The Montreal Alouettes on Tuesday named Mark Weightman as president and chief executive officer, a position he held from 2013 to 2016.
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Mario Cecchini’s successor, now commissioner of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), knows the Sparrows organization well, in which he held various positions starting in 1996. More recently, he helped the arrival of the Lions of Trois-Rivières, in the ECHL, and that of the Alliance of Montreal, in the Canadian Elite Basketball League.
“It’s a real privilege for me to find the Montreal Alouettes, a team that I love, that I know and that I have always followed. I would like to thank Mr. Pierre Karl Péladeau [le propriétaire] for his trust in me. Our team has a rich heritage to develop and promote. I will work on this with enthusiasm with all the colleagues who are already at work, whether they are in our offices or dedicated to football operations under the good guidance of our general manager, Danny Maciocia, Weightman said in a press release. . There’s still a lot of work to do before kicking off the regular season, such as the draft and training camp, but I’m sure we’re all very excited to present your 2023 Alouettes to you.”
For his part, Mr. Péladeau was delighted with the hiring of an experienced man with very strong expertise in the sports world.
“We are convinced that he will be able to meet the challenges that will come our way, with the collaboration of all the collaborators of the Montreal Alouettes,” he said. Mark shares the same vision for the long-term future of the team, both in terms of its day-to-day management, its return to financial health and our desire to increase our core of supporters at the stadium and in Quebec. These are conditions that will allow us to put Montreal back at the top of Canadian football.”
Good words for Cecchini
In addition, Mr. Péladeau expressed his gratitude for the work done by Cecchini, who was at the helm from January 2020. Having seen his agreement not renewed by the former owners in December, he took over on an interim basis in February when the Canadian Football League put the club under conservatorship.
“I would also like to thank Mario Cecchini for the work he has done as president of the club over the past three years. He did it masterfully in difficult conditions,” said Mr. Péladeau.
“It is with the feeling of accomplishment that I end my adventure with the Alouettes. I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved over the past three years, especially the relationship we’ve built with the fans. We juggled with unique circumstances, particularly related to the pandemic and with a change of ownership, but we succeeded, together, ”added the commissioner of the QMJHL.