Experienced health administrator Imelda Lynch has been elected to the Adelaide Football Club’s Board of Directors after polling the most votes from members in an independently run election.
Lynch, who is currently Chair of the Glenelg Golf Club, was one of four candidates vying for the member-elected position which has been vacated by Crows premiership player Rod Jameson.
The former CEO of the Heart Foundation SA/NT has more than 30 years’ experience in leadership positions across the sporting, public, private and not-for-profit sectors.
She is currently a non-executive director of the Australian Medical Research Advisory Board, ACH Group, Bellberry Limited and the Macular Disease Foundation of Australia, and has previously served on the Board of the Royal Adelaide Hospital and Brain Injury SA.
A long-time Crows supporter, Lynch has been appointed to a two-year term after gaining 36.6 percent of the vote in an online ballot run by CorpVote.
Speaking at the Club’s annual Members Meeting, Crows Chairman John Olsen highlighted the importance of the annual election process in giving members a say in how the Club operates.
“Imelda has a wealth of experience gleaned from a range of executive and non-executive director positions, she is a passionate Crows supporter and brings a fresh perspective,” Olsen said.
“On behalf of the Board, management, staff, coaches, players and members, I would like to congratulate her on the appointment.
“I would also like to acknowledge the other candidates who put themselves forward and expressed a willingness to serve the Club.”
Lynch described her appointment as a privilege and added that as a member-elected Director, she would always be conscious of the needs of the fan base.
“I am excited at the prospect of serving the Club which I have supported for many years,” she said.
“I look forward to getting to know the Directors, as well as the many other people at the Crows, and initially learning as much as possible about the systems and structures so I can work towards making a positive contribution.”
Olsen also recognised Rod Jameson who is retiring after serving eight years as a Board Director.
“I would like to sincerely thank Rod for his contribution and in particular his direct involvement across portfolios, such as finance and audit and football strategy,” Olsen said.
“As a premiership player and life member, his overall service to the Club stretches more than three decades which is a remarkable achievement.”
The Club has further strengthened its governance structure with formal approval given to introduce tenure limits for Board Directors.
It means appointed-Directors can now serve a maximum of four terms or 12 years, while member-elected Directors can serve up to eight years.
An independent advisory panel was also recently established to assist with Board appointments and it takes into consideration a range of elements, including diversity objectives, skills matrices and succession requirements.
Adelaide’s Board Directors are John Olsen (Chairman), Linda Fellows (Deputy Chair), Mark Ricciuto, Richard Fennell, Kate Ellis, Warren Randall, Stephen Roche, Shanti Berggren, Graeme Goodings and Imelda Lynch.
