Make mine a double double: Tim Hortons exec David Clanachan is CanPL’s first-ever commissioner By Steven Sandor Posted on January 10, 2018 1 0 1,338 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter DAVID CLANACHAN Photo by Darren Goldstein/DSG Photo. The cream has risen to the top. It’s time to tell the hole story. The icing has been spread on the doughnut. The Canadian Premier League has announced its first commissioner, and it is David Clanachan, chairman of Restaurant Brands International, which owns the Tim Hortons, Burger King and Popeye’s chicken brands. Clanachan has also been the CEO and president of Tim Hortons. RBI was formed in 2014 to take over the operations of the U.S.-based Burger King and Tim Hortons, the iconic Canadian coffee and doughnut brand named for its founder, a Hall of Fame NHLer. RBI’s majority stakeholder is the Brazilian fund, 3G Capital. David Clanachan “It’s an absolute honour to have been selected as Commissioner of the CPL and to lead the ground-breaking team that ushers in this exciting new era of Canadian professional soccer across the country,” said Clanachan in a release. “Soccer is a lifelong passion of mine – as I know it is for countless Canadians – and the CPL will not only fuel Canada’s love for soccer, but it will also cultivate a new generation of players, coaches, officials and business leaders.” Clanachan will be leaving the doughnut giant in the spring. Clanachan will have his hands in both the business and soccer operations of the league, which is expected to kick off in 2019. Of course, the news will lead to way too many doughnut- and coffee-related puns in relation to the CanPL. Now that Clanachan is confirmed, expect more announcements regarding front office staff to be come in fairly short order.
