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‘I needed to bite the bullet': Aussie man's simple idea that is now making millions

‘I needed to bite the bullet': Aussie man's simple idea that is now making millions

News.com.au16 hours ago
Making other people rich inspired one Aussie to risk everything and sink $700,000 into one simple idea.
Jordan Mylius, 37, was working in sales for a tanning company when he decided to focus on creating his own haircare brand, Hairification.
The idea came to Mr Mylius during one of Melbourne's multiple Covid-19 lockdowns.
One of the only things you could do at the time was go to the supermarket and it was there that he came up with the idea.
'I remember seeing a haircare brand launch and thinking it was a good idea. The brand looked cool, it was affordable and it was clearly selling well,' he told news.com.au.
'It got the cogs turning in mind. 'What else could be done in this space?''
The 37-year-old has always been incredibly self-motivated. He skipped university and went to the 'University of Life' instead and bought a tanning and beauty salon in his 20s.
From there he got into sales and ended up being the global sales director for Aussie tanning brand Bondi Sands.
During his tenure, he watched the brand go from being stocked in a handful of Priceline stores to becoming a multimillion-dollar success.
Mr Mylius has always loved his career working for other people and brands, but he has always known he wanted to do something for himself.
'I've made lots of people lots of money over the years. I needed to bite the bullet and do it for myself,' he said.
'I wanted to look back and think 'wow I achieved this' and see my products on shelves.'
So, when he saw a gap in the market to launch a haircare brand that delivered salon-quality results at supermarket prices, he jumped at it.
He created a shampoo and conditioner that retailed for $25 each, aiming to help combat frizz and revitalise thinning hair.
From his perspective, it is the kind of product everyone wants but usually can't afford to spend over $100 on, like similar ones on the market.
Once he had the idea and the vision, he felt he knew how to market the product, and he went all in.
'I just bootstrapped it,' he said.
'I used all my own savings and risked pretty much everything.'
At the end of the day, launching the brand cost between $700,000 and $1 million, which involved paying for everything from marketing to the salary of a chemist to develop the formula.
It sounds crazy, but the businessman explained that he figured 'you can always make more money', but you can't fix living with regret.
Mr Mylius said that part of his confidence stemmed from the fact that he believed in the product from the start.
'I knew that the products worked from personally using them and from trials we did with consumers and my family and friends,' he said.
'I just thought we've got to take the risk and put it to the market. We took the risk and it paid off.'
Once the range was developed, he went straight to Coles, and it turned out to be exactly what they were looking for.
Before the brand launched, Mr Mylius would go and check Coles every day, 'like a loser', waiting for it to appear on the shelves.
'I actually screamed when I saw it, I was like, 'oh my God'. I've worked in products for many years but there's nothing quite like seeing your product sell that you worked really hard on,' he said.
'I created this thing it is my baby.'
The brand officially launched in 2023 and, in less than three years, it has generated millions.
Hairification just hit $20 million in revenue without any celebrity backing and is now stocked in Coles, Woolworths and Priceline.
The brand is growing rapidly, partly due to its clever use of social media.
Hairification has garnered over 3 million likes on TikTok and collaborated with influencers like Kayla Jade to establish a customer base that extends beyond supermarket shoppers.
Mr Mylius is loving the success, but it isn't enough just for the brand to be generating millions; he wants more.
'I'm just so focused on where I want to take this brand and business and I'm laser focused on that,' he said.
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BTN Episode 19, 2025
BTN Episode 19, 2025

