Don Argus to make a play for the presidency

[Demon Head 299]

Don Argus is the current chairman of BHP Billiton and Brambles. He has been CEO of NAB. Reported on 3AW that he might stand for President.

[Yencks 8]

would he be more of a CEO or a president?

i would still love a bloke like stynes to be pres

does this bloke work full time, travel a lot, or

HAVE ALOT OF PASSION, willing to maybe put a bit of $$$ into the club if needed, not have any interest in moving or selling home games interstate and had any experiance at all been on an AFL board

then he can have the job

[Redleg 42,078]

  Nugget Jones said:

i would still love a bloke like stynes to be pres

NO, no no no no,no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[AdrianOB 0]

Imagine if Jim couldn't turn it around. How would you feel bagging out a favourite son, or doing what had to be done to Ian Ridley.

I love the big Jimmy and he is a fantastic motivational speakerbut does he have the credentials and the guts to dowhat is necessary to get this ship sailing again.

If Argus is keen, I'm prepared to listen (would still love to see Ron Walker do it though)

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

If Don Argus has the time, focus and the passion, then he would make a very good president. He is not nicknamed "Dont Argue" for his soft demeanour. His contacts and influence in the business and corporate world are first class. Ethically he leaves Gutnick and Pratt for dead.

I love Jimmy Stynes but while meanders about will I or wont I, I worry about whether he has the drive for it. His charity work is good. But I want someone hard nosed financially to make the really hard and tough decisions and be able to stare down the AFL when necessary without flinching. If it is true that Argus would run then I would support him.

[deanox 10,060]

i would vote for argus. as long as he is not trying to disrupt the current board. because im not sure about offield disruption...

[Jarka 767]

  Rhino Richards said:

If Don Argus has the time, focus and the passion, then he would make a very good president. He is not nicknamed "Dont Argue" for his soft demeanour. His contacts and influence in the business and corporate world are first class. Ethically he leaves Gutnick and Pratt for dead.

I love Jimmy Stynes but while meanders about will I or wont I, I worry about whether he has the drive for it. His charity work is good. But I want someone hard nosed financially to make the really hard and tough decisions and be able to stare down the AFL when necessary without flinching. If it is true that Argus would run then I would support him.

Agreed RR.

Reach Youth is an impressive outfit however in comparison to BHP it might as well be one of those sausage sizzle stalls out the front of a Bunnings.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

  Jarka said:

Agreed RR.

Reach Youth is an impressive outfit however in comparison to BHP it might as well be one of those sausage sizzle stalls out the front of a Bunnings.

I am concerned if BHP makes a takeover for Rio Tinto then his time will be limited.

And Deanox, if Argus is in the chair it is naive to think he would not drive some changes at Board level.

[Gorgoroth 13,194]

I'd love Jimmy on the board, a hard nosed bloke (or women) who runs BHP would be a great plus for the club.

[Adzman 2,154]

Would Argus REALLY consider the role?? He is a BIG game player, could only do good things IF his heart was in it.

As for Jim, he is a pretty smart guy. I had the pleasure of speking with him last year, very smart man, well presented and is DEEs to the bone. Argus has much better connections, which we could use at our club.

[Jaded No More 68,976]

We need people on the board who have a business background.

While Jimmy is a passionate Dees man and while he does fantastic work in his field, I think he may lack the business know-how that I believe our next president should have.

We are in a huge spot of bother off the field (and on ), so we need as many experienced heads on the board as we could possibly get.

[Mousey 47]

Thought id post a picture to put a face to all the discussions, i dont know much about this side of things but dude seems like he has the credentials and connections AND the MONEY to really get us going and make Pratt and others look like nothing!!!!

[QueenC 74]

For what its worth......

DON ARGUS

Conversation with Don Argus

[Yencks 8]

wowser thanks queenC...i just hope he is passionate about melbourne and does not want us going in the wrong direction

[deanox 10,060]

  Rhino Richards said:

And Deanox, if Argus is in the chair it is naive to think he would not drive some changes at Board level.

i've got no doubt he will. im sure he would bring his own people.

what i would like to see however is that PG and the current board recognise he is a big player and work with him to organise a smooth transition, rather than a blood spill.

im not saying i wouldnt vote for him. just that i consider what it would do to us first.

[Guest fatty]

I hate banks.

He'll probably start charging us transaction fees everytime we swipe our membership cards at the gate!!

[jacey 333]

  Nugget Jones said:

wowser thanks queenC...i just hope he is passionate about melbourne and does not want us going in the wrong direction

Anyone who takes the chairman role/president role do it for the love of the club.

They spend plenty of their own time and money and it is for the love of the club.

Don Argus. I'll be interested in your vision of where u see MFC.

[beelzebub 23,392]

hmm...wonder if the Big Australian has a few bucks spare in petty cash for a little sponsorship !! :)

[mo64 5,886]

  Rhino Richards said:

If Don Argus has the time, focus and the passion, then he would make a very good president. He is not nicknamed "Dont Argue" for his soft demeanour. His contacts and influence in the business and corporate world are first class. Ethically he leaves Gutnick and Pratt for dead.

