Tennis Canada is pleased to announce the election of Richard Harris of British Columbia as President & Chair of the Board of Directors. He succeeds Peter Kruyt of Québec who will remain a director.
The federation also announced the appointment of two new directors: Cristina Popescu, Managing Director – Regulatory Change and OTC Derivatives Governance – Financial Markets at National Bank of Canada, and Kosty Gilis, Managing Director at Onex, where he co-leads the firm’s North American business services activities and has overseen investments totalling more than US$5 billion in equity capital. They succeed Sébastien LeBlanc and Matthew Akman, whose commitment and contributions over the past several years were recognized and much appreciated by the Board of Directors.
Richard Harris, Chair of the Board of Directors
“I would first like to sincerely thank Sébastien and Matthew for their outstanding service to our organization over the past several years. I would also like to recognize Peter’s exceptional leadership, which helped guide the federation through a pivotal period for Canadian tennis. I am delighted that he will remain involved with the Board as Past Chair. His experience, vision and deep understanding of Tennis Canada will continue to be invaluable, and I very much look forward to working closely with him.
“It is with great pride that I officially assume the role of President & Chair today, at a time when Canadian tennis is enjoying unprecedented success both nationally and internationally. The future of our sport and our organization is promising, and I am excited to contribute to this next phase of growth and development.”
Peter Kruyt, Past Chair
“I look back on the past several years with tremendous gratitude and emotion. It has been an honour to serve as President & Chair of Tennis Canada’s Board of Directors during a period in which Canada truly established itself as one of the world’s leading tennis nations, culminating in our landmark Davis Cup victory in 2022 and Billie Jean King Cup title in 2023, Vicky Mboko’s inspiring win in Montreal and to witness tennis participation hit a new summit of 6 million players in Canada.”
“Looking ahead, I am delighted that Richard Harris accepted to lead the board alongside two exceptional new members.”
Richard Harris has served on the Tennis Canada Board of Directors since 2018 and previously held the roles of Vice-Chair of the Board and Chair of the Tennis Business Committee. In his new role as President & Chair, he will continue to support Tennis Canada’s activities by leveraging his extensive business experience acquired across North America and Europe.
Outside of his involvement with the federation, Harris is President of Saville House Holdings, his family office, which owns and operates a portfolio of private food businesses and industrial real estate assets across the United States and Canada. He serves as Executive Chairman of most portfolio companies, focusing on capital allocation, strategy, and people leadership. Throughout his career, he has held several senior leadership positions as Chief Executive Officer and Chair of corporate boards, including at Golden Boy Foods and various Coca-Cola organizations. Earlier in his career, he was involved in managing major sports and entertainment marketing partnerships at Coca-Cola Great Britain, including Wimbledon, The Open Championship, the FIFA World Cup, Team England, and Warner Bros.’ Harry Potter. Harris holds a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Oxford, as well as an M.B.A. from Imperial College London.
Cristina Popescu is a former professional tennis player who represented Team Canada at the 1996 and 1997 Billie Jean King Cup championships. An accomplished competitor on the Masters circuit, from 2016 to 2022, she also served as Team Canada captain at the ITF Masters World Championships, winning three bronze medals in singles, doubles and mixed doubles. She also served on the Board of Directors of Tennis Québec, where she chaired the Tennis Development Committee.
Beyond her tennis career, Popescu has established herself as a seasoned professional in economics and financial markets. She currently serves as Managing Director – Regulatory Change and OTC Derivatives Governance – Financial Markets at National Bank of Canada. Since 2016, she has led a team responsible for implementing complex regulatory initiatives in collaboration with numerous stakeholders, including capital markets, technology, operations, legal, risk, treasury and capital teams.
A graduate of Harvard Business School (MBA) and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (bachelor’s degree in economics), Kosty Gilis has been with Onex since 2004 and has served as Managing Director since 2010. He co-leads the firm’s North American business services activities and has overseen investments totalling more than US$5 billion in equity capital. Gilis also serves on several portfolio company boards, advising leadership teams on strategic, operational and financial matters. Beyond his professional activities, he has maintained a lifelong passion for tennis, which he continues to play regularly today. A former Ontario circuit competitor and certified instructor, he has been a member of the Toronto Lawn Tennis Club for nearly 20 years. He also served for a decade on the Board of Directors of Philpott Children’s Tennis, actively contributing to the development and accessibility of tennis for young players.
Following the appointments of Popescu and Gilis, the Tennis Canada Board of Directors is now composed of Richard Harris (Chair), Peter Kruyt (Past Chair), Josée Noiseux (Vice-Chair), Ula Ubani (Vice-Chair), Jennifer Bishop, James G. Bagnell, Mohamed Ismath, Jordan Jacobs, Dan Xu and Samantha Thompson.
