Cycling Australia (Image credit: Cycling Australia)
In an internal correspondence to Cycling Australia (CA) staff and board members, interim CEO Adrian Anderson addressed his first five months in the role and announced that he is has "agreed to a final contract extension through until 9 May" in an effort to complete key tasks set in motion until a permanent CEO can be recruited.
Anderson, a former AFL administrator, took over the interim role in November, after replacing CEO Graham Fredericks, who held the role for 18 years, in what would serve as CA president Gerry Ryan's first move after Ryan himself replaced Klaus Mueller.
CA has been under fire as of late with serious financial struggles and governance issues, and the appointment of Anderson was to stop the bleeding and serve as an immediate measure to improve the organisation's dire situation, which has been attributed to a failed three-year Commercial Joint Venture (CJV) with Grass Roots started in 2010.
These losses have been added to the annual overspends since 2010, and Anderson writes that CA will continue to "work closely with the ASC on the financial support CA requires to see through this difficult period" and he commends his staff for their hard work and patience during these trying times.
"The significant progress we have made in governance and financial reform in this short time would not have been possible without the continued efforts of our hard working staff across all departments," he told his staff.
The CJV has been dissolved, and over the past five months since CA has enjoyed a savings in excess of $1 million within the events department.
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Another key point that Anderson has addressed is the formation of a board member nominations committee including Peter Bartels AO, Don Argus AC, Rod Kemp and Kate Palmer, as well as the newly-drafted constitution that was sent to member states on Wednesday and will be proposed for adoption at a special meeting on April 30.
At the meeting Anderson looks to discuss the "future role and strategy of CA including the role it should play in the fields of advocacy and recreational participation and how CA can become more relevant for the four million Australians who ride bikes."
