An advertising wunderkind in the 1990s, Hamish McLennan was skilled at managing up – and finding a soft landing when it all falls apart. After three decades, however, there have been enough disgruntled colleagues left in his wake during his rise to the top that it takes time to find a positive take.

This week, a culmination of long-running instability found McLennan ousted from the board of Rugby Australia, which he had chaired since 2020.