CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
Mark Lemmon
The Chief Marketing Officer will have full accountability and responsibility for optimizing all aspects of the commercial operation. This will be critical to supporting the organization’s strategic direction and continued growth, including our ability to capitalize on the strength of our teams and our first Rugby Olympic appearance in 2016. The Chief Marketing Officer will inspire the commercial team to support and add value to all partnerships to which we are accountable and use the brand and image to ignite a shared passion for the sport of rugby by Canadians. The Chief Marketing Officer mandate includes developing and implementing a long term Fund Development Strategic and Operational Plan that will provide financial independence for Rugby Canada.
Mark Lemmon joined Rugby Canada in early January 2014 as the new Chief Marketing Officer. Mark was born in Toronto and currently lives in Aurora, Ontario. Mark has extensive sales and marketing experience in both the consumer packaged goods and sports industries. Educated at Wilfrid Laurier University where he attained his HBBA and specialized in Marketing, Mark’s work experience includes numerous sales and marketing positions with Labatt Breweries of Canada in both Ontario and Alberta. Early in Mark’s career, he was responsible for managing the Labatt partnership agreement with the Canadian Rugby Union. As well, Mark lead a number of national marketing initiatives including the Labatt brand activation celebrating the Toronto Blue Jays back-to-back World Series Championships.
Mark also spent over ten years with the Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Club where he acted as VP, Corporate Partnerships and Business Development. He and his team developed key strategic alliances with brands such as Coca Cola, MasterCard, Dundee Wealth Management, Gatorade, Rogers, and HSBC to name a few. Mark’s career then took him into the broadcast industry at CBC Sports where he spearheaded strategic alliances between Canada’s top consumer brands and CBC’s sports properties (Hockey Night In Canada, FIFA World Cup, etc.).
Most recently, Mark moved on to fulfill a lifelong dream to own his own business where he partnered with a well established Canadian sports marketing agency (DEC Sports Ltd.) specializing in business development and marketing for various Canadian amateur sports organizations.
Mark has sat on the Board of Directors for Ontario Special Olympics and also for Bayview Golf and Country Club where he lead the re-branding of this well established family club.