ABC News

time38 minutes ago

  • ABC News

BTN Episode 19, 2025

Yaama. Jack here with a whole new term of BTN. I hope you had a great break. Let's see what we've got coming up for you today. We look at Australia's new internet searching rules, find out about Australia's latest world heritage site and Learn about the quest to resurrect the moa. Defence Spending Reporter: Justina Ward INTRO: But first, we're going to take a look at a big military exercise that's happening in Australia right now. It's called Talisman Sabre, and it involves thousands of defence workers from around the world but it's also drawing attention to some big questions around the future of Australia's military. Take a look. JUSTINA, REPORTER: On the ground, in the air and on the water. BRIG. TIM ORDERS, AUSTRALIAN ARMY: You're gonna see an increase in military vehicle traffic in and around the roads in Darwin and Katherine but, uh, citizens shouldn't be alarmed. So, what's this for exactly? Welcome to Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025. It's a joint military exercise that's run by Australia and the US every couple of years. It's an honor to join you. And this year it's the biggest it's ever been with 30,000 military personnel from 19 nations taking part that's all about. VICE ADMIRAL JUSTIN JONES, AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE: Operating together, training and rehearsing our war fighting. It's also a chance to show off our cool weapons and build relationships with our neighbours. But organising exercises like this and keeping our forces in tip top shape doesn't come cheap. At the moment, Australia spends around $56 billion a year on defence. That pays for things like weapons, vehicles, machinery and paying wages for people working in defence. And the government says it's planning to spend even more. ANTHONY ALBANESE, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: $57 billion over 10 years, we are increasing our defence spending and investment by more than $10 billion. That might sound like a lot, and it is, but it's still only about 2.3% of our GDP, or gross domestic product, which is basically the value of everything the country produces in a year. Meanwhile the US spends almost 1.5 trillion dollars which is about 3.4 per cent of its GDP. All of that money has helped to make America's defence force one the most, if not, the most powerful in the world. It's why since the end of the Second World War, Australia has relied on its alliance with the US, knowing that if we need help, America would be there. And it's not just Australia. Lots of other countries have military alliances with the US that they rely on to keep them safe. But recently US President Donald Trump has questioned whether or not that's fair. DONALD TRUMP, US PRESIDENT: If you're not going to pay your bills, we're not going to defend you. He's pressured European allies to increase their defence spending. DONALD TRUMP, US PRESIDENT: The NATO allies committed to dramatically increase their defence spending to that 5% of GDP. This is a big win for Europe and for actually Western civilization. His government has also asked Australia to up its defence spending to 3.5% of GDP. PETE HEGSETH, US SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: A long standing, incredibly important relationship with our friends in Australia. That would be $40 billion extra a year. So, a lot and our prime minister wasn't exactly on board. ANTHONY ALBANESE, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: They announced an amount of money they couldn't say where it was coming from, and they couldn't say what it was for. That makes no sense. ANTHONY ALBANESE, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: We determine our defence policy here, we're a sovereign nation. 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Age Verification Rules Reporter: Tatenda Chibika INTRO: Recently, Australia became the first country in the world to make internet search providers check your age when you log in. The new rules are designed to make sure kids aren't seeing harmful stuff online. But will they work? Tatenda found out more. PERSON: I feel like on Google I just look up like whatever comes to my mind, like if I'm curious about something, I'll search it up and see if there's an answer for it. PERSON: Chat GPT. That's what I search up. PERSON: Sometimes I go online shopping on Google and then I also like to help me with my homework and stuff. TATENDA, REPORTER: Yeah, for a lot of us it's kind of hard to imagine a world without search engines. But along with all that useful information, entertainment, recipes and the name of that one annoyingly catchy song you heard at the shops but couldn't memorise all the lyrics to, there's also some stuff that you probably shouldn't be seeing. PERSON: Just like there's sometimes weird ads and stuff PERSON: it's just, like naked people. It's like everything's out there, which is too much exposure, too