One-Eyed Richmond Forum
Football => Richmond Rant => Topic started by: disco08 on December 08, 2004, 11:42:37 PM
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Maurice O'Shannassy just posted some info about himself on PRE. I thought some of you might be interested.
http://puntroadend.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=11361.0
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Can't u just post it here with a source, Disco.
Some of us can't see it!
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post it here or dont bother posting threads like this at all disco
what are we some second rate forum that isnt good enough to have entire letters, articles posted?
some of us are here so we dont have to view the crap that comes from that other website.
>:(
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Here is the letter, it has come to me via an anonymous tip ;)
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Hi,
My name is Maurice O'Shannassy and as some of you might know I am running for a position on the Board on the Casey ticket. I thought I would answer a few questions that people have been asking me. I have always been a mad Tiger fan and since returning from overseas in 1997, have been a member of the President's Club and then Jack's Club since its formation a few years ago.
At the outset, I would like to say that when the vote is over, I sincerely hope that we can all join together to help bring the Tigers to glory again - whatever the result. I have been saddened to see some of the bitterness in this election. I am very much up for vigorous debate but it appears that at times it has gone well beyond that.
Anyway, here we go:
1) What skills do you bring to the club?
I am the Managing Director of Merrill Lynch Investment Managers (Australia) and have been since 1997. (I have been watching the "bizarre" exchanges on this and I am happy to clear up any misconceptions). I am therefore in charge of running a company significantly bigger than the Richmond Football Club. I have also spent a considerable part of my career investing in and analysing companies from all around the world. Furthermore, I have worked on five Federal Budgets when I worked for the Treasury in Canberra in the early eighties.
The point of this is that I have extensive experience in managing a company and in particular the budgetary and financial aspects of businesses. I have seen and experienced all the permutations between revenue and expenditure that can affect profits. I think I have a good handle on what needs to be done in the situation in which we currently find ourselves. I have seen it before - many times!
I have also spent many years on the Board of our industry body, IFSA. I have spent a number of years as Chairman of IFSA's Marketing and Distribution Committee. The IFSA Board is mainly made up of Chief Executives from the major companies in our industry.
The importance of this point is that I strongly believe that if you are on a board for a length of time, then you should accept a degree of responsibility for the performance of that board. In particular, if you are on, or are Chairman of a committee of that board, then you accept even greater responsibility for the performance of that particular aspect of the Board's activities.
That is what I bring. I will take responsibility for whatever role I am given. Clearly, at this point it will be related to finance and corporate governance. Let's make one thing absolutely clear. I will approach the role as if it will be me that will be canned if things go wrong. My experience in business (and everyting else for that matter) is that unless people approach a task with that attitude then you get less than optimal performance. I cannot guarantee there will not be mistakes, but I can guarantee that you will get highly skilled and experienced people who will take responsibility for their actions.
2) Why join the Casey ticket?
Basically, I think that what I call the "new" Board has made more good decisions in the past six to nine months than had been made in the the previous 20 years. You know of all the changes. People have put their hand up and admitted mistakes, recruited needed skills to the Board and made substantial changes in every area of the Club. The financial plan for next year is exactly what is needed in our situation. We are definitely on the right track. I think we need to build on that, not make another set of wholesale changes.
3) Surely the current Board should take responsibility for the mistakes?
Off course, to an extent. Both tickets have a number of current or past long serving Board members and a number of "new" members. (That is, counting the Board members appointed over the past year as new) Both Tickets therefore share some responsibility for past failures. What is important to me is which ticket can take us forward to glory. I have outlined above why I think the Casey ticket is the appropriate ticket.
4) What is your relationship with Clinton and Charles?
I know Clinton very well and am a friend. I also know Charles well - we come from the same industry and have had business dealings together.
I would like to think that people judge me on my credentials.
That is probably enough for now and I am happy to answer any questions.
Regards,
Maurice
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Moi and PRR (and anyone else I've annoyed), sorry, I had no idea that you guys could be stopped from viewing another website that isn't of the members only variety. I didn't want to copy it fully to here as I didn't have O'Shannassy's approval, which I could have got, but might have taken alot of time, and I thought people might have liked to have seen it straight away.
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Well done Disco 8 ! You should post here more often !
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Moi and PRR (and anyone else I've annoyed),
You haven't annoyed me at all - is just a pathetic fact of life that someone doesn't like others who criticise look at their site.
So if you want to quote something from that site that is of interest - which is rare - go for it - but make sure you put the source of the quote.
