Xavier Campbell has resigned as Essendon chief executive amid the chaotic fallout at the club.
It comes after a horror week for the Bombers, including David Barham replacing Paul Basher as chairman after boardroom upheaval and the club’s pursuit of coaching great Alastair Clarkson backfiring when Ben Rutten was sacked.
Essendon confirmed Campbell’s departure on Wednesday morning after 14 years at the club, including nine as chief executive. The club’s search for its next chief executive will begin immediately as commercial director Nick Ryan takes on interim duties.
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It comes despite Campbell earlier this year signing a two-year extension until 2024, with the leadership shakeup leading to massive changes.
Campbell was a key orchestrator of John Worsfold’s succession plan at Rutten and a fan of the recently sacked manager, who wanted the club to stick with him for the final year of his contract.
Therefore, the club’s 11th-hour bid for Barham-led Clarkson made Campbell’s position as chief executive untenable.
Campbell has resigned as chief executive of Essendon (Image: NCA NewsWire/Luis Enrique Ascui)Source: News Corp Australia
Campbell also helped steer Essendon out of its messy supplements saga and, despite the club’s lackluster on-field results, has helped turn it into a financial powerhouse that includes record sponsorship and membership numbers.
“Being CEO is more than just a job and has been an absolute privilege, a pleasure and an experience I will always be proud of,” Campbell said.
“I have done everything in my power to restore the economic, structural and cultural stability of the club; Helping to pick up the pieces and rebuild the club after the heartbreak, chaos and instability of my first four years was one of the most difficult tasks I will face in my professional career. And despite the challenges of this past week, I think we did it.
“Under previous boards and the chairmanship of Paul Little, Lindsay Tanner and Paul Brasher we have achieved these results. I leave the club confident knowing that, despite the challenges of the past week, it is in stronger shape than people may believe .We have an exceptionally strong financial base, a significant membership base and a young and talented group that will help us build our next Prime Minister.
“With the many strong building blocks firmly in place at Essendon, the decision to appoint a new coach and a bold vision under new chairman Dave Barham, there is an opportunity to lead the club to ultimate success and , in short, to a prime minister. And I hope as much as anyone that we do.”
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“What this needs is; a focused and well-supported chairman, a board united in its intent, strategy and voice, working in step with management, supported by loyal and committed members and fans who believe in the club, the management and the team who can take it there. Our playgroup deserves nothing less than that. Our AFLW team deserves this. Our fans and members deserve it and are ready for it.”
Other board members are believed to be set to leave, with several reports suggesting Simon Madden has also resigned from his role, while list boss Adrian Dodoro is also under pressure.
The Herald Sun reports that the club are weighing up a new football department, but head of football Josh Mahoney’s position is secure.
Barham thanked Campbell for his service to the club, including in times of difficulty.
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“Xavier is to be congratulated for his service to the Essendon Football Club,” Barham said.
“He took office at a time that required strong leadership during the most turbulent time in our history.
“He tirelessly led the reform of the governance, cultural and structural processes of the club in the aftermath of that difficult period and managed very complex situations through the legal procedures, including the appeal and sanctions processes of the AFL Anti-Doping and WADA, as well as being critical to players and sponsor retention during these more difficult periods.
“And under his leadership, significantly, we saw the elimination of associated debt that peaked during that time.
“Xavier and his executive and administrative team have marked the growth of this club in a significant way, from 53,000 members in 2013 to more than 88,000 in 2022.
“On behalf of the board of directors, we sincerely thank Xavier for his undeniable commitment to the role.”
The Bombers celebrated their 150th anniversary in 2022, sitting 15th on the ladder with seven wins after last year’s finals appearance, as the club now embarks on an external review.