Barber cuts himself free of Whitecaps’ CEO job By Steven Sandor Posted on December 9, 2011 Comments Off on Barber cuts himself free of Whitecaps’ CEO job 0 669 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter The Vancouver Whitecaps will be losing CEO Paul Barber at the end of February. But the club won’t be putting up a help wanted sign. The team announced Friday that Barber is leaving at the end of Feburary, two years after he arrived from Tottenham to help steer the Whitecaps from Div.-2 to MLS. Barber was key in helping the Whitecaps evolve their business plan, and facilitating events such as last summer’s friendly with Manchester City. The Whitecaps let media members know Friday morning that team ownership and team president Bob Lenarduzzi would be made available for a media event. And, as we have learned from covering MLS teams, if the team doesn’t make a stream available of the press conference, it’s bad news. But, the club will not hire a new CEO. Instead, Barber’s duties will be split between COO Rachel Lewis and Lenarduzzi. “I am delighted and honoured to have served one of North America’s oldest and most famous soccer clubs and to have played a part in re-establishing the Whitecaps at the highest level of the game on this continent,” said Barber, Whitecaps in a release. “I would like to thank the club, my associates, our partners, and of course our fantastic supporters for a very rewarding experience in a great city. I will continue to be a proud ambassador for the club in the future.”