Royal CEO Charlie Johnstone Resigns

Ray Stanton, president and chairman of the Board of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair Association of Canada released the following statement on Friday, July 7, 2023:

“On behalf of The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair and its Board of Directors, we announce the resignation of Chief Executive Officer, Charlie Johnstone.

Since 2015, Charlie has led The Fair with remarkable moments including successfully navigating the organization through a global pandemic and notably the 100th Anniversary celebration in 2022. Moving forward, we intend to build on the momentum that we, as a team of champions, have created for a spectacular Royal this November.

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We will be initiating a search for a replacement that will solidify The Fair’s esteem into the next century.”

Before his CEO stint at the Royal, Johnstone had been the president of Honda Indy Toronto for 10 years. In an interview last fall prior to the landmark 100th aniversary of The Royal following a lengthy pandemic hiatus, he remarked, “This is an incredibly exciting time for me, both professionally and personally. The culmination of years of experience in managing internationally-recognized events has culminated in being in this seat for the 100th Anniversary of The Royal. I’m fortunate the Board of Directors has provided the strategic vision and oversight for our executive team and have confidence in our team to execute to The Royal standard. We’ve assembled a tier-one management team that’s highly motivated, engaged, and forward thinking. It’s a real privilege to be working for this organization, especially when we get to celebrate such a milestone occasion as our 100th Anniversary.”

Horse Sport will provide an update once a replacement has been announced.

More info about The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair here.