Essendon land West Coast football manager Craig Vozzo as CEO
Essendon has settled on its new CEO after Andrew Thorburn’s one-day stint, appointing former West Coast executive Craig Vozzo, completing a list of sweeping changes across the club.
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Essendon is confident the appointment of new chief executive Craig Vozzo will help the club focus more on achieving its football objectives.
The Bombers on Thursday confirmed they had appointed West Coast legal and strategy boss Craig Vozzo to lead the club alongside new senior coach Brad Scott.
Vozzo is highly-respected within the AFL industry after helping lead the Eagles to the 2018 premiership as football boss and previously as list manager.
The appointment helps Essendon turn the page on the embarrassing saga involving Andrew Thorburn who served as CEO for one day before he walked away over his leadership role at a controversial church group.
A former lawyer, Essendon believes Vozzo’s experience and success running a football program is a perfect fit for the club as it strives to rise up the ladder after 18 years without a finals win.
He will start work in January after beating former North Melbourne chief executive Carl Dilena for the job as part of a thorough process run by recruiting firm Maritana Partners.
“Craig is a terrific person who understands what’s required to build a strong and successful football club,’’ President David Barham said.
“His experience in delivering football results and driving a high-performance environment was a key factor in his appointment as our next CEO.
“He is a well-rounded individual with diverse experience and background. He has strong personal values and a track record in leading and developing people to achieve strategic goals.
“The external review stated we need to focus more on our core business of football and with Craig, we have someone with proven results in that area.
“He is a well-respected person within the AFL industry and has impressed with his ability to lead and develop people to be their best.
“We look forward to Craig starting with us in the New Year for what is an exciting time for the Essendon Football Club.”
Essendon has undergone massive change in the off-season since CEO Xavier Campbell walked over the sacking of Ben Rutten late in the season.
The Bombers missed on Alastair Clarkson but are delighted with the early signs under Scott.
The Bombers have since elected a new president, David Barham, new football director, Andrew Welsh, new senior coach Scott, head of high performance Dan McPherson and head of development Cam Roberts.
Vozzo said he was thrilled to accept the role after a long stint at West Coast.
“I am incredibly honoured to be given this opportunity to join the Essendon Football Club. This Club has a rich and proud history and I feel privileged to be able to lead us into what is a very exciting future for the club,” Vozzo said.
“I look forward to building relationships across the club and working closely with the board, Brad Scott and the executive team.”
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