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Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #40, Saäd Rafi
Our annual ranking of the people whose smarts, connections and clout are changing the city as we know it
| November 19, 2015
Saäd Rafi
Pan Am Games
40 Rafi led the effort that turned the city’s cynicism—over HOV lanes, overcrowding, ticket sales, and more—into pride. The Games sold more than 1.1 million tickets (about 92 per cent of available tickets), recruited 23,000 volunteers, set the stage for Canada’s record-setting medal haul and came in under his $2.5-billion budget (making himself eligible for a $430,000 bonus in the process). Panamania, the Games’ cultural component, was the surprise star, and Kanye West’s performance at the closing ceremonies caught the attention—if not always the approval—of the country.
Friends in High Places:
John Tory, Kathleen Wynne, Deb Matthews.
