Isaac
Years ago

Keneally quits BA after personal leave

Changed family situation not compatible with demands of the job.

BA had granted Keneally leave without pay from January 1 to deal with some personal circumstances but she has now advised chairman Scott Derwin she will not be able to return to the role.

"The Board of BA understands and sadly supports her decision as being the right one for her at this time," Derwin said in a statement.

"We are immensely grateful for the enormous contribution Kristina has made to BA during her tenure."

Keneally has been chief executive of BA since August 2012 and before then was chairman of the organisation since December 2011.

"I would have loved to have continued in the role, but the reality is that the demands of the job - particularly the travel demands - are not compatible with my changed family circumstances," Keneally said.

"It is with much sadness that I resign, but at a personal level, this is the right decision."

"All of the staff at Basketball Australia can be rightly proud of significant strides we have made over the past two and half years,
both in terms of sports high performance and commercial success."

Derwin said the search for a new chief executive begins immediately.

Topic #34350 | Report this topic


Curtley  
Years ago

Madness

Reply #472219 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

It really bewilders me why some people put their hand up for board roles, esp leadership of the board. If they havnt got time to do it, then it stands to reason they would not run. Sometimes I think its more about the .. prestige of being in the position than it is, actually fufilling the role.

Reply #472220 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Get Demitriou in the job for a couple years.. he would fix everything up!

Reply #472223 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

He'd want more $ than the entire leagues worth to do it.

Reply #472234 | Report this post


green45  
Years ago

Where in hell are BA going to find that sort of coin to pay Demitriou? Oh yeah junior fees

Reply #472236 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Demetriou may do it for 800k... reportedly what KK was being paid.

Reply #472239 | Report this post


Isaac  
Years ago

Here's the BA press release:

KRISTINA KENEALLY TO RESIGN AS BASKETBALL AUSTRALIA CEO

Chair of Basketball Australia Scott Derwin today announced the resignation of the Hon. Kristina Keneally as its Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.

Mr Derwin said: "It is with much sadness that I today announce the resignation of Kristina Keneally. The Board of BA gave Kristina up to 6 months unpaid compassionate leave from 1 January 2014 to deal with some personal circumstances.

“Kristina and I have been in regular contact since she commenced this leave. We met again recently when she informed me with great sadness that those personal circumstances would not allow her to return to her role and tendered her resignation.

“The Board of BA understands and sadly supports her decision as being the right one for her at this time. We are immensely grateful for the enormous contribution Kristina has made to BA during her tenure.

“The year 2013 was an extremely difficult one with the de-merger of the NBL; the Australian Sports Commission's introduction of Mandatory Governance Principles and the implementation of Australia’s Winning Edge strategy, among many other things.

“Very few CEOs would have been able to handle all these matters with such determination, fairness and professionalism as Kristina did. We will always be grateful."

Ms Keneally commenced as CEO in August 2012, having previously served as Chair of the Basketball Australia Board since December 2011.

Ms Keneally said she loved her job leading one of Australia’s most popular participation sports and one of the world’s most successful basketball federations.

“All of the staff at Basketball Australia can be rightly proud of significant strides we have made over the past two and half years, both in terms of sports high performance and commercial success,” Ms Keneally said.

“In a time of tremendous change and challenge for Australian sport, Basketball Australia has delivered grass-roots participation growth, Olympic and Paralympic medals, new commercial sponsorship for the Opals and the WNBL, and expanded free to air national television coverage for the WNBL, Boomers, and Opals.

“BA has also transformed how high performance development is delivered for all four national team programs - the Boomers, Opals, Rollers and Gliders – with four full-time national team head coaches and the new Basketball Australia National Centres of Excellence.”

Ms Keneally acknowledged that her personal circumstances had changed significantly since taking on the role of CEO, and that it was no longer possible for her to continue.

“The Board of BA has been incredibly supportive and generous these past three months in regards to my personal circumstances, and I appreciate it greatly,” Ms Keneally said.

“I would have loved to have continued in the role, but the reality is that the demands of the job – particularly the travel demands – are not compatible with my changed family circumstances. It is with much sadness that I resign, but at a personal level, this is the right decision.”

Ms Keneally acknowledged the Board of Basketball Australia for their support, advice and commitment to the sport.

“I thank the outgoing Board for their generous commitment of their time and talents to the sport. I particularly acknowledge and thank Chair Scott Derwin, who works with dedication and professionalism to grow and develop basketball’s success on and off court. I am grateful to have had his counsel and support,” Ms Keneally said.

