Brisbane Broncos CEO: Ben Ikin applies for to replace Paul White
Ben Ikin has revealed why he is the man to make the Broncos great again after formally applying to become the club’s next chief executive officer.
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Ben Ikin has outlined the reasons why he can help make the Broncos great again after formally applying to become the Brisbane NRL club‘s next chief executive officer.
Ikin on Monday lodged an application to replace Paul White as Broncos CEO after the role was advertised.
A member of the Broncos’ 2000 premiership team, Ikin has extensive administration experience and is a respected media commentator.
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The Broncos are currently mired in one of the worst form slumps of the club‘s 32-year history and are sitting 15th on the NRL ladder with one win from their past 11 games.
Coach Anthony Seibold is facing the axe and White will depart in October following a decade as CEO.
Ikin has spoken to chairman Karl Morris about his desire to become CEO and the 43-year-old father-of-four believes he has the skill set to step into the furnace at Red Hill and spark a Broncos revival.
“I’m confident I can do the job but there will be some very impressive resumes that come in,” Ikin said.
“While I’d love to get the job, more than anything I want to see someone land in the role that can get the Broncos back to their best.
“I don’t expect or want an easy path. I wanted to be tested against other quality candidates and will be in there with a million other dreamers.
“I just want the Broncos to end up with the best candidate. I hope that’s me, but if it’s not I hope they get someone that can do a really good job.”
Ikin played 150 first grade games for Gold Coast, North Sydney and Brisbane, including a 55-game stint at the Broncos from 2000-04.
The 17-game Queensland Origin representative has gone on to forge a successful career in administration and media, currently hosting Fox League magazine show NRL360.
Ikin was on the board of the North Queensland Cowboys for three years and is currently a director of the Queensland Rugby League.
He said he was suitably experienced for the Broncos‘ CEO role following numerous roles in commercial businesses and rugby league.
“I’ve got a commercial background in sales and marketing and in the construction industry in senior commercial roles,” he said.
“I was GM of commercial at the Gold Coast Titans so I know and understand the commercial drivers of an NRL club.
“I understand as a publicly listed company, there are going to be some gaps in my skill set, but I’m confident from an industry perspective I know and understand both sides of the business extremely well.
“From the moment I walked through the doors in Brisbane, and got a feel for the culture and how they went about their business, I knew I was part of something special. That’s what’s defined the club for a long period of time.
“I wasn’t around to see it but you hear the stories about the standards ‘Porky’ (Paul) Morgan and the founders expected of the place and how Wayne Bennett built that football program.
“That’s still in the walls there. I know they’re struggling but this is a club that’s famous around the world.”
The Broncos are hoping to secure a new CEO by the end of September to replace White when his contract expires on October 31.
There could potentially be a huge changing of the guard at Red Hill if Seibold is also shown the door, but Ikin said he could not decide if the coach was the sole problem at the club.
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“The truth of it is until you get inside the four walls and have a really close look at how the business is operating it’s hard to make a really strong assessment,” he said.
“Talking as the host of a magazine show is very different to making an assessment as the potential CEO.
“You go in, have a look around, talk to everyone who works in the football department, including the coach, ask tough questions and have tough conversations. Only then can you make a real judgement.
“What you thought was the coach’s problem might actually be an issue somewhere else in that system.”