Weightman returns in president/CEO role with Alouettes after Cecchini departure

Mark Weightman is back as president and chief executive officer of the Montreal Alouettes.

The Canadian Football League club announced Weightman's appointment Tuesday. He will take office April 11.

This will mark Weightman's second stint with Montreal. He was with the organization from 1996 to 2016, serving as president/CEO from 2013 to 2016.

Weightman takes over from Mario Cecchini, who served as interim president while the CFL negotiated the sale of the franchise to Quebec businessman Pierre Karl Peladeau earlier this month. Cecchini has since taken over as commissioner of the Quebec Major Hockey League.

"We want to welcome Mark Weightman back to the organization," Peladeau said in a statement. "We are very pleased to be able to count on him and on his vast experience in professional sports, including football.

"Mark and I share the same vision for the long-term future of the team both in terms of its day-to-day management, its return to financial health and our desire to grow our group of core supporters at the stadium and in Quebec."

The team said Weightman, from Saint-Andre-d'Argenteuil, Que., will be counted on to bring stability to the organization as it heads into the 2023 season.

"I will work on this enthusiastically with all the colleagues who are already at work, whether they are in our offices or dedicated to football operations under the guidance of our general manager, Danny Maciocia," Weightman said.

"There's a lot of work to do before the regular season kicks off, like the draft and training camp, but we all look forward to introducing you to your 2023 Alouettes."