Toronto, ON (November 17, 2020) – York9 FC is immensely proud to announce the appointment of Eva Havaris as Executive Vice President of Strategy and Operations/Chief of Staff.

She will report directly to Angus McNab, the club’s Managing Consultant, CEO/President and GM.

A highly-regarded leader within Canadian sport, Havaris arrives from the CPL head office, where she served as Vice-President of Strategy and League Operations since May 2018, overseeing a litany of portfolios and projects including the signing and servicing of numerous marquee sponsors, the acquisition of and strategic planning for League 1 Ontario and the hugely-successful execution of The Island Games in Prince Edward Island earlier this year.

Previously, Havaris served as the CEO of two national sports organizations: Taekwondo Canada (2010-2014) and Equestrian Canada (2014-2018) while she also spent a number of years with Rugby Canada as Associate Director of High Performance Women’s Rugby and National Rugby Development Officer.

A graduate of the University of Western Ontario, where she completed a Master of Arts in Sports Management, Havaris excelled as a collegiate soccer player, accumulating multiple accolades, most notably being awarded the CIS 2003 Player of the Year. Later, she turned her attention to coaching, with successful tenures at Western, Fanshawe College, and the University of Toronto.

“I am excited to take this next step in my executive sports career with York9 FC”, Havaris says.

“The Baldassara family and Angus are committed to the Canadian Premier League endeavour for the same reasons that I joined the league office almost three years ago – to build a lasting legacy for the sport of soccer in Canada and support the aspirations of Canadian athletes, coaches, officials and fans of the game. I’ve dedicated my entire life to the development of sport and to restoring the integrity of the sporting experience for all participants.  The sport of soccer has given me so much in my lifetime and I can’t think of a better family, a better club, and a better community to serve at this juncture of my career”.

“Eva is a phenomenal addition to our front office leadership team”, says McNab.

“She showed outstanding leadership when on the ground in PEI this summer and received praise from all across the league. She is a highly-experienced sports executive and, most importantly, Eva believes in the vision both I and the Baldassara family share for this club: to be at the heart of our community”.

Havaris begins her work with York9 FC effective immediately.