The city of Hamilton has earned a well-deserved reputation over the past century as the home of a steady stream of winners in the sports world. Legendary teams like the frequent C.F.L. Champions, the Hamilton Tiger Cats and Memorial Cup winning Junior Red Wings hockey squad have brought Ontario’s second largest city more than its share of fame. As have any number of talented individual over-achievers too numerous to mention. 

Now there’s another rising star from Hamilton setting records in the Canadian sports scene. As President of HEAD/Tyrolia Sports Canada, Greg Cook is the combination quarterback, coach, and General Manager of one of North America’s fastest growing and most highly respected sports equipment empires. Born, raised and educated in the Steel City, Cook is playing at the world level these days. Which is not bad for a guy who started out with dreams of becoming a dentist.

Although we’re tempted to claim that it was like pulling teeth to get this Alumni Profile subject to own up to this early career planning aberration, he was in fact quite willing to admit that science quickly proved to be less enthralling than imagined. When his next best option turned out to be Business Administration, and the accounting portion of that turned out to be a sheer pleasure, before you could say “this won’t hurt a bit”, Cook had found a niche he could enjoy filling. 

All the Right Moves 

Graduating with his Diploma in Business Administration from Mohawk in 1971, Cook went to work as an accounting clerk at Otis Elevator while he burned the midnight oil pursuing his CMA designation through night courses from McMaster University. After gaining his CMA in September 1974, it was on to American Hospital Supply Canada Ltd. where he served until 1983, first as Accounting Manager, and ultimately as Controller. 

In 1983, Cook joined AMF Canada as Vice-President, Finance. When the multi-faceted but under-achieving company was the subject of a hostile takeover by an American firm in 1985, Cook, who also served as group Controller, found himself in a strange position. He was the one selected by the new owners to sell off many of the member companies. 

This was tough stuff, but would in retrospect prove to be good training for even more challenging duties to follow. When the remaining companies – all sports related were formed into HEAD/Tyrolia in 1988 – it was Cook, who had done such a good job downsizing, who was given the task of getting things growing again – along with the title of President! It didn’t take long until positive change was in the air and well-organized efficiency became the order of the day. 

In the Heart of the Action 

These days Cook, who now makes his home in Guelph, Ont, heads a healthy and growing recreational supply conglomerate comprised of ten divisions: HEAD Ski, HEAD Tennis, HEAD Golf, HEAD Squash, HEAD Footwear, Tyrolia Skis, Tyrolia Ski Bindings, Munari Ski Boots, San Marco Ski Boots and Mares Scuba Diving Gear. The company’s much in-demand products are distributed throughout Canada from warehouse outlets in Guelph, Ont and Vancouver B.C. 

It is a fast paced, high-tech and competitive business which Cook oversees (often quite literally) while maintaining a busy cross-continent schedule between his wide-ranging Canadian responsibilities and special international assignment duties at HEAD America Headquarters in Colorado.

HEAD/Tyrolia is a direct subsidiary of Head/Tyrolia/Mares which distributes the group’s various name brand products around the world. As head man of the Canadian operation, Cook is in charge from both a sales/marketing and administrative standpoint, reporting directly to the President of HEAD Worldwide. Dare we say it? This is truly heady stuff… and even better than dentistry, YOU get to sit in the chair.  

Mohawk Days

We contacted Cook recently and, from the HEAD America Headquarters in Colorado, he reminisced about his days at Mohawk College. Cook’s potential showed early on as a student, when he spent two years as Treasurer of the Students’ Representative Council. In his final year, he graduated with Dean’s Honours, and was awarded Mohawk’s most prestigious award, the College Gold Medal. He also remembers being the first Community College graduate to write and pass the CMA exams, opening the door for college grads who followed. Cook credits the persistence and encouragement of his professor, Jack Brown, for this triumph.

But it wasn’t all work and no play. Cook also recalls the fund-raising efforts put on by the Student’s Council to get the first official licensed pub on campus. Back then there was no Student Centre, or “Arnie”, so the students raised the money to get one built! Cook was excited to hear that the old pub he helped found (known to him as the “Root Cellar”) had been recently reopened. Cook was also active in intramural hockey and claims that he has a plaque on his wall to commemorate his participation. 

But one of his funniest memories was of one particular concert put on by the SRC. The “James Gang” were scheduled to appear in the gym at 7 and 9 p.m., but were delayed because the band had been detained at the border. The shows finally went on at 12:30 and 4 a.m. to packed houses, to the dismay of the hundreds of frantic mothers who phoned the SRC offices that night.  All in all, Cook had great recollections of his friendships and escapades at Mohawk College. It’s no wonder that a man who mixed business and pleasure so well in college, would end up in the business of pleasure in his life-long career. Dare we say that Greg Cook has finished aHEAD of the game?

This story was originally published in the Spring 1993 edition of the Mohawk Alumni In Touch magazine.