By Jake Niall
Former NAB chief executive Andrew Thorburn did not declare to Essendon that the church he chaired held controversial views that might be a concern for the Bombers before he was hired as chief executive.
And Essendon and their consultant Ernst & Young did not ask Thorburn about the religious views of the City on a Hill church that he chairs – which had included sermons that likened abortion rates to the Holocaust and urged same-sex attracted people to remain celibate – during his period as a candidate for the chief executive role, in what the club privately acknowledges was an oversight given the club’s values.
Andrew Thorburn’s tenure as Essendon CEO was short-lived.Credit: James Alcock
Sources familiar with Thorburn’s resignation situation confirmed that Thorburn, who had been brought to tears on Tuesday during talks about his future with the club, had considered stepping down as chairman of City on a Hill – but decided to resign from the position as Essendon CEO, after only one day, when the club board gave him a choice between those roles.
Essendon sources said that Thorburn had not flagged that his church chairmanship would be an issue before he was hired, while the club leadership and Ernst & Young, their consultant for the CEO search, had not quizzed the ex-NAB boss on the views of City on a Hill during the process of hiring him.
Thorburn’s church’s views on social issues and inclusion had not been the issue for the club, but that holding the leadership position of the church was deemed untenable if he was to be CEO of Essendon. Their position was endorsed by the AFL hierarchy.
The decision, in effect, to force Thorburn to make a choice was made by president David Barham, with the backing of his board. Barham did not feel he needed to consult with the club’s AFLW coach or club sponsors prior to putting this choice to Thorburn because he knew the club’s values were in conflict with the church’s past sermons on homosexuality.
The process for finding a CEO at Essendon had been led by three people in consultation with external advisors – Barham, board member and KPMG and ex-AFL executive Dorothy Hisgrove and Ernst & Young senior executive and ex-head of the Department of Health and Human Services Kym Peake, with Thorburn stepping down from the CEO search once he showed interest in the position. Thorburn had been managing the review of club operations run by Ernst & Young until he took over as CEO.
As the fallout from the Thorburn resignation – which came after his leadership role with City on a Hill was aired on social media and then in the media – continued on Wednesday, Essendon stressed that the club did not have any issue with conservative religious views and that Thorburn’s resignation was caused by a conflict of interest or clash due to his joint leadership positions.
“We have no problem with anyone’s faith or anyone’s religion,” Barham told The Age. “We had a problem with Andrew’s chairman position of the church conflicting with the values of our club. Everyone of all faiths is welcome at Essendon Football Club.”
Essendon’s view was that Thorburn’s membership of the church was not an issue, only his leadership.
Thorburn’s chairman role at City on a Hill had not started until after his tenure as CEO of the NAB had ceased in 2019. He had been heavily criticised, along with NAB chairman Ken Henry, in the Royal Commission into misconduct in the banking and superannuation industry and resigned following the royal commission. In the process, those searching for a CEO had done background checks on Thorburn’s issues in the royal commission and were comfortable it would not be an issue for the club.
Essendon’s joint major sponsor Fujitsu said the company had no discussions with the club prior to Thorburn’s resignation.
“Fujitsu General was made aware of Essendon Football Club’s newly appointed CEO and his subsequent resignation,” said Philip Perham, Fujitsu’s managing director in Australia. “As a co-major partner, at no time was Fujitsu General involved in discussions between the club and Mr Thorburn regarding his appointment or resignation.”
Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.