulting and social cause enterprise and served as interim CEO of Gymnastics Canada.

Michael lives in Delta, BC with his wife Jinder. They have three adult children, Schara, Mac and Sam..

An experienced board director, corporate lawyer and business leader, Kelly Brown has been on Canada Soccer’s Board of Directors since 2020. She has served as the Executive Vice President, People, Legal & Corporate Affairs for Arterra Wines since 2018, the leading wine producer in Canada. In her role, her responsibilities include People and Culture, Legal, Risk Management, Government Relations and Communications. Brown has also served as the Chair of Wine Growers Canada since 2018. Before joining Arterra, Brown was the Chief People, Legal & Corporate Affairs Officer for Molson Coors Canada and served as a board director for The Beer Store.

Brown received her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from McGill University and her law degree from Dalhousie University. Early in her career, Lexpert named her one of Canada’s “Top 40 Lawyers Under 40”. She was a finalist for Canadian General Counsel of the Year. She also went “undercover” for Molson on the popular television series “Undercover Boss Canada”.

A lifetime soccer player and coach, she is proud to have served on Canada Soccer’s Board of Directors since 2020-21. Originally from Montréal, she now lives in Toronto with her husband and her daughter.

Tara is a values-driven financial executive and governance leader with a passion for building stronger organizations and communities. As Chief Financial Officer of CBCL Limited, she leads the growth strategy, financial operations, governance, and risk management for a dynamic group of companies.

With over 15 years of board experience spanning the public, private, and non-profit sectors, Tara brings a deep and balanced perspective to organizational oversight and strategic direction. A Chartered Professional Accountant and graduate of the ICD-Rotman Directors Education Program (ICD.D), she currently serves on several boards, including the Canada Soccer Foundation and Atlantic Integrated Water Utility Consultants.  Prior board service includes the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and Chair of Finance for Soccer Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia division of the Canadian Mental Health Association.  Her board contributions are grounded in strong governance, financial stewardship, and inclusive leadership.

Soccer is a life long passion and she has played, managed, and coached, including a volunteer role with the Special Olympics Unified Soccer program.

Tara is known for her strategic mindset, collaborative approach, and unwavering dedication to creating positive, lasting impact—whether in the boardroom, on the field, or in the community.

Terri Mattucci is an award-winning advertising and marketing professional with over 16 years of experience in the field. She is currently Senior Director of Strategy and Growth Marketing at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (“MLSE”).

In her time at MLSE, she has held leadership roles in brand, digital and commercial programming for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC and Toronto Argos. She has also held Digital and Content leadership positions and spearheaded the build and operation of MLSE’s first internal agency team to service corporate partners with bespoke marketing programs.

Prior to MLSE, Terri worked in the advertising industry at respected agencies in Toronto and New York taking on integrated marketing leadership roles. Her client roster touched several different categories including CPG, health and wellness, telecom, tech, and food & beverage.

Terri was born and raised in Etobicoke playing competitive soccer in and around Ontario. She has also held coaching positions for youth girls at the rep level.

Terri is fluent in English and French and earned her Honours B.A in Communication and French Studies from York University in 2008. She also holds a degree in Creative Advertising from Seneca College where she graduated with Honours. In her spare time, she gives back to the community by mentoring students and young professionals in the sports and marketing space.
Terri Mattucci was elected to the Canada Soccer Board of Directors in May 2024. She currently lives in Hamilton, Ontario with her husband and their two adopted dogs.

Tony Delblond was appointed to the Board of Canada Soccer in May 2024. Currently serving as the Partnership Director for the Montreal Alliance, a professional basketball team linked to the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), Tony brings a wealth of experience in sports management and business development.

Tony is also a former Senior Business Development Manager and Sales Supervisor with the Montreal Alouettes, a prominent team in the Canadian Football League (CFL). His extensive career in sports extends internationally, having held the position of Business Development Manager at Poitiers Basket in France.

Fluent in both French and English, Tony is a graduate of Dominican University in Chicago and Sup deV in Paris. His academic background laid the foundation for a dynamic career that spans across continents and sports disciplines.

Beyond his professional achievements, Tony is passionate about sports, gym, basketball, travel, and podcasts. His commitment to these interests underscores his dedication to a well-rounded and active lifestyle, reflecting his enthusiasm for both personal and professional growth.

An experienced executive leader, Stephanie J. Geosits has worked with prominent sports organizations across North America. She founded All About Sports consulting in 2019 to support her clients in increasing opportunities and building communities through sport at all levels.

In Canada, Geosits established the Marketing & Communications department at Ontario Soccer and led grassroots clubs in strategic planning and growth initiatives.

While earning a Master’s in Public Policy (MPP) from the Harvard Kennedy School, she wrote her Policy Analysis Exercise on diversifying hockey for the National Hockey League. She also has experience as the Executive Director of The Carnegie Initiative for Inclusion and Acceptance in Hockey.

As a journalist, Geosits wrote for the Associated Press Sports Department and created the New York Yankees’ website, while serving as their Editor in Chief. She graduated magna cum laude from Columbia University with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Spanish Language and Literature, and Anthropology.

Orest Konowalchuk resides in Calgary, Alberta and has been on the board of directors (the “Board”) since May 2023. Mr. Konowalchuk was re-elected to Board in May 2025 for a 3-year term and is currently the Chair of the Compensation Committee and a committee member on the Audit & Finance Committee.