much exposure PERSON: it's been a lot of inappropriate things sometimes. That's why from December, search engines run by companies like Google and Microsoft will have to check the ages of anyone who logs in. It's among a whole heap of changes being introduced under the Online Safety Act. JULIE INMAN GRANT, ESAFETY COMMISSIONER: Very few of these technologies and platforms were created with children in mind or with safety as a primary goal. If you're under 18 search results will filter out things that are inappropriate like gambling, violence or other stuff that's not meant for kids. And the eSafety Commissioner's making the industry itself come up with the solutions. So, how exactly are they going to check your age well the government has given them a few options. For example, they might check other forms of ID like credit cards or licenses. They might get your parents to give permission, they might rely on other platforms that have already checked your age, or they might use technology that uses your face to guess your age. But as these guys found out recently, when they tried out some face scanning software, that doesn't always work. STUDENT: I'm getting yeah 23 STUDENT: I've just scrunched up my face all angry like this and the thing gave me 41 years old. STUDENT: It went from 15 to 14, to 13 getting younger by the minute. These are the type of things tech companies will use to check your age once the governments social media ban comes into effect later this year, so the clocks ticking to figure out what works. Although, some people think nothing will be totally effective. LISA MAE GIVENS, RMIT PROFESSOR: At the end of the day, where there's a will there's a way, people can definitely still access this content by not logging into an account they could also use a VPN to get around it by pretending to not be in Australia for example. There are also some concerns that the new rules will risk people's privacy. Companies will need to store all that data and that can make them a target for cyberattacks. And some people think it's more important to teach young people how to use the internet responsibly instead of shielding them from some parts of it. So, what do you think? PERSON: There's some things that are on the internet that people my age shouldn't like, really see and I think that age verification is a good way to stop that. PERSON: I know kids that like, don't really use it for what they're really meant to. So, yeah, I think filtering should happen. PERSON: As a child I grew up and I could choose what I was exposed to a certain degree, whereas now that choice is taken away. So, yeah, I think it's important. PERSON: I think it's really hard to shelter anyone from what the world is. PERSON: Education and educating your child is the main thing, but also those restrictions being put in place is definitely like a good add on to that. Quiz Do you know what the most searched-for word is? Weather, YouTube or Google? It's YouTube. More than a billion people type it into Google's search bar every month. UNESCO Rock Art Reporter: Jack Evans INTRO: Now to Australia's brand-new World Heritage Site and when I say new, I mean incredibly ancient. The rock art at Murujuga in Western Australia is up to 50,000 years old and it's now joined the likes of Stonehenge and the pyramids on a very special list. On the northwest coast of Western Australia, you'll find the Murujuga Cultural Landscape, home to the biggest and most diverse collections of rock art engravings in the world. Some of which date back more than 50,000 years and include carvings of extinct species and the earliest depiction of the human face. PETER JEFFERIES, MURUJUGA ABORIGINAL CORPORATION: They tell the story of our ancestors and what they've done over tens of thousands of years. That's why at a meeting in Paris the United Nations Heritage Committee decided to add this sacred site to the World Heritage List. UNESCO: Let me congratulate Australia on behalf of the entire committee. BELINDA CHURNSIDE, MURUJUGA ABORIGINAL CORPORATION: We have all come here together and from far away from the Murujuga lands. This has been a long-awaited journey and a fight for our elders, our old people and we are thankful to receive this recognition from a global scale. Thank you everyone. PETER HICKS, MURUJUGA ABORIGINAL CORPORATION: We were very, very happy that, you know. That word probably can't describe it, you know, to the full extent of it. Murujuga, alongside 25 other sites from around the world, will now join a long list of famous sites, like the Taj Mahal in India, the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, Stonehenge in the UK, Machu Picchu in Peru and the Great Wall of China in, well, China. