By Equestrian Life
Equestrian Australia has announced the current head of Athletics Australia will be its new CEO.
After several years of uncertainty, the organisation said it hopes its rebuild will be helped by the appointment of experienced sporting administrator Darran Gocher.
Darren Gocher has spent the past four years as CEO of Athletics Australia and will take over the reins at EA from Monday with his first term to last until December 2022.
According to an EA media release, Mr Gocher has also held several senior management roles with News Corp, KPMG, and Yahoo.
In the release, Equestrian Australia Chair Mark Bradley described Mr Gocher’s appointment as a “significant coup” for the sport as the Board sought to put the national body back on a strong footing.
“It speaks volumes for the standing of our sport that we can attract someone of Darren’s calibre and experience as we focus on continuing to stabilise and strengthen our position on behalf of the equestrian community”, he said.
“Given where the sport has come from in recent years, our members don’t just want change, they’re demanding it”, he said.
“Darren’s track record of leading organisations to be financially strong and sustainable, with the right risk and governance frameworks in place, makes him the right person for this time”.
“That means working to a strategy that has the organisation running efficiently and effectively, while creating a value proposition that sustains and grows equestrian for the longer term”, he said.
Mr Gocher said he was looking forward to helping shape an exciting new chapter for the sport.
“The new-look Board has done a tremendous job of steadying the ship and setting the markers for the way ahead. At the heart of it for me will be re-establishing and advancing the sport’s fundamentals – commercially and operationally – which includes continuing to develop a culture of safety, health and wellbeing. Given the appetite for change, we can get there if we as a sport work together with an open mind and with a focus on the collective good.”
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