Dave Cobb

As a longtime athlete, Dave Cobb has always been aware of the merits of sport. But it wasn’t until he saw his young daughter attempt a dolphin kick she had seen swimmers perform during the Athens 2004 Olympic Summer Games that he realized the true potential of the Games. Says Cobb: “In an instant, I saw the opportunity we have to inspire children and impact their lives in a positive way.”

While Cobb hopes the 2010 Winter Games will provide long lasting inspiration for Canada’s youth, these days his primary preoccupation is ensuring that people from all walks of life will be able to watch, enjoy and participate in the event. As VANOC’s Executive Vice President, Revenue, Marketing and Communications, Cobb is responsible for leading and managing a broad scope of functions that includes sponsorship, television revenues, ticketing, licensing and merchandising, marketing, brand management and creative services, communications and media and community relations.

 Cobb brings to VANOC an extensive background in business and sports: prior to joining the organization’s senior management team, he spent 12 years with the Vancouver Canucks hockey team and Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment. As Chief Operating Officer, he led the overall strategic direction of the company as well as the complex day-to-day business affairs of the Canucks and General Motors Place. Previously, Cobb worked with the hockey team as its Senior Vice President of Business Operations and Chief Financial Officer. He was also Alternate Governor of the National Hockey League.

A member of the BC Institute of Chartered Accountants, Cobb honed his financial skills with the national accounting firm KPMG, where for five years he worked in the audit practice division and managed a portfolio of public and private companies in the retail, health care, entertainment and resource industries.

Cobb has been involved in sport on some level throughout his life. A talented soccer player, he jumped at an opportunity to train and play in England, eventually returning home to join the Vancouver Whitecaps. His skill on the field landed him a soccer scholarship to Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, BC where he obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration. Upon graduation, he was recruited by KPMG, one of whose clients was the Vancouver Canucks.

Thrilled to be a part of Canada’s Games in his hometown, Cobb resides in Vancouver with his wife, Marion and young daughter, Gillian. He enjoys running but admits that his preferred leisure activity is joining his daughter to watch re-runs of “The Brady Bunch,” a show he watched as a kid and now one of her favourites.