John Kanga to serve as executive chairman of the Melbourne Racing Club following the departure of CEO Tom Reilly
Chairman John Kanga will again spearhead a new-look Melbourne Racing Club administration.
Kanga has assumed the honorary role of executive chairman and confirmed the club would not seek to fill its chief executive officer vacancy.
The MRC last Monday terminated former chief executive Tom Reilly.
Tanya Fullerton, the newly-appointed chief operating officer, is slated to start on Thursday.
'The club will not be recruiting for a CEO,' Kanga told this masthead.
'Tanya is the chief operating officer and we're also going to bolster our racing operations.'
Kanga served as executive chairman from October last year to February, until Reilly started.
He backed Fullerton to do 'an excellent job'.
Fullerton, vice-chairman of the Thoroughbred Racehorse Owners' Association, has worked closely with Kanga the past six months in particular on the 'Save Our Sandown' campaign.
Kanga refused to comment on the reasons behind a 'unanimous' MRC board decision to remove Reilly last Monday.
He would also not be drawn on the resignation of long-time MRC committee member Barb Saunders.
As revealed by the Herald Sun on Tuesday, Saunders resigned in protest of the Reilly termination, the Fullerton appointment and MRC governance.
Kanga has deferred any discussions on a potential casual vacancy replacement for Saunders to the next MRC committee meeting in two weeks.
The MRC could proceed with nine on the committee through to its September election.
Kanga is one of three committee members, including Alison Saville and Frank Pollio, up for election this year.
Kanga said the MRC has a strong management structure in place.
'The team is working hard to deliver a fantastic Spring Carnival at Caulfield,' Kanga said.
In a letter to members, following the Reilly termination, Kanga said the current administration has 'turned the club around' and restored member and industry confidence 'making common sense decisions'.
Kanga sighted key milestones, including the saving of racing at Sandown, relocating the Caulfield racecourse mounting yard to its original position and reversing the proposal to build a 'wasteful' new grandstand at The Heath.
The MRC last year under Kanga's watch also entered into an agreement to sell a parcel of land next to Caulfield racecourse for $195m.
'That does not mean that we cannot improve,' Kanga said.
'Tanya and I and the MRC management team will work hard, on an ongoing basis, to deliver better services and results for members.'
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