RCA announces Jeff Powell as New Chief Executive Officer

Rowing Canada Aviron (RCA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Jeff Powell as Chief Executive Officer. Powell will be working closely with the RCA Board of Directors, Senior Leadership and community partners to deliver on the organization’s long-term vision.  

As an Olympic rower, World Champion and a former RCA National Team Coach, Powell brings a wealth of experience and knowledge of high-performance rowing while also understanding the challenges and opportunities at the grass-roots level, having contributed as a current Board member and Masters program coach at the Winnipeg Rowing Club.

“I am tremendously excited to return more fully to the sport and the organization that has been such an enormous part of my life,” said Powell. “I look forward to working with Canada’s rowing community to support the sport we all care about and to focus on building a strong and connected future together.”

Prior to joining RCA, Powell held the position of Executive Director at the Canadian Sport Centre Manitoba. For the past decade, Jeff led a team delivering the highest level of integrated support for Manitoba’s top athletes and coaches. Jeff also spearheaded the integration of their organization into the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institute Network and established an endowment fund in support of Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Jeff’s leadership also inspired a strong Safe Sport culture within the organization through extensive training and education opportunities.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jeff onboard. Jeff’s passion for the sport combined with his leadership will deliver success for RCA, both on and off the water,” said Michael Bryden, Chair (temporary) of the RCA Board of Directors. “As we continue to evolve our strategic direction and build upon the great legacy and potential of our sport, we are confident Jeff will help elevate and strengthen our organization and our rowing communities.”

Powell holds a master’s degree in Economics and is currently an MBA candidate in Business Administration. As a two-time World Rowing Champion in the men’s coxed eight (2002-2003) and Olympian at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, Powell was inducted into the Manitoba Sport Hall of Fame in 2015.

Powell will take the helm on February 3^rd, 2025. The RCA Board of Directors would like to sincerely thank Interim CEO, Jennifer Fitzpatrick for her leadership during the last 6 months and for providing a smooth transition.