Crows eye board diversity with new advisory panel

The Crows have appointed Reserve Financial institution board member Carolyn Hewson, skilled firm director Jim Hazel and membership board member Richard Fennell to a brand new “unbiased advisory group” which could have enter on how the membership makes appointments to its 10-person board.

The membership mentioned the brand new panel would advise on the choice course of for each club-appointed and member-elected board members, taking into consideration elements reminiscent of variety targets, membership insurance policies, abilities and succession necessities.

Crows chair John Olsen mentioned the panel would have an “fast give attention to enhancing the range” of the membership’s board.

“The panel represents good governance and it drives new ranges of independence, and ensures we’ve got the correct folks guiding and driving our membership ahead,” he mentioned in a press release.

“There may also be an instantaneous give attention to enhancing the range of our board so it higher displays our wants and the expectations of our member and supporter base, in addition to the broader group.

“Each Carolyn and Jim carry a wealth of expertise from the very best ranges of company Australia and I wish to sincerely thank them for taking over this chance.”

Carolyn Hewson (proper) at a BHP annual normal assembly in 2018. Photograph: David Mariuz/AAP

Hewson has been on the Reserve Financial institution of Australia board since March 2021. The previous funding banker can also be a director at Infrastructure SA and a part of the state government-commissioned overview into the $200m Aboriginal artwork and cultures centre at Lot Fourteen.

A protracted-time Crows supporter, she was named a joint-number one ticket holder in 2018.

Hazel is an expert firm director who presently holds board roles with Bendigo and Adelaide Financial institution, the College of South Australia and the Precision Group of Firms. He was on the Crows board from 2010 to 2021, together with as deputy chair.

Fennell is an govt at Bendigo and Adelaide Financial institution and a former guide with PricewaterhouseCoopers. He was appointed to the Crows board in 2017.

The Crows have lengthy confronted requires governance reforms, notably concerning the dearth of time period limits for administrators.

Olsen has beforehand informed InDaily that introducing time period limits is “underneath energetic consideration” and “it doesn’t serve a membership’s greatest pursuits to have administrators on the board for 15, 20 years”.

It’s understood the brand new advisory panel could have an enter on the difficulty of time period limits together with its fast give attention to rising variety.

The present make-up of the Adelaide Soccer Membership board. Picture: AFC.com.au

The present Crows board consists of three girls: SAPOL assistant commissioner Linda Fellows (additionally deputy chair), former federal MP Kate Ellis and Optus lawyer Shanti Berggren.

The introduction of 9 or 10-year time period limits, utilized retrospectively, would see the departure over the following few years of a number of long-term board members together with Fellows (appointed 2015), membership legend Mark Riccuito (appointed 2014) and premiership participant Rod Jameson (elected 2015).

The Crows structure permits solely two member-elected administrators, with the remaining board members appointed and ratified by the AFL.

In March, membership members elected media persona Graeme Goodings and re-elected Jameson to the board.

The membership posted a $1.24m statutory revenue for its 2021 monetary 12 months.

The Crows males’s facet has missed the finals for the final 5 years – the longest drought within the membership’s 31-year historical past.

The boys’s facet completed 14^th final season, 4 wins exterior the highest eight.