EDMONTON – After three-and-a-half years at the helm of Northlands, Richard Andersen stepped down as the president and CEO of the organization on Monday. The resignation is effective immediately.
Andersen said the decision to leave Northlands was not an easy one.
“I have greatly enjoyed my time and experiences here in Edmonton, however I feel the timing is right for me to now move on to a new opportunity,” he said in a release sent out by Northlands Monday afternoon.
“During my time here and through our team’s collective efforts, I believe we have well-positioned Northlands for the future,” he added. “And I am confident the leadership team will make this time of transition a seamless one.”
Northlands’ board of directors has asked Sharilee Fossum, the organization’s CFO and vice-president of corporate services, to take over as president and CEO in the interim.
The board also thanked Andersen for his commitment and said that it wishes him “only the best.”
“During his time here, Richard has been an instrumental part of strengthening Northlands,” said the chair of Northlands’ board of directors, Laura Gadowsky.
Given the fact that Andersen signed an extension in 2012 through to 2017, Gadowsky admits his resignation came as a bit of a surprise.
“But every day is a new twist and turn and you got to be prepared for those things,” she said. “He was just ready to take on a new challenge…and that’s ok for us.”
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There’s still no word on what that new challenge will be.
Ward 4 councillor, Ed Gibbons, tells Global News he was disappointed to learn of Andersen’s departure from Northlands.
“What can I say, I’ll miss him,” Gibbons admitted.
The search will now begin for a permanent replacement, who – Gibbons believes – will be joining the organization at a very crucial time.
“Because you know we’ve got three more years of the Oilers in there; we have a new arena being built; we have an older arena – where do we go forward with that?”
In the fall, Andersen appeared on Undercover Boss Canada, a reality show which disguises company executives and puts them alongside workers on the front-lines. Andersen said that the experience taught him a lot, and even moved him to tears at times.
READ MORE: Head of Edmonton company to appear on Undercover Boss Canada
Prior to becoming the leader of Northlands in August 2010, Andersen was the general manager of PETCO Park in San Diego and the executive vice president of the San Diego Padres.
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