The Canadian Soccer Association (“Canada Soccer”) is pleased to appoint Earl Cochrane as its new General Secretary effective immediately.
The announcement is the culmination of an extensive global recruitment process aimed at identifying a candidate with the knowledge, experience, and passion to lead Canada Soccer.
The search began in January 2022 led by Lighthouse Search, Canada’s leading Executive Search firm specialising in Sport, Media and Entertainment. Over the course of five months North American and International candidates were assessed against a comprehensive position profile following which the Board of Directors at Canada Soccer approved Mr. Cochrane’s appointment unanimously.
With over thirty years of experience within the sport on and off the pitch, Mr. Cochrane brings the experience to build on the momentum and match the excitement and continued rise in popularity of soccer in Canada. Mr. Cochrane has also been serving as the Acting General Secretary for Canada Soccer since January 2022.
“I am delighted to welcome Earl Cochrane as our new General Secretary. His experience on and off the pitch across all levels of the game will be a huge asset for Canada Soccer,” said Dr. Nick Bontis, President of Canada Soccer. “From our Women’s National Team winning the Gold Medal at the Tokyo 2022 Olympic Games and qualifying for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™, to our Men’s National Team qualifying for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, and the immense excitement soccer is receiving, the coming months and years will be pivotal for the growth of the game across Canada. I look forward to working with Earl to capitalise on this remarkable moment in Canadian soccer history.”
Mr. Cochrane brings a wealth of knowledge about the global game of soccer as well as its development in Canada and has held key roles that have been integral to its growth and success. With over 20 years of domestic and international experience working with leading sport organisations such as MLSE, FIFA, Concacaf, and of course, Canada Soccer, as well as MLS clubs Toronto FC and D.C. United, Mr. Cochrane is well prepared to lead the organisation into the future. His knowledge of the business of soccer will be important to support our vision of leading Canada to victory and Canadians to a life-long passion for soccer.
For a backgrounder containing Earl Cochrane’s detailed biography, please click here.
As General Secretary, Mr. Cochrane will be the operational leader of Canada Soccer and will work closely with the President, Vice President, and the Board of Directors, and in consultation with its members and key stakeholders to ensure Canada Soccer is a strong, integrated organisation driven by a focused and shared vision. In his role as the leader of Canada Soccer’s staff across the country, he will also be integral in the organisation’s support of Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team’s preparations for its first FIFA World Cup berth in 36 years at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ , the Women’s National Team’s qualification for the FIFA World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023™ and Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the 2022 Concacaf W Championship, as well as ensuring the organisation is well positioned as it prepares to co-host the FIFA World Cup 2026 in partnership with Mexico and USA.
ABOUT CANADA SOCCER
Canada Soccer is the official governing body for soccer in Canada. In partnership with its members, Canada Soccer promotes the growth and development of soccer in Canada, from grassroots to high performance, and on a national scale. Soccer is the largest participatory sport in Canada and is considered the fastest growing sport in the country. There are nearly 1,000,000 registered Canada Soccer active participants in Canada within 1,200 clubs that operate in 13 provincial/territorial member associations.
Canada Soccer is affiliated with FIFA, Concacaf, and the Canadian Olympic Committee
MEDIA CONTACTS
Richard Scott
National Teams Program | Programme de l’équipe nationale
rscott@canadasoccer.com
m. +1 613.818.0305