Race is on for successor of Bulls chief Barend van Graan
The process of appointing a new CEO for the Blue Bulls Company is currently in the final phase.
By now, it is well known that the Blue Bulls Company’s veteran Chief Executive Officer, Barend van Graan, will retire by the end of January 2019.
Rekord has since learned that the process of appointing a successor for Van Graan is already in an advanced stage.
After the position was widely advertised, the company apparently received many applications from all over the country.
Meanwhile a professional personnel agency had been appointed to sift the candidates and a shortlist has already been submitted to the board of directors, who wants to appoint a new CEO as soon as possible so that Van Graan can show him the ropes until the end of January.
South African rugby is currently on the eve of a phase of renewal and change and this will, according to all indications, be a decisive and challenging process to prepare for the future. Changes must be made and new management and operational models must be implemented throughout the spectrum to enable South African rugby unions to survive in the challenging circumstances which has arisen in recent years.
Against this background, the appointment of a new CEO for the Blue Bulls Company (BBC) will therefore be crucial in terms of survival and success in the future.
The management of the Blue Bulls Rugby Union (BBRU), which owns 50% of the BBC, has been largely renewed since November last year. In this regard, the Blue Bulls probably have a huge advantage over other unions since the new management features younger dynamic leaders who have already proven that they understand the challenges of rugby in a new era.
In addition, they are led by the new president of the union and chairman of the BBC’s board of directors, Willem Strauss, probably the most progressive rugby brain among South African rugby administrators today.
It can therefore be assumed that with the choice of a new CEO for the BBC, a man will be sought who – apart from the obvious qualities with regards to administration, business management and rugby knowledge – also has the right visionary ability to be able to play a leadership role regarding the future of SA rugby.
Two of the men who, according to general speculations earlier in the process, were forerunners in the race for this position, have both indicated that they are not available. They are CEO of Titans Cricket Jacques Faul, and former CEO of Varsity Sport, Duitser Bosman.
According to indications a few younger candidates were also interested in this position. Among them were men like the BBC’s current High-Performance Manager, Xander Janse van Rensburg; the BBC’ current Commercial Manager, Malcolm Drysdale; and the well-known attorney and player agent, Gert van der Merwe.
However, it is unlikely that any of them will be on the shortlist, mainly due to a lack of experience on one or more of the core requirements.
A few more experienced men who, according to indications, will get on the shortlist are Pieter Burger, currently the CEO of the Pumas in Nelspruit; Arni van Rooyen, currently the CEO of Griquas in Kimberley; and Dr. Eugene Hare, CEO of the BBRU.
It is also possible that some surprising candidates’ names could appear on the shortlist and there is even speculation that high-profile administrators of at least two other Super Rugby franchises could join the race.
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