POSTED: Thursday June 4th 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
U.S. Olympic Committee Fills Three Key Leadership Positions
Mike English has been named Chief of Sport Performance; Desiree Filippone has been named Director of Government Relations; and John McWilliams has been named Chief Human Resources Officer.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) announced today the appointment of three highly accomplished professionals to key positions within the organization’s leadership structure.
Mike English has been named Chief of Sport Performance; Desiree Filippone has been named Director of Government Relations; and John McWilliams has been named Chief Human Resources Officer. English and Filippone will begin their assignments immediately, while McWilliams starts June 8.
English and McWilliams will be based at the organization’s headquarters in Colorado Springs, while Filippone will be based in Washington, DC.
“As the USOC prepares for Vancouver, London, and the 2016 selection, I am determined that we hit the ground running,” Acting Chief Executive Officer Stephanie Streeter said. “We have a very strong staff here and with this announcement, it becomes even stronger. I am pleased to welcome Mike, Desiree and John to these important positions and look forward to working with them to meet the challenges ahead.”
A former national-level athlete with more than 20 years of sport and business management experience, Mike English has served as Interim Chief of Sport Performance for the USOC since January 2009. In that capacity, he has overseen a comprehensive reorganization of the USOC Performance Services, Sport Partnership and International Games Divisions, designed to create greater efficiency and improved levels of customer service.
English, 47, joined the USOC in August 2004 as Director of the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center. In May 2005, he was promoted to Managing Director, Athlete Facilities and Services, where his responsibilities included direction of all three Olympic Training Centers and the development of new performance services such as the Athlete Recovery Center, Eye on Performance and Performance Nutrition Services.
A member of the U.S. National Shooting Team from 1978-88, English was a five-time U.S. National Champion and two-time Pan American Games gold medalist (1983 and 1987). He served as a member of the USOC Athletes Advisory Council from 1996-2000, was an Athlete Director on the USA Shooting Board of Directors from 1988-1996, Vice President of USA Shooting from 1996-2000 and Chairman of the USA Shooting Board of Directors from 2001-2004.
English’s business experience includes 19 years of service with Quantum Corporation, where he held management positions in production, operations, engineering, customer service and marketing. As Business Team Manager from 2001-2004, English led a team that managed more than $100 million in annual revenue of product and support services.
English earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Regis University in 1997.
Desiree Filippone will direct the USOC’s Government Relations Office in Washington, D.C., including management of all legislative, federal agency and congressional matters involving the organization. Filippone joins the USOC with more than 14 years of experience in government relations and public policy, including positions with the Clinton Administration and U.S. Senator Evan Bayh (D-Ind.).
Since June 2006, Filippone has served as Vice President of International Government Affairs and Corporate Social Responsibility for Eli Lilly and Company, one of the world’s most recognized pharmaceutical companies. Filippone oversaw a staff of 12 and managed all interactions with the U.S. government on international issues. She also oversaw Lilly’s award-winning work on multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, a 60-country, $120 million effort to fight MDR-TB in the world’s poorest countries. Prior to being named Vice President, she held various Director-level roles in government affairs for Asia and Europe.
Prior to Lilly, Filippone worked as a banking committee and foreign policy advisor for Senator Bayh from 1999 to 2000, where she developed policy positions for Bayh on trade, foreign policy and domestic and international economics.
From 1996 to 1999, Filippone served in the Clinton Administration Office of Management and Budget (OMB). At OMB, Filippone formulated policy positions regarding the International Monetary Fund, the International Debt Program, and the U.S. Security Assistance Program for the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and Africa.
Filippone, 39, earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and German from the University of Michigan in 1992, and a master’s degree in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in 1995.
John McWilliams brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in business development, human resources and employee relations to the U.S. Olympic Committee. From 2005-January 2009, he served as Senior Vice President, Organizational Effectiveness/Chief Human Resources Officer for CUNA Mutual Group, a leading provider of financial services to cooperatives, credit unions and their customers worldwide. At CUNA Mutual Group, a global company with 4,500 employees and $2.7 billion in annual revenue, McWilliams contributed to the design and implementation of a new business model, leadership team and organizational structure that positioned the company for an aggressive growth and diversification strategy.
As the Senior Vice President/Chief Human Resources Officer for RehabCare Group from 2004-2005, McWilliams helped implement strategic business changes that prioritized the company’s commitment to the training, development and support of its more than 14,000 employees.
From 1997-2003, McWilliams was the Senior Vice President, Global Business Support/Vice President, Human Resources for Bristol-Myers Squibb Company/Mead Johnson Nutrition Company. He has also held senior human resources positions with Wilson Sporting Goods Company (1995-1996), Liggett/Vector Group Ltd, (1992-1995) and the Pepsi Bottling Group (1985-1992).
McWilliams, 46, earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a human resources management specialization from Marquette University in 1984.
For more information, please contact the USOC Communications Division at (719) 866-4529.
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