COVID REFLECTIONS

Reflecting on Covid

Reflecting on the events of 2020-21, some of our leaders share the lessons learned during the COVID shutdowns, and how these have impacted our organisation.

MARK CONDI

CEO

“COVID has been such a horrible time for so many people. But if we look at the positives, it has facilitated some changes that may never have happened had we not had the shutdown.

The first closure in 2020 made us look at every aspect of our operation from a completely different perspective.

We are now the most efficient organisation we’ve ever been and it means we’re able to plan for some incredible developments in the years to come. The pandemic hasn’t changed the path we were on, but it’s certainly sped it up”.

JOHN MURRAY OAM Chairman

“Our staff have been so loyal and that says a lot about our management team and the Board. They stuck with us. We have been able to start fresh and lay some really good foundations for the next 50 years, and that’s all because of the people we have working here.

The shutdowns we’ve experienced have been pretty traumatic and the constant feeling of the unknown is terrible, but I know we will come back from it. It feels like we’re rising from the ashes and we’re on the right path for the future”.

ROD DEARSLEY

Chief Financial Officer

“The shutdowns have made us stop and take a good look at our business and assess what was important. We now pay much closer attention to the return on investment that we’re getting from everything we do. We question everything to make sure it aligns with our values and is in the best interests of our business”.

BRIAN DICKINSON Culture Consultant

“The culture values now shape every single thing we do here at the club. Whether it’s internal or memberfacing, it’s all the same key messaging. These values are non-negotiable for us”.

MICHAEL CLANCY Executive General Manager

“The shutdowns have been a massive learning experience for everyone. They really brought out the best in people and showed how close we all are as a team here.

Operationally, we now run so much more efficiently and the way we do things makes sense. During the first lockdown, we realised we hadn’t reviewed a lot of areas in the organisation for a really long time, and we had just been doing things because it’s the way they had always been done. COVID has forced us to look at new ways of doing things”.