Mary Moran chosen CEO of possible Calgary bid for 2026 Winter Games

There are hurdles for Moran to clear, however, before the city will declare itself in the race. A plebiscite is scheduled for later this year.

The Calgary 2026 bid corporation has been up and running for just over six weeks and has just begun taking on the work and analysis done by city administration and consultants.

Both city council and the public are impatient to hear hard financial numbers on the cost of the games before giving a bid a thumbs up or down.

City council is demanding to know by Sept. 10 how much the Alberta and Canadian governments will contribute to hosting the games

“I would just ask them for patience. I would also ask city council for patience,” Moran said. “I’m not about to lead this city or this province or this country down a path where we’re going to make a bad decision. They have my commitment to that.”

The cost of bidding for 2026 has been estimated at $30 million with the city, provincial and federal governments splitting the cost.

An initial estimate on hosting was $4.6 billion, although the International Olympic Committee has committed to contributing US$925 million (CDN$1.2 billion) in cash and services since then.

While the Calgary 2026 board chaired by Scott Hutcheson are volunteers, Moran’s is a salaried position.

Calgary 2026 will pay her an undisclosed base salary with two performances bonuses — one for a successful plebiscite and another for a successful bid.

Moran said she will receive no severance package should a bid fail and that she would then return to her post with Calgary Economic Development.

Her most recent project there was a campaign to secure Amazon’s second headquarters for Calgary. Over 200 North American cities competed for it and Calgary didn’t make the shortlist of 20.

Moran says her team packed four months of work into six weeks chasing Amazon, so the tightening timelines for 2026 don’t scare her.

“I’m used to working with short runways,” she said.

The management consultant company Korn Ferry conducted a nation-wide search for a CEO for Calgary 2026 and Moran was chosen from about 20 candidates, Hutcheson said.

“Mary was my choice,” Hutcheson said, adding that board members from the city, provincial and federal governments and the Canadian Olympic Committee approved her appointment.

“We came to the conclusion Mary was a terrific opportunity, a terrific candidate. She’s smart, she’s experienced, she understands her role in this community. She understands economic development.”

Moran, from Aurora, Ont., was transferred to Calgary in 1989 when she worked for the airline Wardair. She arrived in the aftermath of the 1988 Winter Olympics.

“It made my move to Calgary that much greater. Within three weeks I loved it,” Moran said. “From a business perspective, this is a city of entrepreneurship that was very fuelled by the Olympics.”

Moran, who declined to give her age except to say she’s “in my fifties,” is a figure skater who competes on a synchronized team in Calgary in some of the venues from the ’88 Olympics.

“I’ve been able to use these facilities extensively and keep a very balanced life,” Moran said.

Her immediate priorities are establishing a public engagement program in September, concluding a cost analysis of the games and striking a multi-party agreement between all stakeholders, which also includes the town of Canmore, Alta.

“I like challenges. I’ve thrived in the fire,” Moran said. “I had to ask myself why I’m doing this. Some would say it’s selfish and some would say it’s selfless.

“I really care about this community. I will work tirelessly to make sure Calgarians are educated properly, that the parties are educated properly and we make a good decision.”

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Mary Moran chosen CEO of possible Calgary bid for 2026 Winter Games

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