Tim Leiweke confirms he'll run MLSE as CEO search continues

Tim Leiweke is sticking around — for now.

Last summer, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment’s president and CEO announced he’d leave the post by June 30. But with that date approaching and no successor in place, MLSE announced Friday Leiweke would remain on the job while the CEO search continued.

“It’s a very positive time to be at the company,” Leiweke said in a news release issued Friday afternoon. “We’ve accomplished great things together. I’m happy to be here as long as I’m needed while the organization works to find the right leader to carry the momentum forward.”

While published reports suggested MLSE was set to hire former Corus Entertainment CEO John Cassaday, in public the company has been secretive with details about the ongoing executive search.

In a November interview with the Star, MLSE board chairman Larry Tanenbaum said the new CEO would have to combine Leiweke’s grand vision and public profile with past president Richard Peddie’s ability to deal with internal matters.

Running MLSE doesn’t just require a high sports IQ it also demands a candidate with experience running a corporation. Finding one person equally proficient in both areas is a challenge, though Friday’s announcement hinted MLSE’s board would seek a leader from the business world.

“As we’ve continued to amass an unparalleled array of sports leaders at both the executive and team level, the Board of Directors agreed to focus our CEO search on the appointment of a strategic business leader,” Tanenbaum said in the statement.