Michael Hawker's return strengthens John O'Neill's hold
Bret Harris | June 11, 2009
Article from: The Australian
JOHN O'Neill has made it pretty clear he would not have been removed as ARU chief executive in 2003 if Michael Hawker had remained on the board.
“I can't suggest this definitively, but I do suspect that if Hawker had stayed on the board throughout 2003 a lot of the mischief that surrounded me and eventually led to my departure would not have been allowed to happen,'' O'Neill said in his autobiography “It's Only A Game”.
“He would not have tolerated men behaving badly and would have ensured that the riot act was read behind closed doors.”
So it came as no surprise when O'Neill, who returned to the ARU CEO's job in 2007, announced last Friday that Hawker, the former Wallabies centre, was re-joining the board as a replacement for outgoing independent director Bob Dalziel.
O'Neill originally approached Hawker to join the ARU board in 2001 to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of then chairman David Clarke.
Like O'Neill himself, Hawker was a banker, working for Westpac at the time.
In his book O'Neill enthused about Hawker's contribution to the ARU, describing him as “one of the best directors the ARU has ever had”.
“I found him to be a wonderful contributor to the ARU's business,” O'Neill wrote. “He had gravitas: when he spoke the rest of the board listened. He also had a sense of balance, especially on financial matters, which I found invaluable.”
O'Neill further claims that former ARU chairman Bob Tuckey was largely responsible for removing Hawker from the board in 2003, mainly because his busy business life prevented him from attending all of the board meetings.
Hawker, who resigned as IAG CEO last year, is now dividing his time between Sydney and London, but O'Neill does not see that as a problem.
In fact, with the IRB based in Dublin, O'Neill sees it is an advantage to have an ARU director based in the UK for last least half of the year.
Whether or not O'Neill would need Hawker on the board as a political minder now is doubtful.
The majority of the current board is regarded as pro-O'Neill and he would seem to be in an unassailable position.
But as occurred during O'Neill's first term in office, there is always the potential for the composition of the board to change, and change quickly.
It does not take long for a political storm to brew in Australian rugby and no one would be more aware of that than O'Neill.
In this scenario, O'Neill would obviously feel more comfortable and relaxed with Hawker on the board.
Whatever the political significance of Hawker's return to the ARU, there no doubt that he is a superb appointment.
No one else on the board has the experience and knowledge of both the rugby and corporate worlds that Hawker possesses.
It is this unique combination that makes Hawker such a valuable asset and he is certain to contribute greatly to the ARU, especially in these difficult economic times.
While Hawker was a first-rate choice, it is disappointing that the ARU is still without female representation on the board.
Both the AFL and the NRL have female directors, but the ARU is still a men's club.
Even the NSW Rugby Union has beaten the ARU to the punch, appointing respected broadcaster Sally Loane to the board last year.
Perhaps when the term of the ARU's other independent director, Rick Lee, is up, O'Neill may look to appoint a female board member.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...015651,00.html