I love Jimmy Stynes but while meanders about will I or wont I, I worry about whether he has the drive for it. His charity work is good. But I want someone hard nosed financially to make the really hard and tough decisions and be able to stare down the AFL when necessary without flinching. If it is true that Argus would run then I would support him.

Rhino, in a previous post you vehemently argued that AFL football is like no other industry. So how does Argus' CV have any relevance to his ability to run a football club?

[beelzebub 23,392]

  fatty said:

I hate banks.

you might hate Banks...but they have this funny habit of making money and remaining solvent ( well most )

What someone like Argus doesnt know about running a buisness simply isnt worth knowing. The mind simply boggles as to what he could bring to our little club

I might have to go lay down..head getting giddy !! lol

[beelzebub 23,392]

Very happy for Jimma to jump on board . I feel he might actually prefer a directors role where he can do the good he can unencumbered by the presidency.

[w00dy 146]

  mo64 said:

Rhino, in a previous post you vehemently argued that AFL football is like no other industry. So how does Argus' CV have any relevance to his ability to run a football club?

you're talking about CEO... it's different to president... CEO oversees the day to day running of the club... president overseas the direction of the club in general, and along with the board appoints a CEO to run the club as he sees fit... the president himself doesn't run the club...

so he wouldn't be running the football club, bob pratt doesn't run carlton... but his skills would bring a lot to the board, and could help the club move forward... he would definately be our highest credentialed president in a long time...

one of those articles says he's a brisbanite... does he follow melbourne? would it be an issue for him to be president from brisbane?

and as for money he could bring in, he couldn't bring what pratt did for carlto... while his wage would be very handy, from what I can tell he a high net worth individual as in he owns companies... he just gets paid lots because he's very good at what he does... might be able to fundraise for the club the way pratt did though...

[Rogue 585]

  deanox said:

what i would like to see however is that PG and the current board recognise he is a big player and work with him to organise a smooth transition, rather than a blood spill.

I agree. That said, often these things are easier said than done.

PS. Just read that he's a "sports-loving Brisbanite" Anyhow, the second link that QueenC provided - Conversation with a Chairman - gives some insight into Argus' character. It sounds like he's community minded, and Argus mentions that if he left the world of big business he'd look to contribute to the community. Perhaps being the President is something that'd be down his alley.

  Quote

"Board and management should never forget that they are the stewards of someone else's money."

This is a good attitude for our next President to have.

[astrodee 0]

If DA started barracking for us when he was a lad, it is unlikely his allegiance changed to the bears/lions. If he is a genuine supporter of the demons and has attended as many games as his schedule allowed, then great. If he chose his game of golf above watching his "beloved" demons play, then I'd be a little concerned, unless that game was a business need.

When I was a lad I worked closely with Pratt, when his father ran the company and he was the Sales and factory manager. Visy Board paid well above the odds for a graphic artist, but Dick reckoned he owned you. When the Production manager was two days into his honeymoon he was recalled to work and he was to take the 1st plane back - or not to bother coming back. I was called in at 3.45am one Sunday morning to greet Dick and some Dunlop blokes who'd been out on the town, and had to put their wants into pictures for the outside of boxes they were going to order for their batteries. They paid well, but got your blood - the golden handcuffs. A smart entrepreneur.

Argus, on the other hand, didn't inherit his father's company. He worked his way up the food chain with brains, guile, and a great way with people. He changed the culture of organizations. I was at that time an organizational cultural change consultant and worked at a company he was running. The man knows how to create a new organizational culture.

Our greatest need is organizational culture change.

We are no longer in need of the genteel culture of amateurism. We were a successful club when we could offer players inducements like Melbourne High (where Bill Woodfull was principal) and MCC memberships. But then along came professionalism and ever since then we have endured 4 decades of poverty and ineptitude with the exception of the periods under Spencer/ King and the management of Steve Harris (funny how when he came we got the big handouts from the AFL and the MCC - he knew where the bones were buried - and now he's gone, they're heavily reduced).

The AFL want China. We've put in the work, and they want the result.

Don Argus, is a man with CLOUT! And plenty of it. And whatever his personal wealth may be, he's a man powerful people listen to. If he would COMMIT his energy to this club and and people like Jimmy and Greg Healy joined the board, combined with the nouse of our new footy department and the move to Casey, we could go places very quickly.

I pray that this becomes reality.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

  mo64 said:

Rhino, in a previous post you vehemently argued that AFL football is like no other industry. So how does Argus' CV have any relevance to his ability to run a football club?

If you are going to insinuate an argument on a poster have the good sense to get it right. Here is what I wrote on another thread:

  Rhino Richards said:

..... a football club is not like every other industry ......

Whats your concern with Argus CV and why would he not be as capable as any other AFL club President going around?

Not that its important now....