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation or UNESCO started the World Heritage List in 1978 as a way to protect sites that had "outstanding universal value to humanity". Today the list includes 1223 sites from 170 countries. Here in Australia, we have 21 on the list including the Sydney Opera House, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, the Blue Mountains, the Great Barrier Reef and now Murujuga. Being heritage listed is a big honour and helps to boost tourism, but it also means governments are put under more pressure to protect sites and have to regularly report to UNESCO. So, Traditional Owners are hoping the heritage listing helps to keep Murujuga safe. They say nearby mining and gas projects cause damage and erosion to the rock art. RAELENE COOPER, MARDATHOONERA TRADITIONAL CUSTODIAN: You cannot have industry. And culture coexist. MURRAY WATT, ENVIRONMENT MINISTER: In the end, what persuaded the committee was both the scientific evidence but also the genuine passion from the traditional owners to see this World Heritage listing be secured. They're hoping that by showing the world how special this site is they can make sure it's still there for future generations. PETER JEFFERIES, MURUJUGA ABORIGINAL CORPORATION: We start a new journey or a new story that we created in the rocks today and we will continue to manage culture and country as our ancestors have already done or have done prior to or previous to us. BELINDA CHURNSIDE, MURUJUGA ABORIGINAL CORPORATION: This is a testament to the true dedication and commitment. Our resilience of Aboriginal people. Thank you all. Quiz Which of these Australian sites has been on the World Heritage List for the longest? Uluru, Kakadu National Park or the Melbourne Royal Exhibition building? It's Kakadu National Park. It was one of three Australian sites to make the list in 1981, along with Willandra Lakes and the Great Barrier Reef. Moa De-extinction Reporter: Justina Ward INTRO: Now, have you ever seen one of these. It's a moa and you probably haven't because they've been extinct for hundreds of years. But an American bioscience company wants to bring them back and so does Peter Jackson. Here's Justina. NARRATOR: Some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth. And for 500 years, the moa passed out of all knowledge, until. HOBBIT 1: What's that? HOBBIT 2: It looks like an emu. WIZARD: I think it's a moa. JUSTINA, REPORTER: Yeah, meet the moa. It's a 3.5 metre wingless bird that once roamed the plains of Middle-Earth, I mean, New Zealand. Moa disappeared around 500 years ago possibly because of human hunters, but now an American bio-tec company says they can bring them back. BETH SHAPIRO, COLOSSAL BIOSCIENCES: The process of de-extinction is that we extract DNA from ancient bones, and we sequence that DNA and assemble ancient genomes. DNA is like blueprint that exists inside the cells of all living things determining how they look and act. Sometimes you can also find DNA preserved in dead things. BETH SHAPIRO, COLOSSAL BIOSCIENCES: To de-extinct the moa we are collecting DNA from all nine species of moa. We'll be comparing the genome sequences to genomes of living birds to identify what it is that made moa unique, and using the tools of genome editing to make those changes in the DNA sequence of the living close relatives. And it's got a lot of moa fans excited, especially the Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson who's invested around 23 million dollars for the project. PETER JACKSON, FILMMAKER: You know, in the hope that within a few years we'll get to see a moa back again. I mean, that to me, it's given me more enjoyment and satisfaction than any films ever have. WIZARD: Oh. Colossal Biosciences is using similar techniques to try to bring back other species, like the woolly mammoth, and Tassie tiger. Then there were these guys which Colossal Biosciences claimed were the first dire wolves to be born in more than 10,000 years. Although some were sceptical. STUART PIMM, DUKE UNIVERSITY: The claim that they have created the dire wolf is just simply rubbish. You know they've put a few, you know, dire wolf genes to create a big white dog. Yeah, some scientists say they're not really creating an extinct animal, instead they're just making existing species look more like their long-lost relatives. NIC RAWLENCE, OTAGO PALAEOGENETICS LABORATORY: Scientists can create genetically engineered animals like what they did with the grey wolf and dire wolf. But we're definitely not at the point of bringing back a 100% genetically engineered emu to look genetically look like a moa. There are also some people who say it's not right to try to bring back extinct species. For starters, keeping these new creatures alive takes specialised knowledge and a lot of money. Plus, some reckon all this effort could be better spent protecting species that are still alive. WIZARD: Do not be too eager to deal out de-extinction. For even the very wise cannot see all ends. Yes, thank you Gandalf, others say we should bring back species that we helped send into extinction and thanks to things like climate change and habitat loss, species extinctions are happening faster than ever, some