Luke Sayers’ Carlton presidency under a cloud amid lewd photo scandal
Luke Sayers has gone to ground overseas, with his role as Carlton president under a cloud over a lewd photo which was sent from his social media account.
AFL
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Carlton boss Luke Sayers’ tenure as club president is under a cloud after a “dick pic” was sent from his social media account.
The lewd image was publicly posted alongside the name of a senior female executive at health insurer Bupa, which sponsors the Blues, on Sayers’ X account last week.
Sayers says the post was the result of a hack.
The executive who was named in the social media post returned to work this week.
Bupa’s acting managing director Kate Williams, who was not the person named in the post, has been personally overseeing the company’s response to the incident.
The family of the female executive is said to be furious that she has been dragged into the mess.
One insider close to the situation said the former PwC boss might have to stand down as Blues president if he’s unable to provide a satisfactory explanation to what happened.
Bupa is in the final year of a bumper three-year commercial sponsorship deal with Carlton.
Mr Sayers last week declared that he would leave “no stone unturned” to find out how his X account had been “hacked”.
But Mr Sayers has since gone to ground in Italy, failing to return calls from his colleagues or clients at his private firm, Sayers Group.
The Blues boss has not returned messages from the Herald Sun, including being asked whether the nude image posted last week was of him.
His mobile phone has been disconnected and his social media account shut down.
The AFL, Carlton and Bupa are yet to publicly address the scandal.
All three were approached again for comment on Wednesday.
One industry figure said “at this stage” the situation was a “personal matter for those involved”.
Mr Sayers was on a skiing holiday in Italy’s alps with his wife Cate, their four daughters and some friends when the image was sent.
Cate Sayers spends extended periods in Italy, and was away for up to nine months during 2024.
The couple recently sold their Melbourne home, with the property listed for $16.5 million in October.
Cyber security expert Susan McLean has said it was unusual that Mr Sayers was still able to access his social media account after it was hacked, saying it was likely done by someone who had access to his passwords.
Mr Sayers has links to a number of high net worth individuals across Melbourne’s elite society.
Some of the prominent female businesswomen in his circle were hoping for a full and transparent investigation into how the image was posted.
Mr Sayers has only one more year to run on his term as president at Carlton after seeking approval for an extension to his tenure beyond the standard maximum just last year.
Mr Sayers’ incident comes ahead of the Run for Respect sponsored by Bupa on February 2.
Women’s rights advocate Patty Kinnersly, the head of domestic violence charity Our Watch, sits alongside Sayers on the Carlton board.
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