Jess Cail (BA ’16) is an account executive on the marketing partnerships team with the Canadian Olympic Committee. Born and raised in Midland Ontario, Cail was immediately drawn to Laurier for its strong sense of community. Looking back, she says she couldn’t be happier that she called the university home for four years.

Cail was a history major during her undergrad, but says she truly learned and grew just as much in the classroom as she did outside the classroom through various volunteer positions within the Students’ Union.

It was she time at Laurier that inspired her to learn more about marketing (specifically sports marketing) which eventually led me to George Brown College for their Sports and Event Marketing program. After completing the program, she hopped right into a full-time job working at an agency where she worked with brands such as Barbie, Hot Wheels and Visa to plan and execute their experiential marketing campaigns. Deep down she knew she wanted to work in sport, with the Olympics being an “end goal.”

So, she felt very fortunate to come across a role at the Canadian Olympic Committee that she decided to apply for, ultimately, successful!

A few months ago, Cail was a part of the Team Canada Mission Team (the “team behind the team”), specifically on the outfitting team. Essentially, she was a part of the group who prepared, packed and delivered the Official Team Kit to the athletes once they arrived in Tokyo.

Q: What's was your experience in Tokyo like?

A: The Tokyo 2020 Games were my first Games and although unconventional because COVID-19’s impact on the Games environment, I had an amazing time. With a team of 14, we packed and distributed about 950 suitcases to Team Canada members throughout the Games period. Our days were quite restricted given we were operating in a bubble, so I spent most of my time between my accommodations, my work venue and the Olympic Village – always trying to have the TV on to cheer on Team Canada wherever we were.

Q: What’s one experience from Tokyo you won’t soon forget?

A: Watching Opening Ceremonies within the Athletes Village surrounded by Team Canada members and my colleagues is something I don’t think I’ll ever forget. I have been working at the Canadian Olympic Committee for just over two years – with over half of this time working from home through COVID. It often can be hard to think big picture and understand the impact of your day-to-day work affects an organization, and this was truly the moment that helped it all make sense. Watching the flag bearers enter the stadium surrounded by Canadians cheering and celebrating together was truly surreal.

Q: What's something you learned while studying at Laurier that is still helping you today?

A: Both my experiences in the classroom and outside at Laurier have helped me so much since graduation, but I think the thing that has stayed with me since my time at Laurier is: once a Golden Hawk, always a Golden Hawk. Moving to a new city is hard and trying to find a job and understand where you want to be within your industry is even harder. I was fortunate enough to have coffees and one-on-one meetings with many Laurier grads who are in the sport marketing industry when I first arrived in Toronto – most of whom I did not know during my time at Laurier – that helped me get my bearings on what possibilities where out there for me. The students who Laurier attract are always so generous, kind and open, so it’s great to know there are Golden Hawks in every city that could be there for you when needed.