Equestrian Australia has today announced it plans to transition to a new CEO, with current CEO Darren Gocher not planning to renew his contract later this year.
“Equestrian Australia and our CEO, Darren Gocher, have agreed to the transition to a new CEO to lead the organisation into the next phase,” reads a statement from the EA board released earlier today.
“Darren informed the EA Board last month, that he would not be taking up the option to renew his contract later this year. As Equestrian Australia is embarking on the next stage of its strategy and in order to ensure a smooth hand-over, Darren and EA have agreed to a transition plan and an effective date of 1 October 2024.”
EA Chair Christie Freeman thanked Darren for his efforts over the last three and a half years. “There has been a significant amount of progress for the organisation. Darren took the reins as EA exited from Voluntary Administration. We are a vastly different organisation now, with a lot of positive momentum. The EA Board wishes to thank and congratulate Darren for his leadership over that period. There is still a lot of work to do, as we tackle structural reform, recalibrate and transform Equestrian Australia over the next few years. We will shortly be looking for an exceptional new leader to guide the organisation through this next phase and ensure we continue to have a thriving and sustainable sport, structured for the benefit of our members and the Equestrian community.”
CEO Darren Gocher added, “it has been a rewarding three and a half years at EA, but it is the right time for new leadership. The organisation has achieved an enormous amount in that time. I will be continuing through the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, before transitioning. I’m confident that we will see our athletes perform exceptionally well on the world stage in Paris and wish them all the best. I then want to ensure a positive handover and to leave the sport in a strong place. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our partners and the broader sport sector for their continued support. I’d also particularly like to thank the EA staff, Board, State Branches and Discipline Committees for their dedication and efforts and also our members for their passionate and loyal support of the sport”.
EA’s board says it will be commencing the search for a new CEO in the coming months.
Source: Equestrian Australia press release
You can read Equestrian Life’s interview with Darren Gocher when he first took over the reins as EA CEO in the August 2021 issue of Equestrian Life here.
