The promotional material on its website says: “Narellan Chamber of Commerce invites you to attend our March General Meeting, featuring our guest speaker, South Sydney Rabbitohs CEO, Shane Richardson.
Narellan chamber is run by professional people, so I am sure they would have checked to make sure that by the time Shane Richardson gets up to speak on Wednesday, March 11 at Harrington Grove Club his title hasn’t changed.
But it is true that Shane Richardson – who is currently the longest serving CEO in the game – is in a transitional period, having accepted a job offer from the NRL to become its “game strategy and development’’ tsar, putting him in the top three or four most powerful positions in rugby league.
The question though is: when is he starting in his new job, and as far as Narellan Chamber of Commerce is concerned, more specifically, is it before or after March 11?
Officially so far the NRL has said Richardson will be moving into his new office at NRL headquarters in early March.
Either way, Macarthur and Liverpool business people will find Richardson a captivating guest speaker who has enjoyed a lot of success at the footy clubs he has run.
In 1993 Richardson moved from Queensland to take up his first role in the National Rugby League with the Cronulla Sharks where he stayed for five years before accepting a position in the UK Super League with Hull FC.
He is the only Australian to ever be appointed to the English Super League Board.
Richardson returned to Australia in 2002 as CEO at Penrith and was part of the team that took the Penrith Panthers to their 2003 premiership win.
This was only the second premiership in the history of the club, and it came just two seasons after they had finished last in 2001.
In 2004 he accepted his current position with the Rabbitohs and has successfully implemented business plans to ensure the club’s stability and security. The Rabbitohs now have the most members of any club in the NRL and are the only Sydney club to make a profit.
Richardson is also an experienced and well respected public speaker. He completed his Commerce degree at Queensland University and attended Ipswich Grammar School and Corinda High School. He lives in Coogee with his wife Kate.
If you wish to attend on March 11, go to the website of Narellan Chamber for more information.
