Chance Wade Leonard

Class of 1987

Chance Wade Leonard was born on March 11, 1968, in Perry, OK, and was raised on a Centennial Ranch just outside of town by his parents, Terry and Judi Leonard. He quickly learned the value of work ethic, discipline and responsibility growing up on the ranch and in a wrestling family.

Chance was introduced to the sport of wrestling at the early age of five, was a passionate competitor and possessed an intense desire to succeed. He had a very successful career at Perry and was a four-year starter for the Maroons. He was a three-time Regional Champion, two-time State Champion and OK Oklahoma All-State Selection. He also competed outside the country in Mexico and was selected by the prestigious Oklahoma City Athletic Club to represent the United States while wrestling in Europe.

Chance graduated from Perry High School in 1987 and initially chose to further his academic and athletic career at the United States Air Force Academy. But his desire to train and compete at the highest level in the sport of wrestling drew him back to Oklahoma. He signed with the University of Oklahoma in the summer of 1988 and became a two-year starter for the Sooners, a Big 8 place winner and an NCAA Tournament qualifier. He was a two-year letterman at OU, endured injuries from competition and graduated in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. In 2017, Chance was awarded the Medal of Courage by the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

After college, Chance begin began his professional career as an entrepreneur and created two successful bar and restaurant concepts before ultimately pursuing his calling in the extremely competitive medical device industry. And over the last 29 years, Chance has created a distinguished career and has amassed a countless number of achievements and a wealth of experience and expertise. Known for his influential, determined, and passionate leadership, Chance has a proven track record of major accomplishments with high-profile, Fortune 500 orthopedic companies.

In June 2024, Chance was appointed as Chief Executive Officer at Genesis Innovation Group. The company specializes in delivering medical device development and innovation services that bring impactful change to healthcare.

Previously, Chance served as Chief Commercial Officer at Skeletal Dynamics, where he spearheaded the creation of a trusted global brand and established Skeletal Dynamics as the premier upper extremity trauma company in the world. Under his leadership, the company experienced a remarkable 330% growth during the past six plus years.

Prior to his tenure at Skeletal Dynamics, Chance was Vice President of Stanmore Implants, where he successfully commercialized the United States platform in the oncology and limb preservation market. His efforts contributed significantly to the company reputation and in April 2016, Stanmore Implants was acquired by Stryker. Chance has also held leadership roles at Synthes and Zimmer, where he developed aggressive growth strategies, a disciplined operational structure, and world-class teams with exceptional customer focus and execution excellence.

Outside of his professional duties, despite physical challenges and twelve surgeries Chance is still an avid athlete. Over the last eighteen years he has completed several triathlons, including Ironman Arizona, and cycling events. He has given back significantly to the sport of wrestling and his hometown of Perry. In 2014, he became a Board Member of the Perry Wrestling Foundation and served as Chairman, Fundraising and Marketing.