While part of the Edmonton Oilers dynasty in the late 1980s, Craig Simpson learned from some of the best leaders in the hockey business.
He saw how star players Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, along with Glen Slather, the Oilers’ coach and general manager, inspired team members to strive for success, culminating in five Stanley Cups in seven years.
Now a CBC Television hockey broadcaster, Simpson will discuss his leadership lessons from sports in “Leadership Lessons from Winning Organizations” at the Richard Ivey School of Business on Thursday March 26 at 5:15 p.m. in Room 1R40.
Hosted by the Pierre L. Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship and the Business Families Centre at Ivey Business School, proceeds from the event will go to London athletes competing in the national women’s volleyball championships this spring.
Simpson will discuss how to teach success and how to create a blueprint for a winning organization in his keynote address. A Q&A-session will follow.
“The Oilers walked the walk and talked the talk of success and that was an important part of their winning strategy,” says Simpson.
David Simpson, Executive Director of the Business Families Centre, Ivey Business School, said much can be learned from sports leaders, since sports teams must be managed effectively, similar to any organization, to achieve victory. A former major-junior hockey player, he witnessed some of those lessons firsthand and knows how they apply in the business world.
“Ivey is focused on building the next generation of business leaders and this unique talk from the perspective of sports leadership will have numerous parallels for the business world,” he says.
In addition to playing 10 seasons in the NHL for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers and Buffalo Sabres, and winning Stanley Cups in 1988 and 1990, Craig Simpson was also assistant coach of the Edmonton Oilers from 2005 to 2007. During that time, he helped lead the team to the Stanley Cup finals in the 2005-06 season.
He later became a hockey analyst and has worked with Fox Television, CTV Sportsnet and CBC Television.
Tickets for the event are $20 and pre-registration is required. To buy tickets and register online click here.
