The Canadian Premier League (CPL) today announced the appointment of Marni Dicker to the role of Executive Vice President, Infrastructure, and Chief Legal Officer.
Dicker brings three decades of experience as a proven deal maker to her new role, the scope of which will include: spearheading the development of infrastructure that is critical to the continued growth of the Canadian soccer ecosystem; providing legal counsel to the CPL’s executive team and board of directors, and overseeing the League’s legal affairs; working closely with Commissioner Mark Noonan to lead League expansion efforts; and providing expertise in overall company governance, leadership, and direction.
“We are thrilled to welcome Marni to our senior executive team,” said Mark Noonan, Commissioner, Canadian Premier League. “She has demonstrated her leadership capabilities throughout her incredibly accomplished career. She is a builder of things and will be instrumental in helping the CPL, and the sport of soccer in Canada, continue on its rapid growth trajectory.”
During her global career in infrastructure and development, Dicker has served in senior legal and business roles, including Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and General Counsel. She specializes in building out large mixed-use communities, combining residential, commercial, and retail parcels to best suit the needs of residents and businesses, such as sport, wellness, transit, education, and affordable housing.
AS CCO and General Counsel for Infrastructure Ontario, Dicker negotiated and contract managed the construction of all venues for the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games, including Athletes’ Village, the Hamilton Pan Am Soccer Stadium (Tim Hortons Field), the Milton Pan Am/Parapan Am Velodrome, the Pan Am/Parapan Am Fields at the University of Toronto and the Pan Am/Parapan Am Athletics Stadium at York University (York Lions Stadium). She oversaw the development and procurements of new transit lines, roads, hospitals, universities, and long-term care facilities in the Greater Toronto Area worth more than $10 billion.
More recently, Dicker served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel for international real estate development and advisory firm Live Work Learn Play Inc. where, among her many successes, she conceived of, developed, structured, and negotiated the first private Go Station and transit-oriented community.
Dicker has honed her expertise in governance, leadership, and direction through extensive work on a variety of Boards. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Tarion Warranty Corporation, where she serves as Chair of the Human Resources Committee as well as a member of both the Investment and Stakeholder Committees. She is also a board member of CreateTO, as well as a Board member at the Technical Standards Safety Authority (Ontario), where she serves on the Governance and Human Resources Committee. Dicker previously served as a board member for Habitat for Humanity GTA, Women’s Law Association Ontario, WireIE and SNC-Lavalin Operations and Maintenance,
Dicker was named to Urban Land Institute’s Hall of Champions, a celebration of women’s leadership in building a stronger Toronto Region through the responsible use of land, in 2018. She was included in Canadian Lawyer Magazine’s list of Canada’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers (2017), earned the ZSA/National Post’s Canadian General Counsel Award for Business Achievement (2017), was named an Outstanding Leader by the Women’s Infrastructure Network (2016) and was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by WXN (2015). Dicker was a Distinguished Visiting Scholar in Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) Faculty of Engineering and Business and is currently a lecturer and mentor at TMU’s Faculty of Law. She has a passion for mentorship, particularly to aspiring young and diverse women.
As a longtime, active mentor to women in various industries intent on advancing their careers, Dicker is committed to bringing diverse perspectives into the CPL to ensure the League’s continued ability to innovate, connect with fans, and attract and retain top talent, both on and off the field.
“I am passionate about sport and the critical role it plays in bringing people together in our society and across our country,” said Dicker. “I look forward to making my experience as an innovative strategic thinker and key relationship builder work for the League, as I push for continued growth of the game of soccer from coast to coast.”
“A stadium is just a building until it becomes part of a community that understands and appreciates its value,” said Dicker. “I look forward to working with existing and future CPL clubs and markets to build infrastructure that will not only fulfill the need for more places to play soccer at every level in this country but will also play an important role as a point of connection within the communities we serve.”
Dicker holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Western University, two law degrees from McGill University (LL. B and B.CL) and the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors. She becomes the highest-ranking female executive in the CPL. Her appointment is effective immediately.