Dees name Stan exec as new boss after shock sacking
Joanna Guelas |
Melbourne have appointed Stan executive Dan Taylor to replace sacked boss Paul Guerra.
Taylor already sits on the club’s board as a non-executive director and will take over from interim chief executive Brian Cook in the coming months.
His appointment was announced on Wednesday, just a day after Guerra was sensationally dumped by the Demons.
Guerra has flagged legal action against the club, having been sacked only seven months after he officially started the role.
During Guerra’s short tenure, the Demons have flourished under first-year coach Steven King and boast a 5-2 record to sit fourth on the AFL ladder.
Guerra was integral in Melbourne’s decision to appoint King as a replacement for 2021 premiership coach Simon Goodwin, who was sacked last August.
But in a statement to the Seven Network, club president Steven Smith said the board had lost confidence in Guerra’s ability to lead the club.
Smith said Taylor boasted experience the club needed, with the incoming chief executive overseeing Stan Entertainment and Stan Sport in his role as executive director at the streaming service.
Taylor’s career also spans senior roles at Macquarie Capital and REA Group.
“Dan has built his career making complex businesses work in competitive environments, and he brings to us the strategic and commercial thinking we need,” Smith said in a statement.
“His leadership experience and understanding of what it takes to grow a high-performance organisation will be a great asset for the club.
“Dan has already made a significant contribution to the club as a non-executive director, and we look forward to continuing to work with him as CEO to achieve sustained success.”
Taylor will be one of many to sit in the club’s hot seat since Gary Pert quit in October 2024.
Pert was succeeded by interim boss David Chippindall, before Guerra – then boss of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry – was appointed last April.
Meanwhile, Smith is the club’s fourth president in the past six years.
Taylor will be tasked with handling the club’s proposed relocation from Casey Fields to Caulfield racecourse, having also met competition from Richmond in a battle to secure Waverley Park as an interim base.
AAP