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The ACA is proud to welcome Rok Sribar as the new General Manager of High-Performance Programs. In this role, Rok will be responsible for leading all aspects of the ACA’s Olympic and Paralympic Programs, including the National teams management, elite athlete development, talent identification programs, and fundraising for these teams and programs. Rok’s main objectives are to deliver top of the podium performances at World Championships and major games and to establish a sustainable pipeline of athletes, coaches, and programs that will create the next generation of champions for future Olympic and Paralympic games to be held in Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028. He will represent ACA and the sport’s interests and goals with the L.A. 2028 Organizing Committee, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), the International Canoe Federation (ICF), and the Pan American Canoe Federation (COPAC).

Since childhood, Rok has spent most of his free time dedicated to the sport of canoeing. As an athlete and a member of many whitewater kayaking expeditions, he has traveled extensively around the world. Over the last several years, Rok has been an active member of the ACA Canoe Slalom Committee and has led athletes to the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. ACA Executive Director Beth Spilman has noted, “Rok is a proven business leader and an entrepreneur, making him a fantastic fit for ACA in these challenging times. Rok has extremely high standards and is driven by helping people and organizations reach their potential and delivering results. We look forward to the impact Rok will make on our High-Performance Programs.”

“I am thrilled to be joining the ACA’s High-Performance Team. I look forward to contributing my leadership experience and a lifelong passion for paddlesports to the goal of winning medals in the elite international competition.” Sribar said. “This is a unique opportunity that combines organizational development, athlete pipeline management, and fundraising to ensure sustainable success in Olympic and Paralympic sports in the coming years leading up to the 2028 Olympics & Paralympics in Los Angeles, and beyond. I take this job in earnest and hope to secure the resources and tools that the National Team coaches, club coaches, and volunteers need to execute the best plan for each of our athletes.”

Before joining ACA, Sribar spent fourteen years specializing in interim executive management and management consulting to high-technology and medical-device companies. Before working as an independent consultant, Sribar was a corporate officer and senior executive with Align Technology, Vice President at Symbol Technologies, and Sr. Director at Sun Microsystems. His areas of expertise include Systems Engineering, M&A Due Diligence, Product Development, Strategic Planning, Business Modeling, and Change Management.

Sribar earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, and a Ph.D. from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. He lives in Auburn, California, with his wife, Sara Perkovic, and two daughters.

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