In a unanimous decision by the Board, Newbold’s appointment will be subject to a members’ vote finalised at Hawthorn’s AGM.
Outgoing President Jeff Kennett, who will step down at the AGM in December, said Newbold has been an important, long-serving member of the Hawthorn Football Club Board.
“The Hawthorn Board met last night and decided to recommend Andrew Newbold, a current Board member with eight years’ service, as the next President of Hawthorn Football Club,” Kennett said.
“Andrew represents a generational change which can only be good for the Club as we move into the next five years of our work.
“Andrew is a lawyer by qualification, but is now a businessman. For the last few years he has headed our Governance and Risk Committee,” Kennett said.
Andrew Newbold was appointed to the Hawthorn Football Club Board in June 2003.
He has been a Hawthorn member for over fifteen years and was instrumental in negotiating the Club’s move to Waverley Park in February 2006.
As a partner at Herbert Geer & Rundle, which specialises in commercial and insurance law, Newbold has brought an enormous wealth of business legal expertise to the Board.
He was a Founding Director of renewable energy business Wind Power, which was sold to Origin Energy at the beginning of 2009. Since that time, Newbold has been pursuing a variety of business interests.
At last night’s meeting the Board also agreed that after the elections at the AGM, Geoff Harris will assume the responsibility of Vice-president. Harris is an experienced Board Director with eight years’ service.
“Geoff is currently Chairman of Hawthorn’s New Business Committee, which in the last few years has introduced new commercial operations to the organisation,” Kennett said.
“Geoff has been a major benefactor of the Club, as well as donating the statue of John Kennedy Snr that proudly stands overlooking our training oval at Waverley Park.”
“Geoff indicated to the Board two years ago that he would not be a candidate for the Presidency when the members vote in December 2011 because he did not wish to have the high public profile that goes with the Presidency, nor did he have the time to commit to the role,” Kennett said.
Read Jeff's full From the President article launched on hawthornfc.com.au today.
