A Hint of Nepotism

Last week Jean Dupre was announced as the CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee. On the surface the selection was a a decent one. After all Dupre has been the Director General of Speed Skating Canada since 1995 and during his tenure the sport has risen to unparalled heights. Since 2006 the sport has won a mind-numbing 22 Olympic medals - and has produced some of Canada's most recognizable athletes; Clara Hughes, Cindy Klassen, Jeremy Wotherspoon to name a few.

And while no one will doubt that Dupre has the qualificaitons and experience to be CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee the fashion in which he became CEO ought to be up for investigation.

In 2009 Marcel Aubut was in a political fight to become President of the COC with Tricia Smith. Smith - a former Olympic medallist in the sport of rowing and a VP with the COC was widely percieved as a front runner for the role. However, Dupre - also a VP within the organization (in addition to being Director General of Speed Skating Canada) lobbied hard on Aubut's behalf. With Dupre and a few other political heavyweights in his corner, Aubut was elected as the President of the Canadian Olympic Committee in the summer of 09.

Fast forward 8 months. In April of 2010 Aubut is handed the reigns of Canada's Olympic Committee and his first order of business is to hire Dupre as the organizations CEO.

In most circles similar-type announcements would have likely raised eyebrows and may have even warranted an investigation. In the COC it is business and no one really cares.

Perhaps it is true. "The more things change, the more they stay the same."