Joel Cowley

Chief Executive Officer at Calgary Stampede

Speaker

Joel Cowley was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Calgary Stampede on September 1, 2021. Before taking on the role of CEO, he spent 15 years with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, including seven years as president and CEO. While at Houston, Cowley oversaw an event that drew upwards of 2.6 million visitors per year with the support of 135 full time employees and more than 35,000 volunteers. His community service included seven years on the board of directors of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, and he was recognized as the 2017 Executive Communicator of the Year by the Houston Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators and a 2019 Most Admired CEO by the Houston Business Journal. Cowley holds an M.B.A. from Michigan State University, a M.Sc. in Animal Science from Texas A&M University and a B.Sc. in Animal Science from Colorado State University.