- Banned
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MEDIA STATEMENT FROM THE AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE
FORMER St Kilda CEO and director Jim Watts has been appointed as a consultant to the AFL with the initial responsibility of working part time with the Carlton Football Club to help Carlton.
Mr Watts, 51, who played a significant role in the turnaround of the St Kilda Football Club as both an off-field and on-field force, will work closely with Carlton President Graham Smorgon and Chief Executive Officer Michael Malouf.
AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou said Mr Watts was an experienced and successful football executive who was respected by the industry for his strategic thinking and hard work.
Between October 2000 until July 2006, Jim held the roles of Director, Vice President or CEO of the St Kilda Football Club. In that time he drove considerable cultural change through the organisation and the club enjoyed a remarkable financial turnaround to become one of the most respected models in AFL Football.
“We are really excited that Jim has taken on this role because we want Carlton to return to a healthy off-field and on-field position as soon as possible,” Mr Demetriou said.
“Michael and his team are working extremely hard to turn around Carlton and we think the addition of Jim and his extensive football and business expertise, will quicken that process.”
Mr Demetriou said the appointment of Jim Watts followed the AFL Commission’s recent announcement of an assistance package, which comprised a $1.5 million interest-free loan and provision of a $500,000 grant from the Annual Special Distribution funding toward the maintenance of MC Labour Park.
As part of the overall package, AFL Commissioner Mike Fitzpatrick is also sitting as an observer in Carlton board meetings.
Carlton CEO Michael Malouf said he was looking forward to welcoming Jim Watts in his role with Carlton.
“The club has taken many decisions in recent years to set up the building blocks for its turnaround, however there is still much work to be done. To have someone of Jim’s calibre, who has been through similar circumstances, assisting the club in these challenging times will be of great benefit and will accelerate the turnaround,” Mr Malouf said.
The club welcomes this assistance as part of the AFL’s overall support and is also currently in discussions with the AFL on shared service opportunity.”
“Jim has extensive business experience and importantly he has a thorough knowledge of our industry and his experience in the AFL will provide Carlton with a very valuable resource to assist in our objective to return the Carlton Football Club to a healthy and strong position both on and off the field.”
Before working at St Kilda, Mr Watts, who has an Honours Degree in Economics and post-graduate degrees in Mathematics and Physical Education, founded a human resource consulting firm, Hamilton Watts International in London in 1984. He drove the expansion of the company into a multi-national organisation with offices in Europe, Indonesia, Singapore, Canada, Hong Kong, New Zealand, USA and Australia before selling the company to global listed company, Cendant Corporation in 2000.
He also worked in the United States managing a series of Health Clubs and also worked as European Sales Manager for a UK-based telecommunications company undergoing a phase of massive growth and cultural change.
ENDS
Patrick Keane
AFL Media Manager
======================
A great move by the Blues and the AFL.
It's going to take a big effort from everyone involved to save Carlton - well done to Jim for sticking his hand up to help.
FORMER St Kilda CEO and director Jim Watts has been appointed as a consultant to the AFL with the initial responsibility of working part time with the Carlton Football Club to help Carlton.
Mr Watts, 51, who played a significant role in the turnaround of the St Kilda Football Club as both an off-field and on-field force, will work closely with Carlton President Graham Smorgon and Chief Executive Officer Michael Malouf.
AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou said Mr Watts was an experienced and successful football executive who was respected by the industry for his strategic thinking and hard work.
Between October 2000 until July 2006, Jim held the roles of Director, Vice President or CEO of the St Kilda Football Club. In that time he drove considerable cultural change through the organisation and the club enjoyed a remarkable financial turnaround to become one of the most respected models in AFL Football.
“We are really excited that Jim has taken on this role because we want Carlton to return to a healthy off-field and on-field position as soon as possible,” Mr Demetriou said.
“Michael and his team are working extremely hard to turn around Carlton and we think the addition of Jim and his extensive football and business expertise, will quicken that process.”
Mr Demetriou said the appointment of Jim Watts followed the AFL Commission’s recent announcement of an assistance package, which comprised a $1.5 million interest-free loan and provision of a $500,000 grant from the Annual Special Distribution funding toward the maintenance of MC Labour Park.
As part of the overall package, AFL Commissioner Mike Fitzpatrick is also sitting as an observer in Carlton board meetings.
Carlton CEO Michael Malouf said he was looking forward to welcoming Jim Watts in his role with Carlton.
“The club has taken many decisions in recent years to set up the building blocks for its turnaround, however there is still much work to be done. To have someone of Jim’s calibre, who has been through similar circumstances, assisting the club in these challenging times will be of great benefit and will accelerate the turnaround,” Mr Malouf said.
The club welcomes this assistance as part of the AFL’s overall support and is also currently in discussions with the AFL on shared service opportunity.”
“Jim has extensive business experience and importantly he has a thorough knowledge of our industry and his experience in the AFL will provide Carlton with a very valuable resource to assist in our objective to return the Carlton Football Club to a healthy and strong position both on and off the field.”
Before working at St Kilda, Mr Watts, who has an Honours Degree in Economics and post-graduate degrees in Mathematics and Physical Education, founded a human resource consulting firm, Hamilton Watts International in London in 1984. He drove the expansion of the company into a multi-national organisation with offices in Europe, Indonesia, Singapore, Canada, Hong Kong, New Zealand, USA and Australia before selling the company to global listed company, Cendant Corporation in 2000.
He also worked in the United States managing a series of Health Clubs and also worked as European Sales Manager for a UK-based telecommunications company undergoing a phase of massive growth and cultural change.
ENDS
Patrick Keane
AFL Media Manager
======================
A great move by the Blues and the AFL.
It's going to take a big effort from everyone involved to save Carlton - well done to Jim for sticking his hand up to help.