Mr. Konowalchuk is a Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal Canada and brings over 19 years of senior corporate restructuring, insolvency and turnaround advisory experience to financially distressed companies and to senior lenders with distressed loans in the Alberta, the Prairies and throughout Canada. Orest earned a bachelor’s degree in commerce from the University of Manitoba and a diploma in business administration from Red River College. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Insolvency and Restructuring Professional, and Canadian Licensed Insolvency Trustee and is a member of the Insolvency Institute of Canada and other related professional organizations.

In addition to his professional experience, Mr. Konowalchuk has been involved in soccer in Canada for over 40 years, as a player, coach, referee and national referee assessor and coach. Beginning in the early 2000s, Orest was invited as an official to the National Referee Program and achieved a Nominated National Referee status. Mr. Konowalchuk came off the active list of officials and focused his attention on referee development as a National Referee Assessor and National Referee Coach for 11 years until January 2020. During this time, Mr. Konowalchuk was involved in the highest CSA National tournaments, including Club Nationals, CIS, and CCAA championships, including evaluating the CS National and FIFA referees within the Canadian Premier League and certain international friendly matches in Canada.

Brad is a proud member of the Squamish First Nation and carries the ancestral name Tsnomot. Brad has achieved his Bachelor of Education, Master of Education, and Doctor of Education in his post secondary career.

Brad has been an educator for 30 years in the public education system in British Columbia. He has been a teacher, an Administrator, and District Principal, and is currently the Associate Superintendent of Indigenous Education for BC’s Ministry of Education and Child Care. Besides supporting and providing service to all learners across the province of British Columbia, he is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia within the Faculty of Education

Brad is also active within his Squamish Nation, where he is a leader in policy, governance, and trust development. He currently sits as the Chair for the Squamish Nation Wealth Secretariat, Trustee for the Squamish Nation Trust, and a member of the Squamish Nation Constitution Working Group. All of the Squamish Nation entities that Brad participates in is to ensure the continued economic growth and financial responsibility of the Nation for future generations.

Brad started playing soccer at the age of 5 and continued to play until the year 2018. During his playing days, Brad was an outstanding goalkeeper that was a member of several representative teams for British Columbia, including playing in National Championships, Canada Summer Games and Western Canada Summer Games. He also had the opportunity to attend training camps for U16 National team during the lead up to the FIFA U16 World Championship hosted in Canada, and was privileged to play in a warm up match against the United States. Brad was also a member of the Vancouver 86ers Reserve Team while playing soccer for Simon Fraser University.

Beyond the sport of soccer, Brad was involved with rugby as a coach and administrator. Brad’s rugby teams won 10 provincial high school championships. He was President of the BCHSGRA for 12 years and witnessed the growth of the women’s game, sending players to the Rugby World Cup and to Olympic Games. He was a member of Rugby Canada’s Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility Working Group.

Brad’s leadership includes – General B Member Canadian Olympic Committee, ViaSport BC, Gord Downie – Chanie Wenjack Fund. He is also a proud alumnus of the 2017 Governor General of Canada’s Leadership Conference, where the focus was building a stronger Canada.

Part of the responsibility that has been placed upon Brad by his Nation and family is to enhance the awareness and values of Indigenous Peoples across Canada.

Davide Xausa was appointed to the Canada Soccer Board of Directors on May 4, 2024 in Montreal, Canada. Davide is a former Canadian international soccer player who represented Canada from 1993-2005 at the U-20, U-23 and World Cup Team level. He is also the CEO and Chairman of one of North America’s leading mobility services companies and an award winning entrepreneur and leader.

Now based in Vancouver, BC, Davide started his career at the University of Portland where he received his BA in Finance (1994-1997) and was recognized as a 4-time WCC First Team player, 2-Time All-West First Team player and 2-time NCAA All-American. After the 1996 Olympic qualifying campaign, which ended with a dramatic loss in the final qualifying game to Australia in Sydney, Davide embarked on a decade long professional career in Europe. During that time, Davide played for teams in England, Scotland and the Netherlands and played/scored in the UEFA Cup. Davide has 32 international caps for Canada and was an integral part of the team that won the Gold Cup in 2000, participated in the Confederations cup in 2001, won a bronze at the 2002 Gold Cup and multiple World Cup qualifying campaigns. Davide ended his career playing two (2) seasons with the Vancouver Whitecaps before his retirement in 2006.

Davide is the also the President of a real estate investment trust focused on retail and service/commercial level investments. Davide leverages his unique combination of business and leadership skills on a daily basis and will bring a wealth of business and commercial/entrepreneurial expertise to the Canada Soccer Board. Davide lives and works in Vancouver, British Columbia with his wife, Regan, and two sons, Grayson and Hudson, who are both actively playing in the BC Soccer system.

Gayle Statton has lived and flourished in BC all her life. A multi-sport varsity athlete with a huge love of sport. Gayle was on the BC Soccer Board of Directors since 2018 and President since 2020. Gayle was also the Chair of the inaugural Member Council for Canada Soccer – an inclusive Canada Soccer Membership Council striving for good strategic communications.

Gayle has 30+ years contributing to progressive and positive change at the grassroots levels in BC advancing to the Provincial and now the National levels of leadership. Gayle has an established record of leadership, change and results. Gayle is a Chartered Insurance Professional and holds many other business certificates (i.e., Strategic Planning, Portfolio Mgmt., Service Mgmt.).

Gayle’s personal and leadership brand includes striving for trust, transparency, good collaboration and communication and strong governance practices.