Per a report from The Athletic’s Julian McKenzie, there’s going to be a changing of the guard for the Calgary Flames’ executive team. Citing an internal memo, McKenzie reported on Monday that president and chief executive officer John Bean is stepping down from both roles as of June 3 and will move into a senior advisory role.
Per McKenzie, Robert Hayes will succeed Bean as president and CEO, while Lorenzo DeCicco will become the organization’s chief operating officer.
Some big Calgary Flames news: President/CEO John Bean is stepping down after 14 1/2 years with CSEC. @TheAthleticNHL
"It is a day full of mixed emotions as I truly enjoyed my time with the CSEC family,” Bean said in an internal memo to employees.https://t.co/eyA0sJ9H7C
— Julian McKenzie (@jkamckenzie) May 13, 2024
Bean joined the Flames organization in January 2010 as senior vice-president, finance and administration, and chief financial officer. He was an instrumental figure in the Saddledome’s rapid recovery from the June 2013 flood, helping to shepherd the recovery process in time for the building to host events just three months later. He was promoted to chief operating officer in September 2013, became president in 2018 and CEO in 2019. He inherited the then-ongoing arena negotiations from the late Ken King and was a very visible figure in the negotiations that resulted in the 2023 arena deal. The new home of the Flames is expected to open in time for the 2027-28 season.
While we’re obviously awaiting official confirmation of the new hires, a bit of Googling reveals that Robert Hayes is from the banking and finance world, mostly recently serving as managing director of RBC’s Enterprise Strategic Client Group. DeCicco joins the Flames organization after a lengthy career as an executive in telecommunications and marketing, including two decades with Telus. Most notably, he was one of the founding members of the Canadian Premier League and played a part in bringing Cavalry FC to town.
We’ll have more on this story as it unfolds. We’ve reached out to the Flames organization for comment.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!