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After the pile loads of crap that is on that site, finally an article that has sense to it appears ! :o
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no worries disco, i too am sorry for my outburst
I still have major issues regarding a certain administrator of that site which I cannot let go because I'm a stubborn prick LOL
Its a mental scarring that will not heal.
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Join the club ! We might be able to fill the G one day :lol
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Hey guys,
You shoudl see the way that they are trying to tear O'Shannassy's letter apart - and of course, it all ends up being pro the rebel group.
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its pathetic actually, from all reports the censorship over there is disgraceful. I cant believe Miller and Co would even waste their time sending their letters to that site for viewing, they should be sending them here. ;D
Once my vote has been sent off, I'll email Greg Miller and wish him luck from behalf of the gang at OER.
I believe the longer this site keeps going the more people will realise that having different opinions is just that, but at the end of it all we all love the same club.
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I believe the longer this site keeps going the more people will realise that having different opinions is just that, but at the end of it all we all love the same club.
Ding Ding - Spot on PRR :cheers
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its pathetic actually, from all reports the censorship over there is disgraceful. I cant believe Miller and Co would even waste their time sending their letters to that site for viewing, they should be sending them here. ;D
Once my vote has been sent off, I'll email Greg Miller and wish him luck from behalf of the gang at OER.
I believe the longer this site keeps going the more people will realise that having different opinions is just that, but at the end of it all we all love the same club.
Save your praise PRR for Miller when he makes us a top 4 side. Until then, you're dreaming, and for a guy sick of RFC calammities over the past 20 years, you should know not to praise until praise is worthy.
:thumbsup
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Mr O'Shannassy looks like a good acquisition.
Last time I said that, it was about the Motorola guy. And I do believe he lasted less than half a season on the board.
Thanks for the letter sir. I'd like to know if you're there until the election is over, or if you're going to be on the board for the next 5 seasons. Doesnt say anything about this in your letter.
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I'd like to know if you're there until the election is over, or if you're going to be on the board for the next 5 seasons. Doesnt say anything about this in your letter.
why should he have to?
he is simply stating his background (which is excellent and exactly what we need) and the reasons why he is running on Casey's ticket.
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The importance of this point is that I strongly believe that if you are on a board for a length of time, then you should accept a degree of responsibility for the performance of that board. In particular, if you are on, or are Chairman of a committee of that board, then you accept even greater responsibility for the performance of that particular aspect of the Board's activities.
Back in my uni days I did a subject called Business Ethics and I read a book called "Above the bottom Line" by Robert C. Solomon (1994). From that book I took a saying that I have on a card that I carry around in my briefcase because it has and still is so relevant for me in my career.
"The key question of responsibility is not so much who is repsonsible but rather what are the responsibilities that each person has." (page 261)
Maurice O'Shannassy is basically saying the same thing.
I find it ironic I have been harping for over 6 months about certain former board members not taking responsibility for their time on the board and now it is being highlighted it would appear almost everywhere. It's been an issue for me since the beginning: now it seems to be an issue for others and I say thank goodness.
Finger pointing will carry you so far. It so easy to throw your hands up the air and say "It wasn't my fault" or the classic "it aint my job". But in the end every person who has been a member of the RFC board for the last 2 years (remember we keep getting told the last 2 years we have lost $3 million) needs to take responsiblity - those who have chosen not too - never had any chance of getting my vote.
Maurice O'Shannassy would appear to have great credentials, an understanding of buiness and above all else he would seem to have a good handle on the faults of our club (this is highlighted by his comment about more positive decisions in the last 6 months than the last 20 years). I think you could call him a true Tiger because he can see that :thumbsup
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Mr O'Shannassy looks like a good acquisition.
Last time I said that, it was about the Motorola guy. And I do believe he lasted less than half a season on the board.
Thanks for the letter sir. I'd like to know if you're there until the election is over, or if you're going to be on the board for the next 5 seasons. Doesnt say anything about this in your letter.
Nicklos (the Motorola guy) was appointed to the board at that time whereas O'Shannassy is asking the members to be elected for a term of 3 years. I would say he's put himself in for the long haul. I agree 1980 he sounds like he'll be a good acquisition to the board if he gets up.
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Posting on a fan website (no matter what you all think of it) is also a big step in the right direction. For too long has Casey and his board kept members at arms length.
FWIW, I voted for O'Shannassy, and Rob Dalton, who also has good credentials. I didn't vote for Casey, Schwab or Welsh. I picked the nine candidates I thought wee most impressive. Alot say that voting for a mixed board is a waste of time because if members of the losing ticket are elected they will not stand. I don't necessarily agree with this in all scenarios, and at least this way, if enough members vote as I have, we will find out who is there because they want to help the RFC, and who is there for other reaons.