reckon it might be good to have a backup plan. PETER JACKSON, FILMMAKER: Yeah, it's uniquely a New Zealand bird, so it's something that we've always been very fascinated with and proud about. So, it's a big thing here. The moa is a big thing. In any case, Colossal says it'll be about 5 to 10 years before we see any moa hatching, until then these amazing creatures will remain a fantasy. WIZARD: Hang on, that's definitely an emu, I don't think we're in New Zealand anymore. Sport COMMENTATOR: Australia wins their first ever Asia Cup Championship. Yep, the Opals have done it, winning the 2025 Championship in China. While they led at every break Japan narrowed the lead to 8 points at the final change. But the Opals came back strong. COMMENTATOR: Big start to fourth from Issy Bourne. Japan levelled the scores twice. But it wasn't enough to stop the Aussies who won eighty-eight to seventy-nine and locked in a ticket to next year's World Cup in Berlin. Now to the Tour De France. In the 15th stage of this 3000-kilometre race, Tim Wellens finished in front but this guy in third place hadn't noticed. COMMENTATOR: He doesn't think he's won. Surely not. COMMENTATOR: Please tell me someone's told him. Julian Alaphilippe said he couldn't hear his radio after a crash. JULIAN ALAPHILIPPE, FRENCH CYCLIST: You have to take in on a funny way you know it's part of the game. And Australia has taken out the Frank Worrell trophy after an eventful third test. They knocked the West Indies over for just 27 the second lowest test innings total ever. Mitchell Starc became the fastest player to take five wickets in an innings. COMMENTATOR: That's 400 hundred test match wickets for Mitchell Starc. And Scott Boland became the first Aussie in 15 years to take a test hat-trick. Charity Flights Reporter: Wren Gillett INTRO: Now if you're from the bush, you'll know that there are a lot of great things about growing up away from the city. But there are also some down sides, especially if you need a lot of medical care. Winnie and Raffy are going to tell you how a medical flight charity has helped their family. WINNIE: My name is Winnie, and I am 9 years old. I live in NSW Coonabarabran. Yeah. RAFFY: I'm Raffy, 15, from Coonabarabran. Yeah. Winnie and Raffy are siblings, and as you heard, home for them is here, in Coonabarabran. It's a rural town in New South Wales, and fewer than 3,500 people live here. WINNIE: I'll describe my town as fairly good, but it doesn't have much in it. But yeah, I could live here for the rest of my life. RAFFY: Living in a small country town, nearly everyone knows you, so you know, you always, every time you think you're gonna go downtown for like 10 minutes, ends up going half an hour because you're talking to nearly every person you see. But while living in a small town might mean you're closer to your community, it's common to be far from other things. RAFFY: Some of the harder aspects living here is, I suppose, medical facilities, schooling, you know if you want, and especially for the things I've experienced with farming, that if you want a part or something like that, you got to drive more. For Winnie, that distance really matters. She has a medical condition that means she has to constantly monitor her blood sugar. WINNIE: I'll describe it as just like if all my sugars go low, there's some possible risks that could happen. I might have to get rushed to the hospital if they're like, really, really low. RAFFY: It does get hard in Coonabarabran because yeah, there are not many facilities here that can help her or stuff like that. It's why she sometimes needs to fly for treatment. GLEN BRIDGLAND, LITTLE WINGS: My job entails flying sick kids to and from hospital visits from towns in Outback NSW to the larger hospitals in Sydney and Newcastle. Glen is a volunteer pilot for Little Wings, A charity that's been helping Winnie for a long time. WINNIE: I feel like I've flied like a lot of times because I've been flying with them since I was like 3, I think. They have, like tiny teddies in there and I like, eat them because I'm hungry. GLEN BRIDGLAND: If you live in the larger cities, access to medical treatment is taken as granted. But if you're in the bush that's not as easy, and for people with serious medical issues, the only way they can reach treatment is if they travel a long way. That's where we help. RAFFY: People should be able to get the treatment they need when they need it and how much they need because everyone has the right to it no matter who they are. WINNIE: The other kids that have my condition, I just want to tell them never give up, and you can be whoever you want to be, and Little Wings can help you no matter what. Closer Well, that's all we've got for you today. We'll be back next week with more. But if you can't wait till then you can head to our website there's plenty to see and do there. You can also catch Newsbreak every weeknight. Have an awesome week and I'll see you next time. Bye.

