I contacted Tanya Gadiel and Andrew Cordwell on Facebook recently. Andrew did not respond, however Tanya did. Below is a copy of my conversation:
Matt: Hi Tanya and Andrew. I hope you're both coping OK at the moment given what is happening. The reason for my message is a simple one. The decision to renege on the offer to Bevan Paul as Group CEO is a bad one. From where I sit as a member (and my view is representative of a vast majority of members) Bevan is the only choice right now to steer the club through this period and clear the decks with the NRL so we can move forward. His appointment as Group CEO does not effect John Boulous' position in any way as it is merely a restructure. I implore you to reconsider your position, appoint Bevan to the Group CEO role and allow him to do what he is good at. That is, get on with cleaning up this mess so we can all move forward. Regards, Matt
Tanya: You want another FitzGerald? Not on my watch mate. Thanks for your feed back.
Matt: There's only one Fitzgerald and he's unelectable. I don't get your point. The Board can't run the business, you need a CEO to do that and you have one. Let him do his job. Anyway good luck with it
Tanya: Btw so we are clear... Your information is wrong. There was no reneging, he was offered something on an interim basis
I found this exchange deeply concerning on many fronts. I felt I put a very reasonable argument to a club Director. Her response was strangely insulting to our current Leagues Club CEO, who by all reports is a highly professional individual.
It showed me there is an unwillingness to admit we must find a stable solution to our current predicament. We have No CEO, No Head of Football and our remaining Directors seem hell bent on fighting the NRL instead of getting on with the job of appointing the right people to clean up this mess.
It begs the question why won't the remaining Directors allow Bevan Paul to do the job that so obviously needs to be done. Are there other deals yet to be uncovered that we don't know about?
The ramifications of this ongoing instability could be incredibly dire if it's allowed to continue. Key players and further key staff could potentially walk and who could blame them. Who would want to work for an organisation in such a mess.
This is no longer trial by media. This is a crisis that needs to be resolved and resolved quickly and unfortunately it appears those left in charge care more about personal reputations than they do about the club. Club First is our motto. I expect our Directors to act accordingly.
The time has come for an EGM to be called and a completely new Board to be appointed. The club needs stability, the club needs direction and the club needs an experienced and steady hand at the rudder. I cannot stress how vitally important that is to our club at this time. We have people within our organisation who are capable of providing that. Unfortunately we have a Board whose positions are now untenable. For the sake of the club we love they all must now stand down and allow the club to heal.
Replies
Maybe Burnie might be good. But we need stability today. Not is months time.
Just to be clear, Group CEO does not mean you are running the Eels. It means you would oversee the CEO. It is the same set-up that a lot of clubs backed by Leagues Clubs use. It means whoever is running the Eels would have accountability up one layer. A Group CEO would also likely take the lead in hiring an Eels CEO so it is not left to the board to put in place someone who is subserviant. It means you should never get yourself in a position where you have a rogue CEO, because big contracts would get signed off by someone else.
If we got someone like Gurr, in a year, when the club is back on its feet, you may re-look at the situation. But it is the only real solution right now.
The big problem that Ms. Gadiel is going to have here, it this is a breach of her boardroom responsibilities. She made very clear at the AGM of her disdain for Denis Fitzgerald, so to compare her CEO to someone who she clearly has a very low opinion of her, is an absolute breach of the trust of the CEO. You cannot have a director making comments like this to members (particularly given Mutt has a position of responsibility as a Membership Council member) about your top executive!!!
Her position in now no longer tenable as a Leagues Club director. Bevan Paul might even have a case for defamation, never mind, anything else.
I am simply gob-smacked.
Yeah, like watching an old Wests video of pre game gee up, slapping around.
People question factions & if they exist, well the reply provides the answer.
Fong, I've edited your comment. We don't any misogynistic comments to muddy the waters here of what is a very serious breach of a director's responsibilities.
It seems you did wrong Fong !
Christ.
How unprofessional is THAT???
And both her statements are completely contradictory.
What a f****n' mess.
LOL - I can just imagine what was said - and it would have been Fong Gold :D
Ffs we the supporters, me where and I might add corporate partners cannot take much more
Question for 1EEers who would support an EGM Here, what are our numbers?
Great blog Mutt, i know when youve turned against them all hope is truly lost for them because youve been very loyal to this bunch along the way.
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