Lorenzo DeCicco has spent nearly a quarter century as a Senior Executive within the Canadian telecommunications industry.Since 2020, he has held the position of Chief Commercial Offi cer of Metropolitan Fine Printers in East Vancouver. That abruptly changed in May when it was announced that DeCicco had secured the job of Chief Operating Offi cer of the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation.
Formed in 2012, the group oversees all of the city’s sports properties: the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders, the Roughnecks of the National Lacrosse League; both a WHL and AHL junior hockey franchise and of course, the NHL’s Calgary Flames.There are truly only a handful of dream management jobs within Canada for a diehard hockey fan.This is one of them.
“ I am rarely at a loss for words,” he says. “This opportunity has left me speechless”
“As a Canadian kid growing up, winning and losing the ‘Stanley Cup’ of road hockey on the streets of Kamloops with my buddies every weekend; to now being to be able to be part of such an iconic NHL franchise; city and league is a dream come true!“It’s one of those extremely rare career opportunities for which I am very humbled, honored and grateful to have been asked to take part in”.
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“ The beating heart of Southern Alberta is the “C of Red”, and IMHO, the very best fans in the NHL.”
Born in the BC interior and Vancouver-raised, the aff able and ever-engaging DeCicco views this relocation to Calgary more as a homecoming, having made the Calgary Flames his hockey team of choice some years ago.“I fell in love with Calgary and the Flames while I was a Senior Executive with Telus starting in 2012.
“The beating heart of Southern Alberta is the ‘C of Red’, and IMHO, the very best fans in the NHL.”Serving as a Board Director with the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, DeCicco was actively involved and deeply immersed with their local sporting communities; harkening back to his youth. “As an Italian immigrant family, the game of choice was always soccer for me,” he says, of the sport he shares tremendous passion for.
So how exactly does Vancouver’s Lorenzo DeCicco get on the radar of the Calgary Flames for their top job? “I was contacted by Kevin Gregor; the head of DHR Global, a world-renowned executive search fi rm.“Kevin and I have known each other for a very long time and share a common history with the Chamber of Commerce and the Southern Alberta business community.
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“He called to let me know he had something really big to discuss.“I had no idea just how big it was until we got into the details”.Big indeed!And while Vancouver’s loss is clearly Calgary’s gain, he knows only too well that holding such a high profi le job in a hockey crazed market – in Canada – is tantamount to being on the front line of all things sports-wise in Calgary both good and bad – going forward.
“Absolutely,” he states, unequivocally of the immediate task at hand.“Expectations are extremely high in Calgary for all of our teams, and they should be! “I look forward to connecting with our fans, partners, sponsors and the many incredible people that support this amazing organization and am keen to share our heartfelt appreciation to those who have helped raise and donate more than $64M back into local charities, NFP and grass-roots organizations across the various communities and youth and volunteer groups in Southern Alberta”.
“It’s something the Flames and Stampeders Foundations are grateful for and extremely proud of”.Looking ahead, Lorenzo DeCicco envisions much brighter days ahead for the Calgary Flames.“I want to be talking about our
triumphant return to the playoff s and relentless focus on winning another Stanley Cup,” he says of the team’s imminent plan.
Looking ahead, Lorenzo DeCicco envisions much brighter days ahead for the Calgary Flames.
“The Calgary Sports and Entertainment Group have a culture of winning and teamwork and all of us will come to work each day prepared to do whatever it takes to give our teams the very best chance to win and be successful inside and out of the various arenas.
“This ownership group is deeply committed to success and when you combine that with the incredible passion and support of our incredible fans, partners and sponsors… it’s a formula for success.“It’s not a matter of “if” but “when”… and I am so very excited to have the opportunity to be a part of it all”.
Lorenzo DeCicco is dedicated and both respected and admired in the business world.Given his new assignment with the Calgary Flames, and having seen the Provincial-rival Edmonton Oilers make it all the way to Game 7 in this year’s Stanley Cup Final, the battle lines for NHL supremacy in Alberta are clearly drawn again.
