The Club recently concluded an extensive Administrative and Business Review conducted by 333 Performance Management which recognised the Club’s need to restructure in order to continue to build on its impressive record as Australia’s biggest sporting club.
The Club now employs close to 300 people and over the last 18 months has increased its involvement in external non football commercial activities. It is expected to generate close to $55M in revenue in 2007.
The combination of Gary’s extensive business, marketing and media knowledge is such that he is an outstanding appointment for the position of CEO and broadens the dynamics of what already is and continues to be a strong administration.
Mr. Pert will resign from the Club’s Board and as Managing Director of Channel 9 in Melbourne to take up the position of CEO as soon as possible.
Mr.Pert had a long and successful reign as General Manager of the Austereo Network in Melbourne before taking up the position of Managing Director of Channel 9 in Victoria.
Mr. Pert had a long and successful career in VFL/AFL football playing 233 games for Collingwood and Fitzroy. Gary represented Victoria on five occasions and was an All Australian player in 1985. In 1992 Pert won the R.T. Rush medal as runner up in the Collingwood Best and Fairest.
He also worked at the AFL as promotions officer from 1989-94.
The review identified a need to devote more resources to the Club’s growing commercial activities and interests.
Eugene Arocca will head up a business and commercial development unit that will take the Club to a new level in off field success. Eugene will now take up the position of Director of Commercial Operations and is charged with the responsibility of continuing to manage and grow the Club’s extensive hotel and gaming activities as well as identifying new areas of business development.
These two outstanding appointments are complimented by the recent appointment of Geoff Walsh as Chief of Football who has already brought a wealth of experience and knowledge to the most professional football department in the AFL. Geoff was most recently the CEO of the North Melbourne Football Club and has over 30 years experience in the industry.
The Club wishes to acknowledge and thank Chris Thomas, Principal of Egon Zehnder International, who conducted the extensive search for the Club’s CEO.
