AusLeisure

Chris Brown, the longstanding Chief Executive of Melbourne’s Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club, has departed the club just weeks after auditors found that poor financial management and reporting were to blame for a $2.4 million loss from the club’s dining operations.

His departure comes two weeks after the Club’s President, Adam Cossar, resigned from his role.

Staff were informed of the departure of Brown, who had been in the role for 22 years, yesterday morning followed by an announcement to members confirming his exit as of yesterday evening.

The email to members advised “the Club acknowledges the contribution of Chris over his 22 years of service and wishes him well on his endeavours.”

It also added that newly appointed Club President James Macmillan had “made the very difficult decision to resign”, noting “because of growing demands from his professional career, James feels he no longer has the capacity to devote the time and energy required to satisfy the demanding role.”

While stepping down as President, Macmillan will stay on as a board member with Darren O’Loughlin now serving as interim President.

Brown’s has been replaced by the interim Chief Executive Bruce Wilson.

It is understood that many members have grievances over the management of the Club, accusing its board of failing to provide clear explanations about its financial performance and the money loss.

One text reported by Melbourne’s Herald Sun read “CEO gone … the Coup has ousted the President, CFO and CEO.”

Earlier this month the Club revealed a $2.4 million loss from its dining and functions operations, leading to an overall deficit of nearly $1 million. The figures represented a significant reverse for the Club which had posted a profit of $980,000 just a year ago.

As a result, the Club engaged the services of a leading accounting firm Grant Thornton who found that the reverse was largely attributable to poor financial management and substandard reporting practices. It was ascertained that these operational weaknesses were the primary drivers behind the multimillion-dollar loss suffered by the club's dining and functions operations.

Significantly, the investigation found no traces of criminal activity.

In August 2020, the club was in the spotlight for allowing a member to play while infected with Coronavirus.

Kooyong was home to the Australian Open from 1972 to 1987.

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