The Quebecer with the extraordinary rise Catherine Raîche is already impressing her colleagues at the Cleveland Browns. According to head coach Keven Stefanski, it’s only a matter of time before she becomes general manager.
Assistant to the GM and vice-president of football operations for the Cleveland team since last June, the former Montreal Alouettes has had time to get used to her new environment. Star of a short Browns documentary airing this week, Raîche received compliments from all as part of the 2023 NFL Combine.
“She will be general manager in the NFL. That’s what she’s capable of. It’s not a question for me, Stefanski said in this nine-minute video posted on YouTube. The impact it will have on our game will be immeasurable. Young girls will be able to see in Cath an example to follow.”
This is also Raîche’s first appearance in the media since being hired as Andrew Berry’s right-hand man. While she shares Stefanski’s goals, the new mom wants to take the days one at a time.
“I would like to be a general manager one day. I’ve always given myself goals in relation to my career, but what’s important is what I’m doing right now. I like to stay in the present,” she said.
Model employee
Prior to joining the Browns, Raîche worked for the Philadelphia Eagles for three years. At football operations, she left a beautiful business card. So much that general manager Howie Roseman is a bit bored.
“You realize pretty quickly how smart she is, how much she loves football. She helped us build plans for the team and worked on very important files like a CEO would.”
“That’s why Andrew stole it from us,” he concluded with a smile.
Berry agrees with his counterpart. By entrusting tasks to Raîche, he understood how much the Montrealer knew about football. The former lawyer completed her career change wonderfully in 2015.
“Catherine is one of the most talented staff members I have had the pleasure of working with. There’s nothing she can’t do. She can assess, she can manage, she can lead. She is very good at contract management, very smart and very strategic,” he explained.
Inclusion
Raîche said she was very well received by the NFL football community, an environment still dominated by men. According to her, diversity is the most beautiful and effective thing in today’s sporting world.
“People like Andrew and Howie see beyond the person,” she said. We often talk about diversity and inclusion, but it’s diversity of thought and experience [qui est importante]. […] It is now through creativity and different approaches and qualities that new ideas surface.”
