The Western Bulldogs today announced the Club’s Board has unanimously endorsed Peter Gordon as the preferred candidate to succeed David Smorgon as the next President of the Club, following a comprehensive succession planning process.
The endorsement came last night after the Board’s Succession Planning Committee, led by Vice President Ian Veal, recommended that Gordon was the best candidate to succeed Smorgon, due to his exemplary credentials and passion for the Bulldogs.
Watch the media player above as David Smorgon speaks candidly about stepping down as Western Bulldogs president.
Gordon, one of Australia’s leading legal minds, is internationally renowned for his work on numerous landmark cases including successfully achieving the first common law damages verdict against James Hardie and more recently successfully resolving the landmark thalidomide case for Lynette Rowe.
The current Bulldogs number one ticket holder, Bulldogs Hall Of Fame inductee and a former Footscray Football Club President, Gordon has also held a range of positions in recent years on not-for-profit Boards including VicHealth, the Australian Community Centre for Diabetes and Victoria Walks.
A passionate advocate for social justice and community, Gordon - born and bred in the Western Region of Melbourne - is equally passionate about the Bulldogs, supporting the team all of his life.
Gordon’s appointment to the Presidency will be subject to his election to the Board at the Club’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in December.
The Board also unanimously supported the Succession Planning Committee’s recommendation that Susan Alberti succeed Ian Veal as the Club’s Vice President after he stands down from the role and the Board at the upcoming AGM.
Western Bulldog Board Director since 2004, Alberti is a highly successful business woman who is also renowned for her generous patronage of community causes including Juvenile Diabetes.
Managing Director of Dansu Group, National President of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Australia and Board Member of the St. Vincent's Medical Research Institute, Alberti received the Member of the Order of Australia Medal in 1997 for services to the community and diabetes generally.
The Succession Planning Committees’ recommendations were the result of a comprehensive, eight month long, professional process that interviewed and assessed a wide range of high quality candidates.
The Board would like to thank and commend all of those who participated in the process.
In light of the conclusion of the succession planning process Club President, David Smorgon, has announced that he will stand down from the Presidency and the Board at the Club’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in December.
Smorgon made the decision to depart the role 12 months ahead of the conclusion of his final term to ensure the smooth transition of a new President into the role.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone that has been involved with the Bulldogs and assisted the Bulldogs during my time here. It’s been a real team effort,” Smorgon said today.
“Being a part of the Red, White and Blue has been a central part of my life - and while it is sad to depart - I do so with confidence that the Bulldogs have never been better placed to seize the opportunities and tackle the challenges that lay ahead”.
Smorgon said today that he was thrilled that the Board had endorsed Peter Gordon as the preferred candidate to succeed him as President of the Western Bulldogs Football Club.
“Peter Gordon is one of Australia’s best known and respected lawyers and a man with a track record of success in whatever he gets involved in,” Smorgon said.
“He is a man with great and innovative ideas looking at a fresh approach and who is going to add on to the base that has been built.
“We know we have got the right man and we have got a man whose got the track record, the credentials and the passion and love for this Club to do a great job’”.
