Cricket Tasmania Taps Egon Zehnder for CEO Search

November 4, 2016 – Cricket Tasmania, the administrative body for cricket in Tasmania, Australia, has retained Egon Zehnder to find its next chief executive officer. David Johnston, Australian cricket’s longest serving CEO, will be leaving his post mid-2017, providing ample time to find a suitable replacement. Neil Waters in the firm’s Melbourne office is handling the search.

“It is difficult to think of Cricket Tasmania and Blundstone Arena without David at the helm, but we understand that for him the time is right to move on and pursue other business and lifestyle options,” Andrew Gaggin, chairman of Cricket Tasmania. “David will leave Cricket Tasmania in robust health, with the association having gone from strength to strength during his tenure.”

“David’s boots will be hard to fill, however the Cricket Tasmania board has retained national executive search firm Egon Zehnder to assist in identifying potential candidates to succeed David as CEO,” Mr. Gaggin continued. “Cricket Tasmania’s aim is to complete the process as soon as possible but the first priority is to identify the best person for the job.”

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Cricket Tasmania’s primary purpose is to promote and develop the game of cricket in Tasmania, run junior and educational programs and competitions and administer the Tasmanian Grade Cricket competitions. The organization is also responsible for the selection and administration of Tasmania’s first class cricket team, the Tasmanian Tigers.

Egon Zehnder specializes in the recruitment and leadership solutions business and has more than 400 consultants operating from 41 countries. The firm’s CEO succession practice includes a team of consultants who bring a global best practices rigor to fulfilling top level chief executive assignments. Its chief global rivals are Heidrick & Struggles, Korn Ferry, DHR International, Russell Reynolds Associates and Spencer Stuart, with a host of specialist firms and international consortiums competing with it for C-level and board directorship positions.

Mr. Waters, the recruiter, is based in Melbourne and serves as an advisor to boards and senior executives on succession planning, executive development, and executive search. His clients span many industries in the listed and private sectors, as well as government and community organizations. He is active in Egon Zehnder’s CEO and board consulting practice.

Egon Zehnder has been active in Australia in recent months.

The firm assisted in the placement of internal candidate Brad Banducci as the new CEO of Woolworths. The Australian supermarket giant had been without a CEO since last June when Grant O’Brien retired.Woolworths currently operates 872 stores across Australia.

In August, Egon Zehnder was been retained by Racing Victoria to lead its search for a chief executive officer. Current CEO Bernard Saundry will be stepping down this December. The new CEO will continue to implement the board’s vision to “enhance the Victorian thoroughbred industry, delivering integrity, quality and entertainment.”