Former Richmond president Gary March is seeking to become the new chief executive of Athletics Australia.
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March, who oversaw the turnaround in Richmond's financial position, has a commercial background in Olympic and international sports.
His former company, Concept Sports, was the official retailer for three summer and two winter Olympic Games. It was also licensed for three rugby World Cups, Formula One grands prix and swimming world championships among major sporting events.
Long-time yachting administrator Phil Jones has been interim chief executive at AA since late last year following the forced resignation in October of former chief executive Dallas O'Brien.
Jones, who spent 17 years at Yachting Australia, has impressed in his time in the job, is highly regarded and favoured to be offered the position.
A report into Athletics Australia for the Australian Sports Commission by former cricket coach and sport administrator John Buchanan was highly critical of the management and board of AA.
The Buchanan report lambasted the board in part for operating as a board of management not a board of directors.
It said the board interfered in the day-to-day running of the sport because they lacked confidence in the executive.
It recommended that millions of dollars in funding - 40 per cent of the ASC's funding to AA - should be withheld until the sport complies with a range of recommendations and illustrates its commitment to change. ASC funding represents 63 per cent of AA's total revenues.
The ASC and AA are both yet to respond officially to the report.
AA is still to appoint a new head coach to replace former coach Eric Hollingsworth. He quit last year after being asked to explain why he should not be sacked after he was sent home from the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow following a clash with management and athletes, which culminated in him issuing a press release to criticise team captain Sally Pearson.
High-profile coach Nick Bideau is among those to have applied for the position.
The Buchanan report said among other things that the board needed a keener commercial focus and criticised the internal executive structure at AA noting that there was no commercial director looking at sponsorships and revenue.
March sold Concept Sports several years ago but has been running a new business that makes sports apparel for clubs in Victoria and interstate.
