A sign. More than ten years from the event, the Brisbane 2032 Summer Games now have an organizing council. It was expected. But, a less predictable choice, it will be chaired by a businessman.
The announcement was made on Sunday April 10 by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his Queensland counterpart Anastacia Palaszczuk: Brisbane 2032 will be chaired by Andrew Liveris (photo above).
Unlike Tony Estanguet for Paris 2024, Giovanni Malago for Milan-Cortina 2026 and Casey Wasserman for Los Angeles 2028, Andrew Liveris has not led the Queensland capital’s bid campaign. His name had never even been associated with the Brisbane 2032 project. His designation was however welcomed by the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC), in particular by its president, John Coates.
The reason ? The Australian passes for a good connoisseur of the Olympic movement. Originally from Brisbane, he managed for several years, until 2018, the multinational Dow Chemicals, a global giant in the chemical industry, a former partner of the IOC in the TOP marketing program.
Since then, Andrew Liveris has chaired Lucid Motors, an automotive brand, and the investment fund BlackRock Long Term Private Capital. The businessman was also an adviser to the government of Scott Morrison. He would maintain close ties with the two former American presidents, Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
“I have worked all over the world but have always attributed my success to my studies at the University of Queenslandexplained the new president of Brisbane 2032. I am honored to have been asked to contribute to our state and our nation in this crucial role.“.
Highly complimentary comment by John Coates, quoted in an AOC press release: “The Brisbane 2032 Games are in very good hands. With Andrew Liveris, we are fortunate to have a talented and experienced chairman at the helm. His track record is exceptional. Through his time as CEO of Dow Chemical Company, an IOC TOP Partner, Andrew understands Olympic sport and what it stands for. His voice will be heard nationally and internationally.”
With this nomination, coming from the business world, Australia is sending a message: the Brisbane Games will have to be managed like a business. The project will have to stay within the nails of a budget, the latest version of which is estimated at 4.5 billion Australian dollars (about 3.1 billion euros at the current price). The IOC should appreciate.
But a question arises about Andrew Liveris: his age. The Australian will celebrate his 68th birthday next month. He will therefore be over 78 at the time of the Brisbane 2032 Games.
In addition to Andrew Liveris, Scott Morrison and Anastacia Palaszczuk have pulled out of their hats the names of the other four final members of the Brisbane 2032 board, all presented as independent figures. The quartet is made up of Rob Scott, chief executive of Wesfarmers, Sarah Kelly, vice-chairman of the Brisbane Lions, Brett Clark, chairman of the Queensland Rugby Union, and Shelley Reys, director of KPMG.
The Brisbane 2032 Board is now complete. It brings together 21 people. Andrew Liveris will therefore take his place in the presidential chair. Anastacia Palaszczuk and Federal Sports Minister Richard Colbeck serve as vice-presidents, alongside Brisbane Mayor Adrian Schrinner, John Coates and Australian Paralympic Committee Chairman Jock O’Callaghan.
The rest of the squad includes IPC Board Member Robyn Smith, Matt Carroll, Chief Executive of the Australian Olympic Committee, Steven Miles, Deputy Premier of Queensland, Karen Williams, Mayor of Redland City, Ted O’Brien, MP for Fairfax, plus former athletes Bronte Barratt, Kurt Fearnley, Patrick Johnson, Natalie Cook, Tracy Stockwell and Rebecca Frizelle.
The first board meeting is announced before the end of April. It could be marked by the appointment of a general manager to the organizing committee. This first meeting will shortly precede the visit to Queensland by Kirsty Coventry, Chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for the Brisbane 2032 Games. The machine is on.
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