Annabel Kehoe Resigning as CEO of BCRU – Returns to Australia
Annabel started with BCRU in July 2015, this is the June 2015 article we wrote on her entry to the position. Her predecessor was Jim Dixon and I think it was Jeff Sauve before him.
I first met her at a Friday evening match at Centennial Stadium, UVic v JBAA I think. I honestly thought she was one of the students when first seeing her, and that was perhaps a portent of her early management style, hopeful, energetic but a little naive. She’s no doubt grown over those 7 years and learned a lot, it’s the sort of position that does grind people down. She’s outperformed her national counterpart at Rugby Canada, that’s a given.
Her legacy perhaps will be from her most recent decisions in building a strong core group of staff with John Tait Technical Director, Doug Tate Coach Education Manager, Chris Assmus Officials Education Manager, Mitch Sora Competitions Manager. She leaves behind a strong staff who know BC Rugby inside and out. Some of this credit may belong to BCRU President Mark Lewis but we’ll put it down to a team win.
We wish her all the best in her new ventures. What’s next for BCRU? Hopefully they’ll put someone in charge who will let the staff take care of rugby, we have the talent there. We need new funding sources, both for the BCRU and for all the member clubs. Participation levels from junior up are a concern that needs to be addressed. We need someone who comes into the job with a good understanding of these problems as they exist in BC at the present time.
I’ll throw a couple of ideas out. Peter Muirhead, a retired actuary, who knows the BC Rugby landscape from top to bottom. An actuary, uses “math and statistics to estimate the financial impact of uncertainty”, a great core skill to bring to the position. Adam Roberts, an educator, a leader in youth rugby engagement in the province. We have great people in the province if they’re willing to step up. Another key quality needed, engage the strong volunteer community in the province, someone with a background in volunteer management would be awesome.
We’ll wait and see who puts their hand up and who the BCRU board chooses.
from BCRU
February 9, 2022 (Vancouver, BC) BC Rugby Chief Executive Officer Annabel Kehoe has advised the Board of BC Rugby that she has decided to relocate with her family back to Australia and will be leaving in June after almost seven years leading the organization.
Since joining BC Rugby in August 2015 as its CEO the first female CEO in BC Rugbys 133-year history and the only female CEO of any Canadian national or provincial rugby union Kehoe has overseen the transformation and modernization of BC Rugby both on and off the pitch. Under her leadership, BC Rugby has enjoyed substantial growth across all regions of the Province and survived critical consolidation during the COVID pandemic.
I want to thank BC Rugby and the past and present Directors of the Board for providing me this opportunity almost seven years ago. I love this sport and its been a privilege to work in service of it, said Kehoe, adding I will leave proud of our collective achievements in moving this organisation and the sport of Rugby Union forward in BC.
In accepting her letter of resignation, BC Rugby President Mark Lewis said: We are grateful for everything that Annabel has done for BC Rugby. She leaves behind an enviable record of achievement and, importantly, we are in a much better and stronger position than we were when Annabel joined us, which is a hallmark of good leadership.
BC Rugby thanks Annabel for her exceptional hard work and dedication throughout her tenure and wishes her all the best in her future endeavours.
The Board has initiated a fulsome search process for BC Rugbys next CEO, with more information to follow this month.