With the CEO now announced and key infrastructure funding announcements imminent, Ai Group continues to keep members up to date with the latest news around the build up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympics and Paralympics through our Business2032 inititaive.
CEO is announced
Former Deloitte Australia and Deloitte Asia Pacific chief executive Cindy Hook was announced as CEO for the Games late last year and is keen to ensure the 2032 event leaves a lasting legacy for the region.
In an interview with the Courier-Mail, Ms Hook said she understood that while the Games was the ultimate spectacle, how they will transform Brisbane and the south east Queensland region will be the ultimate challenge.
“There is a huge opportunity to put Brisbane on the global map,” she said.
“And I mean that not just to draw tourism, which will be one thing, but to draw people to want to come and live here.
“That drives a thriving economy, and it brings businesses that want to invest, tap into the innovation and the resources – namely people resources – that call Brisbane their home. All of that drives economic prosperity.”
Asked how she will manage the demands of multiple levels of government throughout the decade – with a Premier, a Prime Minister, and a Lord Mayor sure to want their needs and demands met – Ms Hook has spent significant time contemplating just that.
“This role, as much as anything, is about stakeholder engagement,” she said.
“In my last role I had to co-ordinate 70,000 people across 19 countries. These are countries from Japan to China, to Singapore to Australia to New Zealand, all with very different agendas and views. So I have had quite a bit of experience with complex stakeholder management, not to underestimate this one.
“But I think when you treat people with respect and transparency, share a common vision and goals – yes, there are going to be differences of opinion but you can work to a common ground.”
Ms Hook has been given an initial four-year contract – but said she sees herself being at the helm right until show time.
“I think you chunk these things down in your mind – you think what am I going to do for the first three or four years, and then there’s a next phase, and a phase after that,” she said.
“I think it’s a logical way as an executive to think about it. We will set goals and priorities for those first four years about establishing the organisation, setting it up in a way so that it is on very solid ground, with the right process and procedures that will stand up to scrutiny.
“Set the culture, set the strategy, set the vision, and get the team. That will be the first phase.
“Then you get more operational in the middle phase, and then you’ll be into delivering/ I am viewing this as a long-term commitment.”
Time to be positive
The Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympics are the first to be contractually obligated to be climate positive.
That means any business hoping to leverage the opportunities afforded by the Games, will have to be structed in a way to meet the event’s climate goals.
A paper out of the University of Queensland states that while the goal can be achieved through a combination of emission reduction methods and carbon offsets one of it key recommendations is the need for that more partnerships with the private sector.
You can read the paper here
Provide input into Legacy plan
The Brisbane 2032 Legacy Plan will define how the region takes advantage of the Games over a 10+10+ year period to drive opportunities that ensure lasting benefits before, during and after the Games.
To capture ideas, the Queensland Government has launched a “Hopes and Dreams” initiative. These inputs will help develop the Brisbane 2032 Legacy Plan.
Messages are being accepted until March 3 and there is also an opportunity to join the Legacy Forum, with applications for that closing on February 20.
Ai Group has been invited to attend a Legacy Forum meeting on March 22 and will be represented by Queensland Head Rebecca Andrews.
Learn more about the program here
Lend me your ear
Not everyone has time to read the latest happenings on the Olympic front, so we have tracked down a couple of podcasts you can tune into
The Courier-Mail’s editor Chris Jones and radio personality Luttsy produce a regular Towards the Games podcasts. Their latest one provides some insights into the behind-the-scenes machinations around the Gabba rebuild and the Brisbane Live concept. Check it out here
In the other podcast produced by EY, Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner explains how challenges of being Australia’s fastest-growing regional capital drove the decision to bid for the Games and how hosting them will help address those challenges, particularly the need for infrastructure investment.
Listen here
What are your priorities?
Business2032 has been set up for Ai Group members, so let us know what you need to know to make the most of the Olympic and Paralympic opportunity and we will work to join the dots. Email your thoughts to: steve.zeppa@aigroup.com.au
Steve Zeppa is Ai Group's National Director of Marketing, Content and Digital and is responsible for the marketing and content strategy at Ai Group, including oversight of brand execution and the evolution of the organisation's digital presence.
