By Carla Jaeger
The long-term chief executive of Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club has departed the club just weeks after auditors found that poor financial management and reporting were to blame for a $2.4 million loss from the club’s dining operations.
Staff were informed of Chris Brown’s departure on Monday morning, and an announcement to members was sent in the afternoon confirming his exit. His departure comes two weeks after the club’s president, Adam Cossar, resigned from his role. Brown had been CEO of the prestigious tennis venue for more than two decades.
The Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club was once the home of the Australian Open.Credit: Getty Images
He has been contacted for comment.
The email to members, seen by this masthead, announced that Bruce Wilson – a member of the club – had been appointed as interim CEO, effective immediately. The letter did not explain why Brown had departed the club.
“Bruce has worked in a variety of senior leadership and CEO roles across multiple international, multinational, family and entrepreneurial businesses. Bruce also worked as CEO of a group of retail businesses owned by the Smorgon family,” the letter said.
The letter went on to say that the interim president, James Macmillan, had also resigned just days after filling the position following Cossar’s departure.
“Due to increased business commitments, recently appointed Club President James Macmillan, has made the very difficult decision to resign.”
He was replaced by fellow board member Darren O’Loughlin, who was also contacted for comment.
Macmillan remains on the board.
Earlier, three club sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity as the departure had not yet been announced to members, confirmed that Brown had vacated his role.
A club update on February 9 informed members of Cossar’s resignation. It said:
“Adam has recently embarked on a new professional role and believes he no longer has the capacity to fully devote the time and energy required in the role of president of our great club - a position he has held for almost three years.
“Adam feels the time is appropriate for new leadership to take the club into the next phase of its development, and that conclusion his role at this time will afford ample opportunity leading into the 2024 annual general meeting to secure the next generation of club leadership.”
The club called in accounting firm Grant Thornton to review its books in November after it announced a $2.4 million loss from its dining and functions operations, and an overall loss of nearly $1 million – a seven-figure swing from the previous year’s $980,000 profit.
Cossar told members at the time the findings of the review were expected to be handed down in January. In a statement released in February, the board said: “The Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club board today reiterates their previous statements to members that investigations had shown that the loss announced in the annual report and at the annual general meeting had been caused by poor financial management and account reporting. There was no evidence of criminal activity.”
Asked whether these were the findings of the Grant Thornton audit, Cossar said: “Yes, the investigation is in reference to the Grant Thornton review.”
The dent in Kooyong LTC’s dining and functions operations was first recorded in its annual report for the 2023 financial year, and announced to members at its AGM on October 25th.
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