Calgary businessman Kien Tran is named CEO of Bobsleigh Skeleton Canada

Calgary businessman Kien Tran has been named chief executive officer of Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton and will lead the search for a new high-performing director.

The organization announced Trans's appointment in a news release Thursday, saying he has more than 20 years of experience in investment banking and capital markets in Calgary and New York.

Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton said Tran's immediate priority will be to hire a replacement for former high performance director Chris Le Bihan, who parted ways with the organization in February. The new director is expected to be hired in May.

Tran takes over from Patrick Jarvis, who was appointed to the position on an interim basis in March 2023 after former president and acting CEO Sarah Storey announced last year that she would not seek a third term due to calls for her resignation.

More than 70 athletes called for Storey and Le Bihan to resign amid what they called a toxic atmosphere of abuse within the organization.

Tara McNeil, a Calgary exercise physiologist supported by a group of current and retired athletes, succeeded Storey as president. Bobsleigh Skeleton Canada also elected new members to its board of directors earlier this year.

Tran most recently served as president of the Calgary Blizzard soccer club, where he led the team through the COVID-19 pandemic and secured funding for construction of the Shouldice Dome facility.

“Kien is a dynamic and passionate leader who brings the energy, drive and skills needed to lead our company into a promising new future,” McNeil said in a press release. “He excels in his leadership skills and business acumen, while also having a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing a nonprofit sports organization.”

Canada had a mixed season in 2023/24 under new coaches Joe Cecchini, Kevin Boyer and Micaela Widmer.

Canadian bobsledders won just one bronze medal in the 2023-24 World Cup and did not reach the podium at the 2024 World Championships. But there was even more success in skeleton: Hallie Clarke became the youngest world champion ever at 19, and veteran Mirela Rahneva won a World Cup.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2024.

The Canadian Press