Curling Canada names its new CEO

After what they've termed an "exhaustive," nine month long search, Curling Canada has announced that it has found a new CEO.

Katherine Henderson will officially take over as the head of the national curling governing body on April 1st, although she will be on hand this weekend as the 2016 Scotties Tournament of Hearts gets underway in Grande Prairie, Alberta. She replaces Greg Stremlaw, who left Curling Canada last spring to take over as head of CBC Sports.

Henderson's appointment signals that Curling Canada is taking aim at securing and strengthening its finances moving forward, with an eye to expanding marketing and sponsorship relationships, although she takes over as the world of curling continues to be embroiled in controversy over major issues surrounding the game on the ice, not off it.

“Curling Canada has proven emphatically to be world-class, not only in its athletic performance on the world stage, but in its business and administrative operations and partnerships with high-profile companies in Canada,” said Henderson in a Curling Canada media release. “But I believe the best is yet to come."

Henderson's resumé suggests a strong background in marketing and corporate financial oversight, with more limited experience on the sports marketing side. However, that sports experience comes with a big gold star. She served as Senior Vice-President, Marketing and Revenue for the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games Organizing Committee. Those games turned out to be a smashing success once they got going, with ticket sales - which slumped badly in the run up to the games - taking off as the action commenced. On the marketing side, the Curling Canada release claims Henderson played a "significant role" in putting together "the most successful non-Olympic sponsorship program in Canadian history with a who’s-who of Canada’s corporate community."

Along with her tenure at the Pan/Parapan Am Games, Henderson has been serving as a board member for Rugby Canada. Past experience includes seven years with Whirlpool Corporation - the appliance manufacturer - as well as working in marketing and branding for companies such as Colgate-Palmolive, Campbell Company of Canada and General Mills.

Some fans might cry "now, wait a second, why wouldn't they get someone with experience in the world of curling?" Fair enough, but putting people with vast marketing, sponsorship and financial experience at the top has been a staple of pretty much every major sports organization you can name - from the NHL, NFL, NBA, CFL, to Major League Baseball - for years now. Growing the size of the pot is job number one, with lieutenants underneath to serve the issues of the sport itself.

No doubt, Henderson will face a lot of questions about this season's broom controversies (first brought to light by Yahoo Sports last October) as she takes over the job. It is, however, much more likely that Curling Canada's board of governors will continue to serve as lightning rod on that front. As CEO, Henderson isn't likely to have much input as she starts her tenure. Besides, Curling Canada will undoubtedly continue to take its direction from the World Curling Federation when it comes to permanent regulations on synthetic broom heads, as well as what is fuelling the newest wave of acrimony, broom heads made of hair.

As Curling Canada attempts to forge a bright future, it will do so on the strength of continuing strong television numbers but, generally, dwindling attendance numbers at venues and with an eye to growing increased numbers within a younger demographic.

Although there are lucrative sponsorship and marketing ties that are currently being enjoyed, there is the possibility that some traditional cash cows - like Tim Hortons - might not be so involved with the sport in the years ahead.

Things are decent but could be better, with the possibility that the drive for dollars might just get tougher in the near future.

That's the picture as Henderson makes her debut as CEO of Curling Canada and she'll need to show strong financial and marketing abilities in the near future, maybe even right away.

Brooms? A modern curling CEO doesn't need to be so concerned with the rules governing the games. They need only to ensure that those games are played on an ice surface that has lots of sponsor logos painted on it and in venues that have bums in seats and signs on the boards.

That is challenge enough.