In his case, it’s a return to the Montreal organization after spending two decades there from 1996 to 2016. He also returns to the presidency of the Alouettes, which he held from 2013 to 2016.

Weightman, the current president of the Trois-Rivières Lions, an ECHL ice hockey team, will officially take office on April 11.

Barely a month ago, Weightman would never have thought it possible to return to Montreal. But when the sale of the Alouettes to Pierre Karl Péladeau was confirmed, everything collapsed.

As soon as the club’s purchase was confirmed I was contacted by people around Mr Péladeau who I have worked with a lot over the last few years, be it the Lions of Trois-Rivières, Videotron Coliseum, TVA Sports Broadcasts etc. These are still people I have often met in recent yearssaid Weightman.

” I was called to express my interest. From there things went pretty quickly. For me it was automatic. When I noticed Mr. Péladeau’s passion, goals and long-term vision, I immediately knew that this could be something that might interest me. I would never have dreamed of this a year ago, not even a month ago. »

He succeeds Mario Cecchini, who was signed in January 2020 but whose contract was not renewed after last season. Cecchini came on as an interim move when the Canadian Football League took over the team in February.

Mark shares the same vision for the team’s long-term future, both in terms of day-to-day management, the return to financial health, and our desire to grow our fan base at the stadium and in Quebec. These are the conditions that will allow us to bring Montreal back to the top of Canadian football.said owner Pierre Karl Péladeau in a press release.

Profitability as a goal

Weightman will have a clear goal, which is to make the organization profitable while ensuring football operations can put a successful team on the pitch.

Organizational profitability will always be at the top of the list, but the most important thing is to win. We need to give supporters a good reason to be proud of their organizationsaid the main prospect.

I think that in terms of profitability it needs good and solid management. You don’t have to change one thing 100%, but 100 things at 1% to achieve optimal changes. I applaud the work of Mario, who has worked for the organization for the most difficult three years in recent memory.

While he admits there is still work to be done, Weightman doesn’t think the task is insurmountable.

We’ve done it once, we’ll do it again. There are passionate people here, a young, dynamic team that has worked very, very hard. They too have lived through difficult years with the pandemic and the change of ownership. They went through it and came out even stronger […] I think that bodes well for the future.

” The recipe is not magic, it wins. It should also provide entertainment and the customer experience in the stadium. In the end, the biggest product that people consume comes into play. We’re still being spoiled. Yes, it’s a centuries-old stadium that deserves a little love, but we’ll see how we can make amends. But it’s also one of the most beautiful places, not just in Montreal or in Canada, but anywhere, to see a game, on the side of Mount Royal, right downtown. We need to revitalize the experience. »

The new President and CEO wants to bring the Alouettes back to the regions as before.

Community engagement has always been part of the Alouettes’ DNA. Not just in Montreal. We need to be very present everywhere in Quebec. I remember like it was yesterday, in the early 2000s, when we did a hockey tour in the winter. We played in Alma, in Dolbeau, we did Alouettes Junior Camps in Sherbrooke, in Trois-Rivières, in Quebec. It was an opportunity for our players to leave Montreal and meet our fans from all over Quebec.

It doesn’t take Papineau’s head to understand that these initiatives leave a positive mark. People remember that we visited them. If they don’t buy a ticket because they are too far away, watch our games or follow us on our social networks. The love rating will benefit from thisadded Weightman.