Blues CEO Quits

From Adelaide Now

STURT Football Club is searching for a new chief executive following the resignation of Matt Benson.
Benson, who has been in the role since 2008 and implemented its debt demolition strategy, will leave the club early next month.

He had previously been the Double Blues’ chief executive in 1996-97.

The announcement follows the club’s debt demolition ball last week.

In a media statement, Sturt president Jason Kilic said Benson’s leadership had been instrumental in getting the club back on track.

“The results of that tireless effort are now being realised both on and off the field and we fully understand why Matt feels it is time to move on and explore other opportunities,” Kilic said.

“The success of the debt demolition program to date and several of Matt’s other initiatives has set the club on a positive trajectory.

“On behalf of all the Sturt family I thank him for the pivotal role he has played in turning the club’s fortunes around.”

Kilic said the club would soon advertise for the chief executive’s position but had not set a date to announce a successor.

Benson also played 95 league and reserves games for the Double Blues in the 1980s.

I can understand why he would have had enough.

- Little admin support.
- Sections of the Local media constantly questioning him about the Blues ability to meet their obligations.
- A councillor that has been openly hostile to the club's management and tenure at Unley.

All that would grind you down over time.

I think Jason Kilic might be putting just a tad more positive spin on the position than is perhaps warranted. Yes steps have been made to reduce debt, but there is still a long way to go.

And it is difficult for an asset-poor club like Sturt to resolve that over the short-term.

His head and heart have been in the right place.

As you mentioned Chambo, It grinds you down over time and for your own sanity, sometimes you just have to move away and let the next person improve on what you have started.

You're right about the pressure of course Chambo. Been down a similar road in my younger days and it's very damaging, if you let it get to you. It's not just at Sturt either. This has been a bad year for CEO roadkills in the SANFL. This must make 4 or 5 recently. I know Sturt are taking a good, hard look at their whole administrative structure, to see if there are more appropriate formulas to meet the challenges facing clubs in this competition. Interesting times ahead.

Not sure that now is the right time for Benson to move on, although I can understand that he would likely be pretty well burnt out by the way he has been treated and muckraked in the media at every opportunity. Sturt have some very big challenges in front of them and I suspect this news could not have come at a worse time for the club.

Ben W wrote:Not sure that now is the right time for Benson to move on, although I can understand that he would likely be pretty well burnt out by the way he has been treated and muckraked in the media at every opportunity. Sturt have some very big challenges in front of them and I suspect this news could not have come at a worse time for the club.

My previous post kind of landed at the same moment as yours. So I'll clarify it a bit. It's actually not such a bad time as it seems. I was at a meeting last night, at which this was announced, and the path ahead was also discussed. Several of the initiatives which Matt set up are ongoing. Particularly the debt demolition. The board is very proactive in all areas, and there are people within the club who are now taking responsibility for these initiatives.

There is never going to be a good time for a CEO to leave whilst the financial situation remains tenuous at best. But as CC mentions, the debt situation has a management structure in place.

I say tenuous, as for the short term things would seem to be on an even keel. Operational debts are getting paid and the club is trading without grave clouds overhead at present. The period from now on is always the tightest from a cash flow perspective until the season kicks in once again.

But for the longer term, until the club can find a solid asset base, difficulty will never be far away.

Certainly the reality that faces Sturt, but not remote to other clubs even with a more tangible asset base.

Anyway good luck to Matt.

I think he came to Sturt (mark 2) from a career in Real Estate. Perhaps that is one option he may go back to.