New Leadership at the Demons
Just 24 hours after the news broke that the club had dismissed its current chief executive, the Demons have appointed a new leader and provided details about the decision. On Wednesday morning, Dan Taylor, the executive director of Stan, was announced as the replacement for Paul Guerra. Taylor will take up the role later in the year following a transition period at the Australian streaming service, which is owned by Nine, the publisher of this masthead.
In a press conference shortly after, Melbourne Football Club president Steven Smith explained that the board had lost confidence in Guerra’s ability to lead the club, which resulted in a “breakdown of relationships.” He stated that the decision to sack Guerra was unanimous.
“These are not decisions that we take lightly. As a board, we’re here to act in the best long-term interest of the football club,” Smith said. “We’ve shown that we can make hard decisions, and we have done so again in this instance. We do wish Paul all the very best in the future, and sincerely thank him for his contribution.”
Smith mentioned that tensions and concerns had escalated in the last couple of weeks before the board met on Tuesday. He revealed that he had approached Taylor as early as two weeks ago to gauge his interest in the role, and then reached out to Cox to serve as interim CEO once Taylor’s three-month notice period was confirmed.
In an internal email to Stan staff, Taylor expressed his excitement about the opportunity. “The opportunity for me to return home to Victoria, and lead the club that I have supported since I was a child, is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I couldn’t pass up, and a journey my family are extremely excited to embark on,” he said.
Nine’s managing director of streaming and broadcast, Amanda Laing, confirmed Taylor’s departure and expressed her happiness for him. “Seeing our leaders step into such iconic roles outside the media is something we can all be proud of,” she said in an internal email to Stan staff.
The unexpected news of Guerra’s dismissal came on Tuesday afternoon. Brian Cook, former CEO of West Coast, Geelong, and Carlton, will take over as interim CEO. Guerra had only been in the role for seven months, and he told 9News Melbourne that he was “puzzled” by the decision and had engaged lawyers to review the move.
“It’s been a challenging day. I’m puzzled by the decision made by the board today,” he said. “I’m really proud of the team that we’ve put together in a really short period of time and I’m really proud of my role in the success of the club. I have engaged lawyers and there’s not much more I can say at this point.”
Melbourne president Steven Smith released a statement following the decision. “On behalf of Melbourne Football Club, I thank Paul for his contribution to the club and wish him all the best for the future,” Smith said. “Brian is a highly respected operator and with over 35 years of experience in AFL clubs he will provide much needed leadership and guidance through this period. We are pleased that Brian has agreed to step into the role in an interim capacity until a permanent CEO can commence.”
The statement did not clarify the reasons for Guerra’s dismissal. Reports suggested that the board’s decision was unanimous, and players were unaware of the change. Guerra’s reported departure comes after he, head coach Steven King, and footy boss Alan Richardson held a video meeting with around 15 partners of the players in February. The club later admitted the meeting caused distress and issued an apology.
According to SEN, a whistleblower on the call claimed confidentiality had been breached concerning the relationship between Steven May and his partner, Sachi Dade. It was alleged that inappropriate information was shared. May was on personal leave from the club at the time, and police had attended a private residence on January 29 for a welfare check.
The Demons and May parted ways in March when the premiership defender retired. “The meeting sought to provide reassurance of the club’s commitment to supporting the families as well as the playing group,” said a club statement released in April. “Whilst it was not our intent, we acknowledge the meeting has caused distress and for that the club is sorry.”
Wide World of Sports is not suggesting the controversial video meeting and Guerra’s reported departure are related. Guerra was the CEO of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry prior to being appointed as Demons CEO. Wide World of Sports contacted Melbourne for comment regarding the fresh Guerra reports.