“I also thank the staff of BA – who develop some of the best basketball talent in the world and oversee one of the biggest team participation sports in the country with less people and resources than a single AFL or NRL Club.

“The people who work at BA are its heart and soul and deserve to share the glory when our teams stand on the podiums around the world, winning medals for Australia.

“I now look forward to joining with all Australians as we cheer on the Opals, Boomers, Rollers and Gliders as all four teams compete in their respective World Championships later this year.”

Mr Derwin said the search for a new CEO will commence immediately.

Reply #472243 | Report this post


And 1  
Years ago

Hopefully they choose wisely and get someone GUN for the job.

Reply #472247 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

google her and look at the legal issues she is now involved in with the anti corruption boys in NSW.

Reply #472258 | Report this post


Mick  
Years ago

Another in a long line of useless Australian basketball administrators...

Reply #472311 | Report this post


HO  
Years ago

Mick,

Its easy to say that. One of the hardest jobs in Australian sport in my view, and made all the harder by the fact that every time you want to change something the states turn around and say no, because they might lose some power.

Keneally achieved some good things. i point to FT Boomers and Opals coaches as good outcomes during her time. I don't know how capable she is/was but I cannot recall a bunch of disastrous decisions she made.

I tend to think that there are very few great administrators in sport. Sutherland copped a hammering when our cricket team fell apart but he is no fool. Demetriou has been brilliant.

Reply #472325 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Well said HO.

Reply #472341 | Report this post


Nathan of Perth  
Years ago

Ol' Vlad has specifically ruled out further sports administration roles.

Reply #472349 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

I think its just sad that BA is once again a laughing stock of professional sports. The way the treat the Opals and the jobs for mates attitude up there is a disgrace.

Reply #472378 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Easy to blame the States. BA certainly have done a lot wrong in KK's time too.

Also why is BA still split offices? Why haven't they moved back to the Victorian heartland of the sport? No self interest from BA there I'm sure.

The reality is most in basketball work with self interest and that's as a result of poor governance, poor structures and poor leadership.

Reply #472400 | Report this post


HO  
Years ago

No one blamed the states. I pointed that the job is hard because to effect change you have to get that past the states, and they are infected with self interest. To be fair, that is chronic at every level of the sport.

I was also not defending BA. My point is that the BA CEO role is an incredibly tough gig, with powerful and disunited stakeholders everywhere, its just too easy for guys like Mick to say that we have had useless administrator after useless administrator.

Reply #472403 | Report this post


Happy Days  
Years ago

Further to what HO said, states get very little $$$ from BA.AFL is a different story as the states know not to bite the hand that feeds them as do the AFL clubs.

Reply #472411 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Keneally's top 3 achievement's in the role were;
1) .......
2) .......
3) .......

Reply #472420 | Report this post


HO  
Years ago

shit, your pushing if you want three!

Reply #472428 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

No big loss.

Look at how the NBL have improved since she is no longer running that League.

Name one good thing she has done for the sport?

Reply #472467 | Report this post


HO  
Years ago

How has the league improved?

Reply #472484 | Report this post


Isaac  
Years ago

Boti:

During Keneally's absence, BA’s most significant moves have been to consider a new policy regarding Opals players paying for caregivers if they need to travel with a baby, abandoning the annual player awards night for the WNBL and endeavouring to take over stewardship of the second-tier SEABL competition.

Reply #472499 | Report this post


Anonymous X 2  
Years ago

The graveyard of Australian basketball has just seen another victim. Keneally floats off into the sea....just hope she doesn't bump into the Ennis trophy!!

Reply #472507 | Report this post


Mick  
Years ago

It's the refusal to be accountable and the horror relationship with media/everyone that really pissed me off about her.

Reply #472538 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

she was a politician FFS what do you expect ??

Reply #472541 | Report this post


Mick  
Years ago

I thought being a politician she would understand the importance of PR and having a good relationship with journos...

Reply #472547 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Would be the easiest money she has ever made surely? What did she do in her time?

God give a passionate fan with some education the role.

Reply #472555 | Report this post


Camel 31  
Years ago

Of the last 2 nbl seasons , most likely ba a little better at it,,,with only 8 teams ba had allstar game, livestats, player of the week..she tracked down newnbl and got them to agree to terms of demerger, including insurance to cover ba against newnbl being slack, as ten were chasing her for an nbl schedule...luckily ba had done the schedule and the only change newnbl made was to cancel allstar game, scheduled for adelaide and on ten.
..some things they're too hot to touch.

Reply #472937 | Report this post




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