Board of Directors

Michael Downey

• Bio

  Mr. Downey has extensive executive management experience in pro and amateur sport, and consumer packaged goods. Michael retired from full time employment in December 2023. In 2025, Michael was the interim CEO for Gymnastics Canada where he led the development of the Win+ Strategy for the organization. Michael sits on other amateur sport boards and is an advisor to the greater, a consulting agency and social enterprise.

  During his 15 years as CEO of Tennis Canada, Mr. Downey led the complete overhaul of the high-performance program including the establishment of Canada’s first ever, National Tennis Centre in Montreal, three regional U14 programs and the hiring of world renown coaches. Many Canadians developed in the program achieved top 10 world singles rankings and Canada won for the first time ever, Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup world team titles, respectively.

  Mr. Downey oversaw British Tennis for four years, the first expatriate to lead the 130-year-old LTA. He led the development of a plan which reversed a decade long decline in grassroots participation and revamped the entire British pro grass court circuit leading up to Wimbledon.

  Mr. Downey has also held senior executive positions with Molson Canada and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. After graduating from Western University in 1980 with an undergraduate degree in Business, Michael had a successful 8 year run at Warner Lambert both in Canada and as an expatriate Marketing and Sales Director based in Jakarta Indonesia.

  In 2023, Michael was awarded the prestigious ACA Gold Medal in recognition of over 30 years’ experience as an exemplary marketing leader and most notably as Tennis Canada’s CEO.

  Michael lives in Delta, BC with his wife Jinder. They have three adult children, Schara, Mac and Sam.

Bernard Petiot

• Bio

  Bernard holds a bachelor in Physical Education and has a Masters in Science and Physical Activity from the Université Laval. He also taught Physical Education at the Université de Montréal from 1980-1997. As one of the main organizers of the first international conferences for the development of talent in gymnastics (World Gymnastics Championships held in Montréal in 1985), he was often asked to analyze international competitions such as the Sabaë World Championships and the following Olympic Games: Barcelona in 1992, Atlanta in 1996, Sydney in 2000, Athens in 2004, Beijing in 2008, London in 2012 and Rio de Janiero in 2016, Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024.

  Renowned coach at Gymnix de Montréal from 1980-1998, Bernard has contributed to the development of some of Canada’s best gymnasts, including Cathy Giancaspro (Seoul 1988), Mylène Fleury (Barcelona 1992) and Marilou Cousineau (five time World Championships winner). He has also coached the Canadian Olympic Team, through 13 World Championships and 2 Olympic Games.  He continues his contribution to the sport of gymnastics as a Board member since 2021.

  Bernard Petiot has been part of the Cirque du Soleil management team for 22 years and holding the title of Vice President of Casting and Performance. His Vice Presidency consists of the following departments: Acrobatic Performance and Equipment Design and Development / Performance Medicine / Artist Training / Coaching / Casting.

Ron Collins

• Bio

  Ron is an entrepreneur, technology CEO, lawyer and director. He has over 30 years of experience on boards, in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors.

  Ron holds an ICD.D from the Institute of Corporate Directors and a Masters of Law from Oxford. His executive background includes founding a software company and growing it to be the world leader in its field, with over 250,000 customers in more than 80 countries. In his legal career he was a partner in the international law firm Fasken, doing general civil litigation in every level of court including the Supreme Court of Canada.

  A former nationals-level collegiate gymnast, Ron joined the GymCan board in the fall of 2023 and is using his experience to help with the governance of a sport he loves. Ron believes in the need for positive change so that all levels of gymnastics can be safe, accessible, inclusive, respectful and enjoyable for all participants.

Nancy Blanton

• Bio

  Nancy moved to Quispamsis, NB, from England in 2012 and has been the Executive Director of Fundy Gymnastics Club for the past 11 years.  She holds a BSc in Sports Science and a master’s degree in Leisure Management and was a former international gymnast who represented Great Britain.Her daughter is involved in women’s artistic gymnastics and her husband is the head coach of Fundy Gymnastics Club, and a former NCAA gymnast.

  Nancy has held senior leadership roles across various public and private sector organizations in the UK delivering sporting opportunities, including gymnastics, to children, youth and adults from the poorest backgrounds to the most privileged.

  With a lifetime of experience in gymnastics at every level and a background in sports development and management, Nancy brings a unique skill set and perspective to the board.  Entrepreneurial, creative, and empathetic, her compassionate leadership style is premised on a foundation of genuinely caring about people and processes.

  Nancy joined the board to use her experiences to help create respectful, positive change where athletes can thrive in an open, diverse, and safe environment.

Derek De Gannes

• Bio

  Dr. Derek De Gannes brings over 25 years of expertise in Information Technology and Systems (IT&S) to his role on the board, with more than 15 years in executive-level positions. His distinguished career spans several sectors, including manufacturing, government, pharmaceuticals, and telecommunications, where he has led strategic digital transformations initiatives and advised Chief Information Officers and other senior executives on Governance practices, enterprise risk management and benefits realization. Dr. De Gannes is also an expert in guiding organizations through complex cultural and business transformation initiatives, with a strong focus on Enterprise Resource Planning systems, project management methodologies, and cloud technologies.

  In addition to his professional achievements, Dr. De Gannes has a deep commitment to the sport of gymnastics, having served as a board member and president at the club level.

Pavel Kotov

• Bio

  Pavel Kotov has been holding various positions as a member of the Casting of Cirque du Soleil in Montreal, Canada. Currently, as the Senior Director of Casting and Artist Management, Pavel is leading the team that is responsible for recruiting of artists for all new creations, events and existing shows of Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group.

  He is also a current member of the Board of Directors of Gymnastics Canada – the National Sports Federation governing the development of gymnastics. Prior to his arrival in Canada, Pavel held a number of roles in Public Relations and Marketing in the industry of sports and fitness. He is a former world-class acrobatic gymnastics athlete and Judge for the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and also performed as an artist in the Russian Bars act of the Bolshoi Moscow State Circus.

Sophie Kotsopoulos

• Bio

  Sophie Kotsopoulos is Group Vice President, Integrated Marketing at the National Hockey League. Sophie builds global sport marketing activations that inspire and deliver against League priorities including but not limited to innovation, social impact, and growth. She drives League revenue through partner renewal and platform development and directs the strategic, long-term development of some of the NHL’s most complex marketing partnerships. She also leads a team responsible for driving scale-based advertising, sponsor activation and oversees third party program evaluation and research analysis. Prior to the NHL, Sophie started her 20+ year sales and marketing career at the BMW Group.

  In addition to the GymCan board, she is a representative on the Canadian Marketing Association’s Sponsorship Council and a founding board member of Canada’s first chapter of Women In Sports and Events (WISE). A former competitive gymnast, Sophie competed provincially and shares her passion for the sport with her kids now enrolled in recreational gymnastics.

Sophiane Méthot

Wendy Smith

• Bio

  Wendy Smith is a highly organized, results-oriented self-starter. Her professional experience includes portfolio management, project management, business analysis, business redesign and education. She was appointed to the Board in 2022 and assumed the role of Secretary of the Board, responsible for oversight in legal and financial reporting and management requirements for the association. She was appointed Board chair in 2023.

  Wendy has served as a Gymnastic Judge for 45 years, after being a gymnast at the recreational level. Currently, she is an international judge in the Women’s Artistic discipline. She holds a B.Sc. degree in Engineering (Computer) and an MBA (Management) from the University of Manitoba.