ASX rollercoaster: After a major market melt-up, a reckoning looms
ASX rollercoaster: After a major market melt-up, a reckoning looms

West Australian

time6 hours ago

  • West Australian

ASX rollercoaster: After a major market melt-up, a reckoning looms

The Australian share market has been on something of a tear over the past few months, up 11 per cent since the depths of Donald Trump's Kamikaze tariff attack, cresting at an all-time high Friday. It's an impressive run given the economy is barely limping along, interest rates are only ever so slightly on the way down and the global economy is on tenterhooks. Such lofty heights amid persistent uncertainty suggest this bull run has more to do with FOMO than fundamentals and vis ulnerable to any hint of bad news. How else to explain a drop of as much as 2.9 per cent for our largest bank, CBA, 3.4 per cent nearly and 2.75 for ANZ and NAB? The sell-off has been sheeted home to the Japanese election, where the ruling Liberal Democratic Party lost its majority in the upper house of parliament. It's the first time there hasn't been a governing majority since 1955. Market watchers suggest it could derail Japan's economic trajectory, given its high debt levels. That issue seems a long way from Australian banks, which derive the majority of their revenues from domestic lending. Aussie banks were up 30 per cent for the financial year ended, driven by the 46 per cent gain for Commbank. Australia's largest bank has been seen as something of a safe haven in times of uncertainty, popular with domestic and international investors alike for its strong balance sheet and stable earnings. But the company is not shooting the lights out in terms of growth, meaning investors are pushing up company valuations without worrying if it is being met by associated profits. 'CBA is the extreme version of that. On Friday, it was at record levels, and this is despite several years of falling earnings and significant uncertainty around what may happen internationally with tariffs,' said AMP chief economist Shane Oliver. It might be that the FOMO trade is going elsewhere. While banks were sold, miners were gold, with Rio Tinto up 1.5 per cent, Fortescue 1.35 per cent and South 32 up 4.33 per cent. There may also be a bet building on China. Stronger oil and metals prices in recent weeks have stirred speculation Beijing could unleash new stimulus. The iron ore price hit a four-month high thanks to a Chinese plan to build a hydroelectric dam in Tibet. But the base metal has been on the upward slope for four weeks, not due to further stimulus talks however, but a forced consolidation of the sector. In a market that is on the hunt for good news, investors seem to be ready to bid on any opportunities. 'Maybe the market's stepping that out,' Dr Oliver said, though he cautioned that recent Chinese GDP data didn't support that optimism. 'There was nothing in there suggesting China's going to jump in with a big stimulus. I'm less optimistic than the market on that one.' A higher iron ore price will certainly be welcome for miners, but a lot of the market is still relying on a bump from the Reserve Bank cutting interest rates. While that will be positive for corporates, the market seems very confident. Across the ASX200 the price earnings ratio - a metric that shows how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of a company's profit - is 23 times and well above the long term average of around 17. It is also heading higher, raising questions about whether investors are shovelling money into stocks beyond the bargain hunting in the wake of Trump's Liberation Day tariff announcement. 'Share markets aren't cheap anymore,' Dr Oliver said. 'Maybe they were back in April… but they're not cheap anymore. Valuation measures certainly suggest the market is somewhat expensive.' A similar story is playing out in the US, where the markets have hit new records. That is significantly driven by the dominant tech firms but also in the hope that two key events occur: The US Federal Reserve cuts interest rates, and Trump backs down on tariffs. US markets edged higher on suggestions by one Fed member that rates should be cut, even though Fed chair Powell has indicated no change until the tariff impact can be calculated. The other big hope is the TACO trade. Investors are banking on Trump Always Chickening Out, presuming he will cave in the face of economic fallout. It's a risky strategy, given the still very punitive tariff levies spelled out in recent letters. But the key indicator of market risk, the VIX measure of market volatility, is not much higher than before Trump came to office at 16.41. In April, when tariffs were announced, it spiked above 52. 'That's another indication of the extreme optimism around the TACO trade,' Dr Oliver said. That sets up the current earnings season as a key test of investor confidence. Companies will need to show profit growth that justifies their expanded multiples or risk sharp repricing. While investment firms are banking on those earnings staying benign, early signs suggest company insiders are already wary. According to data from just 10 per cent of corporate officers are buying their own company's stock. That is well below the 10-year average in the high 20s and far off the peaks above 40 per cent recorded in recent years. It leaves investors with quite the dilemma. Sit the current enthusiasm out and miss out on the steady melt up or bank on a combination of factors all working in unison: a tariff climbdown, a Fed rate cut, a Chinese stimulus, and no other destabilising factors. It's heady stuff, and at these levels, markets can easily run out of oxygen.

Vice Chair Tim Hale has been announced as the new chairman of the Australian Turf Club
Vice Chair Tim Hale has been announced as the new chairman of the Australian Turf Club

News.com.au

time6 hours ago

  • News.com.au

Vice Chair Tim Hale has been announced as the new chairman of the Australian Turf Club

Current vice-chair Tim Hale has won a spirited vote to become the new chairman of the Australian Turf Club (ATC). Joining Hale in the executive reshuffle is Caroline Searcy who will assume the newly vacated role of vice-chair of NSW's premier race club. 'The Board of Directors of the Australian Turf Club has this evening elected Tim Hale SC as Chairman,' an ATC statement read. 'Mr Hale has served on the ATC Board since February 2021 and brings extensive legal expertise, governance experience and a long connection to racing.' The appointments follow the decision by Peter McGauran to step down from his post as chairman prior to the expiration of his current term in January next year. McGauran, who has served on the board since February 2022 including three years as chairman, said he made the decision to vacate the role 'aware of the challenges for the ATC ahead' adding that a new chair 'would provide a renewed focus for the club's future and its members'. The outgoing McGauran was a staunch advocate of the failed bid to sell Rosehill Gardens saying he 'remains convinced it was a lost opportunity for the club and wider racing industry.' 'I am grateful to the 44 per cent of ATC members who voted in favour of the proposal (to sell Rosehill),' McGauran said. 'I believe history will judge the decision to pursue the vision as having been the right one.' But while McGauran was spearheading the mooted $5 billion sale, Hale was in strong opposition from the outset, a position he made clear at the highly publicised Upper House inquiry in August last year. Hale's ascension to chairman of the ATC follows a 4 ½ year tenure on the board which has seen him serve as vice-chair since August 2022. Last November, he was successful in being re-elected for a further four-year term. McGauran's departure will see the ATC Board function with six committee members in the interim. The ATC Board comprises seven directors, four elected by ATC members while three independent directors are appointed by Racing Minister David Harris on the recommendation of a selection panel. With McGauran's place a Government appointment, it will be the role of Minister Harris to set about identifying a replacement.

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