John Pugh’s life journey has come full circle. A semi-professional soccer player in his native England, it was computer science, not soccer, which brought John and his wife Christine to Canada. Today, after a successful career in academia and high-tech, he’s back in the soccer business full-time.

Mr. Pugh served as Professor and Director of the School of Computer Science at Carleton University. He subsequently co-founded The Object People Inc., and directed it from start-up to acquisition. In 2002, Mr. Pugh purchased the Ottawa Fury organization to provide the best possible development opportunities for talented young soccer players and the highest calibre of play for soccer fans in the Ottawa Region.

Under Mr. Pugh’s leadership, the Fury Youth Development Academy has schooled thousands of youngsters on the nuances of the game. Over 80 Fury players have received NCAA scholarships and over 125 players have gone on to play at Canadian colleges and universities.