Richmond sounds out business leadersJake Niall
December 18, 2009 RICHMOND'S hierarchy has sounded out ex-Cadbury-Schweppes boss Mark Smith and the former owner of the South Dragons, Mark Cowan, about joining the club's board, as Gary March's board considers a long-range succession plan.
The Tigers have held discussions with Smith, a former chief executive of Cadbury-Schweppes and a director with two leading Australian companies, and Cowan, a branding and marketing executive who co-owned the South Dragons basketball team before the 2008-09 National Basketball League champions opted out of a revamped competition.
Richmond insiders believe Smith and Cowan are potential long-term successors to March, who will serve out his term as president, which expires at the end of next year. He will then assess his position and weigh up whether he wishes to continue.
March last night confirmed the board had shown interest in Smith and Cowan, having started a process of succession planning and renewal by inviting several prominent Richmond people to a series of board-room lunches during 2009. Smith said last night he would be delighted to join the club's board as a director, provided there was a vacancy and the board was amenable to his appointment.
Smith, who chairs the audit committee of transportation giant Toll Holdings and is a member of Richmond's elite coterie group, Jack's Club, said: "If the board is interested in me, then that would be a decision for the board."
Smith and/or Cowan would require a casual vacancy to be appointed to the Richmond board. The Tigers have only just held an election, in which Rex Chadwick was elected to replace Anthony Mithen as a director.
March said none of the current nine-member board had indicated a wish to step down, but the club had to be mindful of the need for succession planning and renewal.
"We look to succession planning as one of the platforms I've brought to the club, and the board's got to be part of that. That's why we started that process during the year," he said.
March said the succession possibilities "may well include myself", though he had no immediate plans to step down.
He said he would consider his position when he was up for election at the end of 2010.
Cowan has been helping Richmond in an advisory capacity and was 51 per cent owner of the South Dragons before it ceased operating this year when the new NBL was launched.
Smith, also a director of GUD Holdings (best known for Sunbeam products), is one of 15 members of Jack's Club, which is considered the club's most prestigious coterie group.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/richmond-sounds-out-business-leaders-20091217-kzy3.html
