News Dale Dickson CEO ??

[CoastBhoy]

AFL job lure for council bossGeoff Chambers

January 5th, 2009

COUNCIL boss Dale Dickson could face a revolt this year if he does not commit his long-term future to the organisation.

City councillors are growing tired of speculation about whether Mr Dickson will take on the role of chief executive with the Gold Coast AFL team.

Mr Dickson recently spent two weeks in Melbourne for a local government forum, where he took time out to speak with AFL stakeholders about the highly coveted Gold Coast CEO role.

The growing speculation has spilled over, with some councillors pushing for an early call for job applications for the role.

City finance boss Cr Eddy Sarroff said the CEO job was up for review this year and that Mr Dickson could re-apply for the $300,000- plus a year role.

"I've had my differences with the CEO but council has to determine when his contract is due," said Cr Sarroff.

"That might mean a consideration of the position and a look at when it is the right time to advertise it. If council wants to pursue this avenue, that does not preclude the CEO from applying for the job."

Surfers Paradise councillor Susie Douglas said the city was abuzz with speculation that Mr Dickson was the frontrunner to lead the new Gold Coast AFL team.

"The CEO's job at the Gold Coast City Council is not an easy role," said Cr Douglas.

"There is so much politics involved and it makes it a difficult position. I'm sure whatever position Mr Dickson takes up he'd be successful at it.

"But I think it would be helpful if he makes his position clear to the current council to ensure that we have continuity."

Mayor Ron Clarke said he was unfazed by 'speculation' surrounding Mr Dickson's future.

Cr Clarke, 71, said he thought Mr Dickson would make a 'fantastic' chief executive for the new Gold Coast team.

"I think he is an excellent CEO and one of the best I've ever worked with, and I've seen a few in my time," he said.

"I've encouraged him to apply for the AFL job, which perfectly suits his background as a player and his overall knowledge about football."

He said he would love Mr Dickson, a former Melbourne Demons and Brisbane Bears player, to remain at the council.

"I'd be very content for him to stay here as long as he can, but that is his choice to make," he said.

Cr Clarke has rejected an early push to advertise the position before the annual review of the role.

Mr Dickson sat on the GC17 bid team and is believed to be on a shortlist of candidates to take on the CEO's role at the Gold Coast Football Club

 

[GC17Flag]

I read this and find it very strange that the CEO of a local council would even be considered for a job as an AFL CEO, if the CEO of Brisbane City Council wanted the Lions CEO job he would not get a look in. If the CEO of Melbourne City Council wanted the Collingwood job he would not get a look in. So why are we going to end up with a council CEO who played a few games 20 years ago.
If our new footy Club starts up without experience in all senior positions it will take much longer to be competitive.
How do we go from Brian Cooke of Geelong to Dale Dixon.
Is there no one else in the AFL system that wants the job of CEO of GC17?
This is looking like an inside job for one of the boys and frankly its dissapointing that we would start off in this way.
We have recruited well in McKenna, Clayton and Ashcroft but this is a joke we dont need to have a CEO in training and certainly not one who has no experience in the real world of commercial business.
I still cant believe that he would even be considered for this job!

 

[POBT]

Sorry to intrude on your board.

I would have thought that the biggest risk is the lack of experience in football administration. His footy playing days might help though.

A council CEO would have a bigger budget than many corporate entities. Certainly, Dickson's financial responsibilities would be greater than any footy club CEO. In fact, I can actually see some synergy between a council CEO and a football club CEO. Neither is necessarily concerned with profits as their organisations have a non-financial purpose. Despite that, both types of organisations are, in the modern world, run in the same way as a corporate entity. A CEO is not the mayor - it is an executive level position and the skills of those in such roles, particularly for big councils like the Gold Coast, are the same as the skills required of any senior executive.

I can't comment on whether he would be a good selection but I wouldn't necessarily be scared off by his resume. Yep - someone like Brian Cook has the experience in running a footy club which would obviously be a huge advantage but Dickson would bring advantages too - knowledge of the local market and a close connection with the council. Not too bad as an option, I would have thought.

 

[CoastBhoy]

I read this and find it very strange that the CEO of a local council would even be considered for a job as an AFL CEO, if the CEO of Brisbane City Council wanted the Lions CEO job he would not get a look in. If the CEO of Melbourne City Council wanted the Collingwood job he would not get a look in. So why are we going to end up with a council CEO who played a few games 20 years ago.
If our new footy Club starts up without experience in all senior positions it will take much longer to be competitive.
How do we go from Brian Cooke of Geelong to Dale Dixon.
Is there no one else in the AFL system that wants the job of CEO of GC17?
This is looking like an inside job for one of the boys and frankly its dissapointing that we would start off in this way.
We have recruited well in McKenna, Clayton and Ashcroft but this is a joke we dont need to have a CEO in training and certainly not one who has no experience in the real world of commercial business.
I still cant believe that he would even be considered for this job!

Not bad for your first post , welcome aboard .

Yes a Brian Cook type would be the preferred option , but i dare say Witheriff and co have done a exhaustive search and if Dickson is the best option so be it.

 

[GC17Flag]

Thanks for the welcome CoastBhoy

It can hardly be described as an exhaustive search if they give it to a member of the GC17 bid team who appears to have access to a PR machine when he needs it through another member of the bid team at the Bulletin.
He has a big head start when Ron comes out every few weeks and supports him in getting the job, I cant believe that the other GCCC councillors are putting up with this as he is supposed to be running a large & growing council, but with one eye on another job and openly promoting himself for the job, how does that work, doesn’t he have a contract at the council.
There must be others being considered through the 'exhaustive search' but they can’t put it in the Bulletin that they have applied for such a profiled position, but he can openly promote himself with the support of his boss.
This is very unusual, no experience in the industry other than playing AFL a long time ago and yet he is a shoe in; this is not a good start to the way things should be run at the club.
I will say it again, he would not get a job as an AFL CEO with any other club, and sorry the local knowledge is not doing it for me either. Yes that is useful, but not enough.
Sorry but it smells even more the more I think about it, I am a local maybe I should apply if that’s all you need.
There must be sports administrators out there who would bring knowledge to this job, but how can they apply when it is seen to be a closed process and someone already has the job, I wouldn’t be applying if I thought I had no chance at the job.
This process is not good and it looks like very much an inside job, and one for the boys, which is disappointing.
The bid team should ban Dixon from the process if they have any integrity as the process has been significantly compromised already by the public self promotion of Dixon and support of his boss.
This would not pass the integrity test of any company looking for a new CEO and is preventing any good candidates from applying for this job. If Dixon re signed as GCCC CEO tomorrow we would be flooded by high quality applicants for this job.