The TEAM 1040 reported Friday that Canwest Publishing CEO, Dennis Skulsky, resigned his position and will soon be named the new President and CEO of the BC Lions. No official announcement has come from the team, but now that Skulsky is no longer employed with CanWest it’s expected an announcement will be forthcoming regarding the Lions. Skulsky will remain with CanWest until the end of April.

“This was a very personal decision and one that I made with my closest advisors–my family,” wrote Skulsky in a note to Canwest employees. “My dear wife, our daughters and son-in-law, our precious new granddaughter and my elderly parents, all of whom live out West, are what I treasure most in my life and this decision was driven primarily so that I could spend more time with them. It will also allow me to pursue other opportunities closer to home.”

Skulsky is a founding member of the Waterboys, a group of business leaders formed by the late Bob Ackles to help with attracting business support for the club and to help in the community. He and Ackles were great friends, and he’s been a long time CFL fan. He was chair of the hugely successful 2005 Grey Cup in Vancouver, and will also lead up the 2011 event for the city.

His hugely successful career and local ties to the city will give the Lions instant credibility from a business point of view and put them on solid ground in that community. The Lions have been without an official President and CEO since the passing of Ackles in July of 2008.

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