The second-in-command of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games will soon be applying his Olympic juggling skills to the job of CEO at B.C. Hydro.
Dave Cobb sees many parallels between launching the Olympic event - where virtually everyone took an extreme position - and leading a public utility that is undergoing big changes with pressure from both government and the public.
"You've just got to believe in what your vision is, believing you're doing the right thing and not get distracted," he said in an interview after his job was formally announced on Tuesday.
Mr. Cobb was the executive vice-president and deputy CEO of the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee and was responsible for Games finances.
Before that, he spent 12 years with the Vancouver Canucks hockey organization, including as chief operating officer and chief financial officer.
Just a few weeks ago, the provincial government announced it was proceeding with the controversial Site C dam project on the Peace River, one of Canada's largest megaprojects.
In late April, the province also introduced the Clean Energy Act, a bill that promotes energy self-sufficiency, independent power production and a cut in greenhouse gas emissions.
Environmentalists, first nations and Peace River Valley residents were quick to criticize the Site C project, which will flood 5,400 hectares of the valley and become the third dam on the Peace.
There's also concern the provincial government's Clean Energy Act will boost the price of electricity for B.C. residents and business.
Mr. Cobb said his new job is similar to his Olympic position: There are multiple stakeholders, it's a large, complex company and both public- and private-sector interests need to be considered.
"Before the Games were actually held, in the five years leading up, there were extreme positions on virtually everything we did."
He said he hopes to transfer that Olympic success to B.C. Hydro.
There are huge challenges before the utility as it moves into its plan to conserve and promote clean energy, while at the same time trying to keep the cost of electricity down, he said.
Mr. Cobb won't take on the job for another two weeks and wouldn't speculate on where the price of electricity might go.
"I don't think there's any question that more money has to be invested in the energy sector and investments need to be recovered," he said. "So I think that's something that I'm very aware of going in. There will be a resistance to rates going up. It's natural."
But he added that the province wouldn't want to lose its low-price business advantage when it comes to competing with other jurisdictions in North America.
For now, Mr. Cobb said he'll be absorbing as much information as possible, and will hold off on forming any opinions.
"I'm going to be all ears in the early days."