News Post
Craik named to most influential list
Polly Craik, chair of the 2007 IIHF World Women's Hockey Championship held April 3-10 in Winnipeg and Selkirk, has been named by Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) to its 2007 list of Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity.
Craik, 45, brought her business savvy and vast entrepreneurial skills to make the 2007 IIHF World Women's Hockey Championship the most successful ever. Under Craik's leadership, the event set records for attendance and profit. An all-time high for ticket sales was reached at 122,152 and $751,706 in proceeds are being shared by Hockey Canada, Hockey Manitoba and the other 12 Hockey Canada branches across the country for female hockey development programs. A WWHC record for single-game attendance was set with crowds of 15,003 twice taking in Team Canada games.
Craik is the CEO of FineLine Solutions, a 150-employee company which provides customer service through phone, online and mail contact with the public and manages data for mainly U.S. clients.
It is the sixth time CAAWS has announced the list which includes 20 women and three "ones to watch." The list recognizes women who have made a significant impact as academics, athletes, administrators, advocates, broadcasters, coaches, executives, fundraisers, managers, politicians, physicians and volunteer. Selection to the list reflects influential activity in the calendar year of 2007.
Final selections to the CAAWS list were made by the CAAWS selection panel from nominations by the general public, colleagues and sport and physical activity leaders.
******************************************
Polly Craik, Winnipeg, Manitoba
When community activist and business leader Polly Craik took her entrepreneurial skills and applied them to sport, the result was the most successful IIHF World Women’s Hockey Championships ever. The CEO of FineLine Integrated Response Solutions, Polly Craik chaired the organizing committee for the 2007 IIHF Women’s World Hockey Championships, held in Winnipeg and Selkirk Manitoba in April, 2007. It broke the attendance record for the event, and set a new record for profit. The $751,706 in proceeds will be shared by Hockey Canada and Hockey Manitoba, and the other 12 Hockey Canada branches in the country. The money from this successful event will be poured back into female hockey development in Manitoba and across the country, as well as the National Women’s Team programs.
