THE AFL has announced the retirement of Chris Lynch from the AFL Commission and the nomination of Mr Kim Williams AM to take up Mr Lynch’s vacancy on the Commission.

 

Mr Fitzpatrick said Mr Lynch was attending his final AFL Commission meeting today in Sydney and would formally step down at the AFL Annual General Meeting on 4 March to be held in Adelaide. Mr Williams will stand for election as an AFL Commissioner at that time, as will current Commissioners Linda Dessau and Richard Goyder who have re-nominated for their positions and will stand unopposed.

 

Mr Williams, 61, is attending today’s meeting of the AFL Commission as an observer by invitation.

 

AFL Commission chairman Mike Fitzpatrick said the AFL had benefitted enormously from the six-year service of Mr Lynch and thanked him for his role in the development and growth of Australia’s Game.

 

“Chris has been a highly valued and diligent Commissioner who has made a significant contribution to the development of the game at a time of great change, including the addition of new teams on the Gold Coast and in Greater Western Sydney,” Mr Fitzpatrick said.

 

Mr Lynch has been Chair of the Audit Committee and a member of the Broadcasting Sub-Committee of the AFL Commission. He played VFL football for Geelong FC in the early 1970s and also played in Broken Hill, Werribee and the Geelong District Football League before his retirement from the game. He has served in a number of senior corporate positions including with Alcoa Inc (vice-president and chief information officer and then chief financial officer Alcoa Europe), BHP Billiton (chief financial officer and then executive director and group president – Carbon Steel Materials) and Transurban (chief executive officer). He is currently an Executive Director (since 2011) for Rio Tinto and has served in the London-based role of Chief Financial Officer for the company since April 2013.

 

“On behalf of the Commission and the AFL community I want to thank Chris for his business acumen, guidance and passion for Australian Football at both the elite and community levels over many years,” Mr Fitzpatrick said. “I also want to pay special tribute to Chris’s wife, Tania Seary for her support and friendship to all on the Commission and the AFL Executive.”

 

Mr Fitzpatrick said he was very pleased to announce the nomination of Kim Williams AM to take up Mr Lynch’s position on the AFL Commission.

 

“We are fortunate to have been successful in attracting such a high calibre replacement for this position on the Commission.”

 

Mr Williams’ nomination was recommended by a sub-committee consisting of Collingwood Football Club president Eddie McGuire, West Coast Eagles Football Club chairman Alan Cransberg, AFL Commissioner Linda Dessau and Mr Fitzpatrick.

 

Mr Fitzpatrick said Mr Williams would bring significant experience and knowledge of broadcasting, print and digital media to the role as well as a broad lifelong interest in the arts. Most recently he served as CEO of News Corporation Australia from 2011 – 2013 after a 10-year stint as CEO of Foxtel and six years prior to that as CEO of Fox Studios Australia. Mr Williams also recently completed a distinguished term as Chairman of the Sydney Opera House Trust from 2005 – 2013.

 

“Kim is one of Australia’s most dynamic and creative business people and has also played a significant role in the arts and entertainment industry for several decades. We will welcome his intellect and vision to the Commission’s deliberations,” Mr Fitzpatrick said.

 

Mr Williams said he embraced the opportunity to join the AFL Commission and to make a contribution to Australia’s Game.

 

“I recognise the special place that Australian Football holds in the hearts and minds of millions of people in this country and, if elected, look forward to assisting the Commission to continue growing the game and strengthening its bonds in every state and territory,” Mr Williams said.

 

“As overseer of the code, the Commission has an enormous responsibility to keep faith with the fans whilst constantly looking at how to enhance the game experience for participants and supporters at every level.

 

“Achieving competitive balance across all 18 teams to ensure that every team has a reasonable expectation of winning on any given day or night is the most immediate challenge facing the game and I embrace the chance to further that objective and others as an AFL Commissioner.”

 

 

Kim Williams has had a long involvement in the arts and entertainment industry in Australia and overseas and has held various executive leadership positions since the late 1970s including as Chief Executive at each of News Corp Australia, FOXTEL, Fox Studios Australia, the Australian Film Commission, Southern Star Entertainment and Musica Viva Australia and also as a senior executive at the ABC.

 

Mr Williams was the Chief Executive of FOXTEL for a decade, where he pioneered many of the major digital broadcast innovations in Australia and was the 2012 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Australian subscription television association ASTRA. 

 

Mr Williams has also held numerous Board positions (and Chairmanships) in commercial and public life over more than three decades including as foundation Chairman of the Australian Film Finance Corporation which he founded in 1988; Chairman of MCN – the subscription television industry’s major advertising sales company; Chairman of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and of Musica Viva Australia; and most recently as the Chairman of the Sydney Opera House Trust from 2005 until 2013.

 

He was appointed as a Member in the Order of Australia in June 2006 for his services to the arts and public policy formulation in the film and television industries. In October 2009 he was awarded a Doctorate of Letters (Honoris Causa) by Macquarie University for his contribution to the arts and entertainment industry in Australia and internationally. He was awarded the Richard Pratt Business Arts Leadership Award from the Australian Business Arts Foundation in 2012.  He is a current board member of the University of Western Sydney Foundation.

 

 

Qualifications:         Bachelor of Music (University of Sydney)

                                    Doctor of Letters (Macquarie University (Honoris causa)

 

Experience:             CEO News Corp Australia (2011- 2013)

                                    CEO FOXTEL 2001- 2011

                                    CEO FOX Studios Australia 1995 – 2001

                                    CEO Australian Film Commission 1984 - 1988

                                    CEO Southern Star Entertainment 1988 – 1991

                                    General Manager, Subscription Services ABC 1992-1995

                                    Director University of Western Sydney Foundation

                                    Chairman Sydney Opera House Trust 2005- 2013

                                    Chairman MCN 2006 – 2011

                                    Chairman Musica Viva Australia 1998 – 2004

                                    Director Musica Viva Australia 1985 – 2004