Own the Podium Board of Directors – Nomination Opportunity

‍

‍

Positions

‍

Two to three positions on the Own the Podium (OTP) Board of Directors for a 2 year term beginning on  July 9, 2026. The position(s) are renewable for additional two year terms to a maximum of four 2 year  terms and subsequent to re-election by the Board of Directors of OTP. 

‍

‍

Own the Podium (OTP)

‍

OTP was first established in 2005 to help Canada become the number one nation at the 2010 Olympic  Winter Games and to place in the top three nations in the gold medal count at the 2010 Winter  Paralympic Games. OTP is a not for profit corporation with a mission of leading the development of  Canadian sports to achieve sustainable and improved performances at the Olympic and Paralympic  Games. The purpose of OTP is to support Olympic and Paralympic athletes in winning well. OTP’s vision  is for Canada to be leaders in Olympic and Paralympic sport. The mission of OTP is to enhance the high  performance sport system by providing advice, delivering strategic priorities and providing funding  recommendations that align with the priorities of our funding partners.

‍

OTP’s largest contributor of funding is the Government of Canada. Additional funding is provided by the  Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Olympic Foundation, Canadian Paralympic Committee and the  Paralympic Foundation of Canada.

OTP is committed to conducting its activities with integrity and in accordance with the highest ethical  standards. The Board of Directors of OTP has fiduciary responsibility over the corporation. It ensures  that all activities conducted by the corporation are in full compliance with the terms of the corporation’s By-laws, policies and contribution agreement with the Department of Canadian Heritage  and all applicable, rules and regulations. The Board conducts business through regular meetings of the  full Board, the Finance and Audit Committee, the Governance, Nominating and Ethics Committee and  the Athlete Advisory Committee.

‍

The Board consists of up to twelve voting members. Three Directors are nominated by the Secretary of  State for Sport, one qualified individual to be considered as a Director by the Canadian Olympic  Committee (COC) who may be elected by the OTP Board of Directors, one qualified individual to be  considered as a Director by the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) who may be elected by the OTP  Board of Directors, one Director with experience competing in the Olympic Games, one Director with  experience competing in the Paralympic Games and up to an additional five independent qualified  Directors. There are currently 2-3 vacant Director positions to be nominated from a slate of candidates  submitted by the Secretary of State for Sport and 2-3 other vacant Director positions.  

‍

‍

Compensation

‍

No Director of OTP shall receive an honorarium or other remuneration from the Corporation, however a Director may be reimbursed reasonable expenses incurred by such Director in the performance of their duties, including costs and expenses related to attending meetings of the Board.

‍

‍

How to apply

‍

Please address your cover letter to:

‍

Anne Merklinger 

Chief Executive Officer, Own the Podium 

Anne.merklinger@ownthepodium.org

‍

Candidates must submit an application via email to the address noted above by April 30, 2026.

‍

‍

Remark

‍

Information sent by email is not protected. Please ensure sensitive personal information, such as your Social Insurance Number and birthdate are not included in your application.

‍

‍

Applications must include the following:

‍

• a cover letter addressing the education and experience criteria listed below;  
• a copy of your curriculum vitae; and 
• the name and contact information for two references.

‍

Documents received after the deadline will not be accepted. All documents may be submitted in either French or English.

‍

‍

Official languages and diversity

‍

Own the Podium will consider bilingual proficiency and diversity in assessing candidates for this position.  You are therefore encouraged to include in your application your ability to speak and understand your  second official language. Preference may be given to candidates who are members of one or more of  the following groups: women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and members of visible  minorities. You can voluntarily indicate, in your cover letter, if you are a member of one or more of the  groups identified above. It is not mandatory to provide this information, which will be kept for statistical  purposes. 

‍

Own the Podium is committed to ensuring that its nominations for potential appointments take into  consideration the desire to achieve gender parity and reflect Canada’s diversity, in terms of linguistic,  regional and employment equity representation. 

‍

To be considered for this position, please provide examples that clearly demonstrate how you meet the  following requirements in your application: 

‍

‍

Selection Criteria

‍

Education and Experience

‍

• A degree from a recognized university in a relevant field of study or an acceptable combination  of education, job-related training and/or experience; 
• Experience in serving on not-for-profit Boards; and one or more of the following • Experience in human resource management; 
• Experience in financial management; 
• Legal acumen; 
• Experience in strategic and corporate communications; 
• National level high performance sport experience.

‍

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

‍

• Knowledge of the mandate and activities of OTP as well as the environment within which it  operates; 
• Understanding and appreciation for the importance of Canadians excelling in high performance  sport on the global stage; and 
• Understanding of the need for strong Board/Management culture.

‍

If you move on to the next stage of the selection process, we may contact your references to verify how  you have demonstrated the Experience requirements and the following personal attributes in your  current and recently held positions:  

‍

Personal suitability

‍

• Strategic and innovative leadership 
• High ethical standards, integrity and impartiality 
• Tact and diplomacy
• Sound judgement 
• Superior interpersonal skills

‍

‍

Eligibility factors and conditions of appointment

‍

In your application, you must clearly demonstrate that you meet the following requirement: 

• be at least 18 years old, have not been declared incapable by a court in Canada or another country, do not have the status of bankrupt and be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident.

‍

The successful candidate must commit to:

‍

• attend board meetings when and where required (a minimum of four board meetings will be  held each year); and 
• fulfil the duties and responsibilities of a member of the board as per the OTP by-laws. Results of this process will be sent to all candidates at the address provided on their application.