Here you go.
West Coast premiership defender Beau Waters has emerged as a surprise contender to succeed Trevor Nisbett as the CEO, but Don Pyke is still the favourite with a decision expected as soon as Thursday.
Sources have told The West Australian that two-time premiership player and current Sydney assistant coach Pyke is still the most likely new boss and could be announced as the next Eagles boss as soon as Thursday.
Waters, 37, played 120 games for West Coast from 2004 to 2015 including in their 2006 premiership victory, but was forced to retire because of a serious shoulder injury.
Known as a tough, no-nonsense defender, Waters has made a name for himself in the business world since retiring from football.
Waters has strong ties to the club through his long career as well as being married to the niece of former chairman Russell Gibbs. He declined to comment when contacted by The West Australian.
Beau Waters, Adam Simpson and Darren Glass look on during the West Coast Eagles 2014 team photo day. No
Pyke has previously said he had “some interest depending on what the role and the process entails and in my eyes what they’re looking for, because it’s got to match all parties”, but there was speculation this has waned.
A successful businessman outside of football, Pyke was in Perth as recently as late last month, joining fellow former Eagles at a race day.
West Coast are looking for a new chief executive after Nisbett announced he would not continue beyond his current contract, which expires after next season.
Waters holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Deakin University and is the Global Market Director for Sports and Entertainment at Jacobs - a company that works on the events like the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, FIFA World Cups, Commonwealth Games and tennis grand slams.
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He has also previously worked as a commercial analyst at Wesfarmers, as well as chief revenue officer at SevenWest Media and a director at LifeLine Australia.
“Beau is a highly accomplished global business leader, decorated professional athlete, and dedicated community champion with a strong focus on challenging the accepted and creating a lasting impact,” Waters LinkedIn profile reads.
“With over 20 years of experience in executive and leadership positions, managing multi-billion-dollar programs, professional sports and advocating for community outcomes, Beau has an exceptional track record of driving growth, building high-performing teams, and delivering outstanding results in the most visible and complex environments.
“Beau’s unique combination of leadership, commercial, community, and athletic experience provides a valuable perspective on legacy building, stakeholder management, strategic development, sustainable growth, and community engagement.”
Beau Waters is the latest name linked to the West Coast chief executive role. Yes
Nisbett has been in the role since 1999 and sits on the board but is set to exit once a candidate is found and it could be as soon as before the New Year.
West Coast have enlisted the help of trusted consultant Lloyd Smith of Gerard Daniels to run the recruiting process which began in September.
There has been no official timeframe on when Nisbett’s successor is set to be announced.
