Swimming Canada Removes Interim Tag from CEO Suzanne Paulins
Swimming Canada on Wednesday announced that Suzanne Paulins will stay on CEO, removing the interim designation.
Paulins had been appointed acting CEO in May 2023, when Ahmed El-Awadi took a personal leave. El-Awadi left the organization in November 2024.
“I appreciate the confidence the board has in me and the people I have had the opportunity to work with,” Paulins said in a press release. “For me it’s all about the people: the provincial organizations, the coaches, the athletes, staff, officials and volunteers all working together to achieve excellence at all levels of the organization.”
Swimming Canada president Susan Owen made the announcement.
“We are delighted to confirm that Suzanne Paulins has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer. Suzanne’s dedication and expertise as a leader, Level 5 official and swim parent will ensure stewardship of Swimming Canada over the next quad,” Owen said. “I personally appreciate Suzanne’s professionalism and commitment to the team environment. Under Suzanne’s leadership, there is no doubt that Swimming Canada’s future is very bright.”
Paulins joined Swimming Canada in 2017 as its senior manager of domestic operations. She was named Operations and Sport Development Director in 2021, the position she held when elevated to acting CEO.
Paulins has been involved in the sport for nearly five decades. She is a master official, a FINA List referee and served as the Technical Official for swimming at the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto. She swam for the Trenton Dolphins and worked as a student for Swim Ontario, before joining Brantford Aquatic Club as a meet manager in 2001 and then becoming the club’s president. Her professional career included 20 years at the Bank of Montreal.
Paulins saw Canada compile a a successful performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paris Paralympics. She helped navigate the last-minute relocation of Olympic and Paralympic Trials from Montreal to Toronto due to fire damage at Montreal’s Olympic Pool.
“The athletes were looking for that change and we listened,” Paulins said. “That need to connect with people and ensure we listen to all the important voices in our community has been a focus for sure. We’ve been doing this work together as a team for the last two years, now we’re going to build on that and continue to move forward.”
“I’m very happy to have Suzanne on board as our full permanent CEO for Swimming Canada,” said three-time Olympian Javier Acevedo, co-chair of the High Performance Athlete Advisory Council. “She’s been a great leader in our sport for several years, she communicates with athletes and always has athletes’ needs at the heart of every conversation. It makes it easier to perform and excel as athletes and I’m sure coaches and officials will agree it’s great to have a leader who’s invested in our sport at all levels.”
