Quebec’s Ron Weiser succeeds Blair Carbert as Board Chair of the governing body for Canada’s most successful Olympic sport

OTTAWA, ONTARIO – Speed Skating Canada will skate into the 2024-25 season with a newly-elected Board of Directors following a transformational Annual General Meeting last month in Montreal.

Joining the national governing body’s Board of Directors for a two-year term are Ron Weiser (Saint-Lambert, Que.) and Alicia Wight (Calgary, Alta.), while Brigette Kocijancic (Halifax, N.S.) was voted in for a three-year term. The organization’s membership also re-elected Wayne Kainu (Calgary, Alta.) and Steve Côté (Quebec City, Que.) to their second terms. Additionally, Canada’s National Program athletes re-appointed Alyson Charles (Montreal, Que.), a recently retired short track Olympian, to the position of Athlete Director for the second consecutive year.

These six individuals join returning Directors Jean Pichette (Beaupré, Que.) and Alexandra Wrage (Vancouver, B.C.), as well as Treasurer Tristan Stepnuk (Calgary, Alta.), on the Board of Canada’s most successful Olympic sport.

In addition to voting in Board Members, the provincial and territorial members also approved important changes to Speed Skating Canada’s by-laws. These updates include revisions to the Board of Directors election process to ensure greater representation by both region and gender, adjustments to how Board officers are elected, changes to term limits, and other modifications that align the organization’s by-laws with Sport Canada’s Governance Code

In accordance with these revised by-laws, the Board Members were responsible for filling the newly named leadership positions, which was done during a meeting on October 9. Weiser, a longtime speed skating volunteer and past President of Patinage de vitesse Quebec, was elected as Chair of the Board, while Kainu, a former skater with the Olympic Oval program, was chosen as Vice Chair of the Board.

A pair of longstanding Board members – President Blair Carbert, K.C. (Calgary, Alta.) and Director Dave McQuaid (Vancouver, B.C.) – were also honoured during the Annual General Meeting for their contributions and volunteer service to speed skating in Canada.

Learn more about the elected members on Speed Skating Canada’s Board of Directors, who bring a strong, diverse skill set to the governance of the organization.

Ron Weiser (Chair)

A resident of Montreal’s South Shore, Ron Weiser has been volunteering with the speed skating community since 2007, which includes serving as President of CPV Longueuil (2011-2014) and Patinage de vitesse Quebec (2016-2022). A number of projects came to fruition under his leadership, including the launch of Les Pingouins skate school and the implementation of the governance model for the Centre de glaces Intact Assurance in Quebec City. Weiser began his professional career in video games, holding several positions including studio director, where he was responsible for a team of over 120 people. He spent seven years with Pfizer Canada, before moving into full-time consulting and entrepreneurship, founding a mobile gaming company, while also launching a catering service and acquiring a stake in a popular restaurant in Saint-Lambert.

Wayne Kainu (Vice-Chair)

Born and raised in Kitchener, Wayne Kainu moved to Calgary in 1990 to join the Olympic Oval’s speed skating program. He remained in Calgary following his skating career, where he has become a respected leader in the Canadian mortgage industry. Kainu currently serves as the Head of Mortgages at Neo Financial Technologies Inc., Canada’s fastest growing fintech firm and challenger bank. He is passionate about both sport and business, with a strong focus on aligning strategic plans to drive success.

Tristan Stepnuk (Treasurer)

Originally from Winnipeg, Stepnuk move to Calgary in 2006 and spent the following eight years training with the Olympic Oval’s long track program. After earning a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary, Stepnuk obtained his Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation in 2016 while articling at Grant Thornton LLP. He was hired by the YMCA Calgary, the city’s largest provider of sports and recreational services, in 2017. Initially in the role of Controller, Stepnuk was later promoted to Chief Financial Officer, a position he has held for past two years.

Alyson Charles (Athlete Director)

A World Championship medalist at both the junior and senior levels, Charles was one of Canada’s most consistent female skaters since breaking onto the international scene during the 2018-2019 season. A native of Montreal, she captured an impressive 22 medals in only four years on the international circuit, culminating with an appearance at Beijing 2022, where she finished 4th in the 3000m relay, 8th in the 500m and 20th in the 1000m. An advocate for representation and diversity with the sport, Charles retired from the National Program in 2022 and has turned her focus to her completing her studies in finance at McGill University.

Jean Pichette (Director)

A two-time Olympian and member of Speed Skating Canada’s Hall of Fame, Pichette has been involved with the sport as an athlete, coach, administrator, and volunteer for nearly five decades. Pichette was a World Cup and World Championship medalist with Canada’s long track team, appearing at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games. He worked for 10 years as the Marketing Director and Coach at the Olympic Oval in Calgary and was later elected to Patinage de vitesse Quebec’s Board of Directors in 2015. For the last 22 years, Pichette has built a professional career in the healthcare sales industry, where he has driven revenue growth, increased operational excellence, and maintained a focus on his customers’ and partners’ needs and solutions.

Alexandra Wrage (Director)

Alexandra Wrage is president and founder of TRACE, an international business association with thousands of members and staff on four continents. She specializes in corporate compliance and has more than a decade of experience with sports governance, including as a Board member for the Vancouver Anti Corruption Institute, Integrity Sanctuary, Ethixbase360 and FIFA’s Independent Governance Committee. She has been a documentary advisor and media contributor on the topics of bribery, anti-corruption and good governance within sport. She studied law at Cambridge University and has provided consulting and training in over 140 countries.

Steve Côté (Director)

A native of Québec City, Steve Côté has been a diplomat with the Canadian Foreign Service since 1996, occupying positions in Afghanistan, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, France, Guatemala, Latvia, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland and Uruguay. He is currently leading a task force at the Embassy of Canada in Haiti. Passionate for sports, Côté recently completed an Executive MBA in Sports Management with the Universidad Europea of Real Madrid and has also previously worked at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, as well as for the Fédération des sports universitaires (FISU) and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).

Brigette Kocijancic (Director)

Brigette Kocijancic is an award-winning global communication and change management consultant with over 20 years experience providing strategic programs and counsel to senior leaders at some of Canada’s largest and most recognized brands. She most recently worked at the global law firm Dentons, where she led communications efforts for their global talent transformation program. She has also occupied corporate communications roles at major Canadian financial institutions including CIBC, RBC, Scotiabank and the Canadian Bankers Association. The Halifax-based Kocijancic has received post-secondary education in practical ethics, corporate communications, and public relations. She also earned IABC’s global professional designation of Accredited Business Communicator and is a Certified PROSCI Change Management Practitioner.

Alicia Wight (Director)

Based in Calgary, Alicia Wight is a resourceful and pragmatic leader with a strong business focus, known for fostering growth, innovation, and collaboration across diverse industries. She served as Interim Executive Director of Canada Bobsleigh Skeleton from 2023-24, leading them through difficult financial challenges and substantial organizational changes. She has also held roles at ENMAX and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, before co-founding Pebble, a leadership development organization. Wight holds a Master of Education in Adult & Workplace Learning from the University of Calgary, a Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Science from the University of Windsor, and certifications in Executive Coaching and Change Management.