VICTORIA—On the heels of leading Canada to its most successful Olympic and Paralympic Games in nearly two decades, Phil Dunne has been named the new chief executive officer of Triathlon Canada.
Dunne joined Triathlon Canada in September 2022 as the organization’s high-performance director. With a deeply rooted international background in sport science and leadership, Dunne guided Canada to five, top-15 finishes at the recent Paris 2024 Games, highlighted by Leanne Taylor’s bronze medal at the Paralympics and Tyler Mislawchuk’s spirited ninth-place Olympic finish.
He is now tapped with taking the reins of the national sport body from interim chief executive officer, Mark Hahto, providing stability, continuity and long-term vision for the organization on the road to 2028 and beyond.
“I am beyond excited and motivated for this transition, especially being supported by, and working closely with, the quality of talented people that are in this community – in the national office, at our provincial sport organizations and on the field of play at all levels – who are equally committed to the health and growth of triathlon in Canada,” said Dunne, who earned the position following a national search led by the Board of Directors, provincial representation and sport partners. “Now being in a leadership position, I am even more driven to support our wide community’s development even further so that this sport becomes a prominent contributor to both elite performance and participation-for-life across Canada.”
Prior to joining Triathlon Canada, Dunne worked with Sport Institutes in Canada and Ireland, as well as with the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) and Own the Podium (OTP). He honed his skills working with and leading multi-disciplinary, high-performance teams across a range of Olympic and Paralympic programs and has supported sports in building successful performance pathways for both athletes and coaches in their journey to achieving international success.
“Phil is a detailed, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic leader who brings tremendous drive, vision and the relationships – both in Canada and abroad – that are required to lead Triathlon Canada,” said Peter McCrory, president, Triathlon Canada, who added the organization will provide mentoring for Dunne as to support his transition into the chief executive officer position. “Phil is an important asset for Triathlon Canada: a growing, young leader with deep roots in sport who brings a new energy to the role and the organization. Phil has a profound understanding of the current challenges and opportunities facing a non-profit sport organization which will be critical for steering triathlon’s future in Canada, while immersing himself in the day-to-day operations at the national office. We are excited to have Phil lead our team.”
Dunne’s experience at the provincial, national, and elite international level – both as a technical leader and an administrator – has been built on a philosophy of relationship-building and mentorship. During his tenure with Triathlon Canada, he has emerged as a respected leader internationally, has developed strong relationships with national federations in the Americas region and beyond, and has recognized the importance of developing talent domestically in Canada, providing opportunities for the nation’s athletes and coaches, while also identifying ways to collaborate with other nations which exemplifies his vision to be inclusive, collaborative and performance-driven.
“My ultimate goal is to elevate the organization into a leading national sport organization within the Canadian and World Triathlon ecosystem. Leveraging the world-leading performances of our Olympic and Paralympic athletes as well as the legacy of respect generated by the Triathlon Canada community internationally over the past 25 years, I will aim to influence the expansion of the sport both here in Canada and across the region,” added Dunne. “This does not happen overnight and cannot be done in isolation. The community must re-establish a long-term road map and work together to achieve our collective goals. Together, we will support and sustain podium performances throughout the performance pathway – from the grassroots level to our Olympic and Paralympic best – help our athletes and coaches reach their full potential, in addition to supporting our provincial partners in increasing participation and strengthening the pool of athletes and coaches across the country.”
While Dunne and his team remain committed to delivering quality programs and competitions in Canada that will support the development of Canada’s triathletes and coaches throughout the performance pathway as well as enhancing the quality of experiences for age group members, his immediate focus will be on recruiting a world-class high-performance director to build on the performances at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“I am well aware of the financial challenges national sport organizations are faced with in the current sporting landscape for athlete development and event hosting. This is no different at Triathlon Canada,” said Dunne. “We must continue to be innovative while working together to create a sustainable future for Canadian triathletes, helping them reach their performance goals in the sport, while ultimately creating more heroes and role models in communities throughout the country to not only spark additional participation, but to attract new commercial partnership opportunities.”
Dunne will officially begin in his new role, September 25. He will address the national and provincial members at the organization’s Annual General Meeting slated for Montreal, September 27-28.
Triathlon Canada is the governing body of the sport in the country. Triathlon Canada’s more than 22,000 members include athletes, coaches and officials from the grassroots to elite levels. With the support of its valued corporate partners – 94 FORWARD, Training Peaks, Subaru Canada, Z3R0D, Aquaman, Tribe Solutions, Champion System Canada, BOCO Gear Canada, ZiZU Optics, Outway Performance Socks, SCICON, SportShare, WestJet and FulGaz – along with the City of Victoria, Government of Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee, and Own the Podium, Triathlon Canada develops Olympic, Paralympic and World Champions in all race disciplines. For more information on Triathlon Canada, please visit us at www.triathloncanada.com.