Paul Perrier named Golf Canada’s chief sport officer

OAKVILLE — Paul Perrier has been named the new chief sport officer for Golf Canada.

Born in Sherbrooke, Que. and raised in Aurora, Ont., Perrier is an accomplished sports administration executive.

He was a senior administrator in NCAA Division I athletics for more than 15 years, most recently serving as executive senior associate athletic director and deputy athletic director at the University of Southern California.

Perrier will oversee Golf Canada’s sport portfolio, including Team Canada high-performance and athlete development, national amateur championships, grassroots participation programs such as First Tee – Canada and She Plays Golf, and Safe Sport compliance.

Reporting to CEO Laurence Applebaum as a member of Golf Canada’s executive team, Perrier will play a pivotal role in advancing Canadian golf participation and competitive excellence for the national sport organization.

During his tenure at USC between 2019 and 2025, Perrier was a member of the Executive Leadership Team, with oversight and support for 23 varsity programs and 600 athletes. Among other tasks, he managed the men’s and women’s golf programs, guiding them to multiple NCAA championship appearances and supporting elite athletes who advanced to the LPGA and PGA Tours.

Perrier, who will work collaboratively with the Golf Canada Foundation, also brings experience in fundraising and donor relations, having helped drive capital campaigns at USC and Rutgers.

Previously, Perrier served as senior associate athletic director at Rutgers University from 2015 to 2019, where he helped develop a five-year strategic plan, oversaw sport programs, and led compliance and governance during a critical transition to the Big Ten Conference. Before joining Rutgers, Perrier held several progressive leadership roles with USC including associate vice-president for athletic compliance.

A proud Canadian who is married with two sons, Perrier has started in the CSO role and will be relocating back to Canada in the coming months.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 3, 2025.