For the man who holds the reins of Chief Commercial Officer with Woodbine Entertainment, forward thinking, embracing a bold vision, and a respect for the rich history of horse racing, comprise, in racing parlance, the trifecta of his business philosophy.
Michael Copeland finds himself in a good place, literally and figuratively, just over one year into his life at Woodbine.
His multi-faceted role, which covers business development, digital strategy, marketing, sponsorships, broadcast and customer experience strategy, continues to evolve at a steady pace.
“It’s been great,” said Copeland, who joined Woodbine Entertainment after holding several leadership positions in the Canadian sports industry. “It’s such an iconic brand in sport, a leader in the industry, not only in Canada, but throughout North America. To get a sense of the history and breadth of the operations has been great. There has also been a real sense of the size of the opportunity going forward. This organization is involved in so many different things that are driving towards building the foundation for racing in Ontario. There is a very bright future ahead and I’m looking forward to shaping that.”
Copeland’s profile has recently expanded to include senior leader of Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing responsibilities.
“Racing is the core of what we are about at Woodbine. We have a great team and I’m looking forward to helping reinforce our strong foundation, but also build even greater strength for Woodbine and the Ontario racing industry.”
Prior to Woodbine, Copeland founded and leads his own consulting business centred on issues of growth and transformation in sports and entertainment. The father of two was president and chief executive officer of the Toronto Argonauts (2015 to 2018), who under his leadership, won a Grey Cup championship in 2017. Before joining the Argos, Copeland was the president and chief operating officer of the Canadian Football League for nearly 10 years (2006 to 2015).
Although it’s a much different playing field than he is familiar with, Copeland, whose wife’s family was involved in horse racing for decades, has embraced the vast opportunities and numerous challenges that come with the territory.
“You think of Woodbine and you think of the core racing operations, which certainly is the bread and butter. But there are so many other significant aspects to the organization, such as generational property development plans on this massive property that the grandstand sits on, the relationship with the casino, the state-of-the-art casino that is opening towards the end of this year which is going to bring in new fans onto the grounds, and really looking at how Woodbine has developed into a leader in racing, helping lead the industry forward, to the benefit of everybody involved. There is input that comes from all stakeholders, so it’s certainly not something Woodbine does alone, but I think our leadership is something we can be proud of. So, it’s pushing in a lot of different areas, but each one, in their own right, are all big and important, and will have a significant impact in the future.”
One of those key areas is Woodbine’s place in the province’s single-event sports wagering orbit. The Canadian sports betting landscape changed on April 4 of this year when Ontario launched its iGaming market, opening up the province to commercial sportsbook competition.
It’s a topic Copeland immersed himself in almost from his first day on the job, on May 10, 2021.
“Single-event sports wagering has opened up a massive opportunity to racing, to customers and fans, who otherwise might not have been right in our wheelhouse. We did a really good of bringing wagering to people at the racetrack and to our core customers through HPIbet, but this adds another really important way to get racing right in people’s pockets through the online sportsbooks and sports apps that come with them. That enables us to reach a whole new generation of racing fans in new ways, which will help support our business build our brand and grow our sport.”
Copeland, who completed the Ironman USA (Lake Placid) Triathlon, and four marathons, understood early on in his tenure that single-event sports wagering, in relation to Woodbine’s racing products, would require a patient hand.
“This is a highly regulated industry and there are reasons for that. Working within that environment, you have to be really thoughtful and very patient with your plans and initiatives as you move forward. I’m very confident that we will be successful in putting the pieces in place and driving the pieces forward. In certain instances, it doesn’t happen as quickly as you have experienced in environments that aren’t as highly regulated. That said, this is really exciting and monumental. We’re hoping to have people betting on racing through online sportsbooks and sports apps in the fall.”
As for one of the things he’s most looking forward to, Copeland, named a recipient of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2008, pointed to the reshaping of what a race fan could be defined as in the near future.
“I think Woodbine does an excellent job servicing the core racing customer. Our racing operations are best in class. The HPIbet wagering system, and the service we provide at the tracks, and through our OTBs, are exceptional. What I’m excited about is not only continuing that but building upon that with things like the online sportsbooks, initiatives that we will be driving to bring a whole new demographic and generation of people to racing. That will animate the conversation about racing, bring more people in, and spur new ways to engage people. I think all of that will create a new energy and redefine what it means to be a racing fan.”
“This organization is involved in so many different things that are driving towards building the foundation for racing in Ontario. There is a very bright future ahead and I’m looking forward to shaping that.”
Something that Copeland, who holds a law degree from the University of Western Ontario and an MBA from Western’s Ivey School of Business, very much considers himself to be.
Whenever he’s on-track to see the Thoroughbreds at Woodbine or the Standardbreds at Woodbine Mohawk Park, Copeland views much more than just a race.
“At the core, we are a horse racing organization. To be able to do what we do, to holds our heads up high against anyone else that does this anywhere in the world is a great feeling and one that makes you proud of what we are able to do. To credibly and confidently claim that we are best in class, not only in terms of the quality of our facilities, the safety measures, the efforts of everyone who supports our live racing – best in class, for me, goes beyond just the things you can see. There are so many moving parts that go into putting on a horse race. We’re very proud that both racetracks are beautiful, that they are special places to be. There are very few things in sport that can rival the purse physical sensation of seeing horses flying down the stretch.”
When he’s not railside, Copeland will continue to focus his energies on a variety of areas, including the emerging sports betting sector in Canada and embarking on one of the most ambitious real estate development projects in the country.
“To be part of the group that can see this organization and industry in Ontario grow, we always had that vision. Staying true to that, it’s not necessarily when it happens but having the confidence in knowing it will ultimately happen. As long as we are continuing to make progress and have the support, we’re happy to keep pushing the pace.”
