Board Members

Don McLardy - President

Don McLardy has enjoyed a long career in the Insurance Industry. He commenced his
insurance career with OAMPS Limited in 1979 and held many roles culminating in being appointed Managing Director of Australian Operations. He left in 1996 to start his own company, Don McLardy & Associates Pty Ltd.

Following a merger with McShane Business Services in 2007, McLardy McShane Insurance and Financial Services was established and is now a leading independent Insurance & Financial services business based in Melbourne with Don serving as Managing Director. He has a Diploma in Financial Services (Broking) and is a Qualified Practising Insurance Broker (QPIB).

Don is strong believer in the power of Jim Stynes’ Reach Foundation, created to inspire and empower Australian Youth to achieve their dreams. Having supported the supported Reach for over 10 years he is now Chairman of the Reach Board as well as a Governor of the Jim Stynes Foundation. Each year McLardy McShane raises over $150,000 for Reach.

Don’s involvement in the Melbourne Football Club is extensive. Apart from being a life time supporter Don was a member of the Melbourne Executive Club from 1997-2003, he has been a member of the Melbourne Coterie since 2004 and he served on the Melbourne Coterie Committee throughout 2007 and 2008. He also conceived and managed the annual Business of Sport Lunch which now attracts over 1 000 guests each year. He joined the MFC board with Jim Stynes in 2008 and was appointed as Vice President shortly after.

Don was President of Old Camberwell Amateur Football Club in 1982 and 1983, President of Hawthorn Junior Hockey Club in 2005, Coach of the Glen Iris Junior Football Club from 1999 to 2007 and Coach of Hawthorn Junior Hockey Club from 2002 to 2006.

He is a member of the MCC, Metropolitan Golf Club and VRC.

Don is married to Clare and has 4 children – all Demons of course.

Guy Jalland - Vice President

Guy is 51 years of age and holds a Batchelor of Laws degree from Melbourne University.

Commencing in 1998, Guy was employed as a senior executive of Consolidated Press Holdings Limited.  Between 2004 and 2007 Guy acted as Group Legal Counsel and Company Secretary of Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (then 38% owned by CPH).  Following the demerger of PBL last year, Guy returned to CPH.

Before CPH, Guy Jalland was employed as a senior executive with Village Roadshow Limited; as a partner in a Melbourne law firm; and worked in various positions in Asia and Europe.

Guy commutes between Melbourne and Sydney.  He is married with 4 children, and is a lifelong Melbourne supporter.

Peter Spargo - Vice President

Peter is the Managing Director and owner of family companies associated in the oil industry, and now involved property development. He currently employs over 200 staff.

Peter holds a Bachelor of Economics and all his working life been associated with retail businesses. He is well versed in all aspects of business and is well placed to identify revenue opportunities for the club.

Peter serves on the joint MFC/MCC, Bentleigh Club, Commercial sub committee.

He is a life long Melbourne supporter and has a strong family connection with the Melbourne Cricket Club. Peter is an MCC member.

Peter is also involved with community football as a major sponsor of the Prahran Junior FC.

Peter and his family are also commercial sponsors of our club.

Peter is married to Kate and has four sons, all Demons.

Geoff Freeman

Geoff Freeman was a founding partner ( 1975 ) of Freeman McMurrick. He holds an advanced diploma in financial services and is a qualified practising insurance broker.  The business went on to become the largest privately owned Insurance Broking House in Australia. In 2006, Freeman McMurrick was acquired by international insurance giant, Aon, the world’s largest insurance broker. Geoff continues to serve on the Aon Australian Advisory Board and other industry boards.

Geoff is married to Lesley and has two children and six grandchildren. He is a lifelong Melbourne supporter and a Foundation Hero.

 

Stuart Grimshaw

Stuart Grimshaw was appointed Managing Director and CEO of Bank of Queensland in August 2011 and commenced in the role on 1 November 2011.

Stuart has held a wide variety of roles across many functions of banking and finance in a career spanning almost 30 years in Australian financial services, most recently as a Non-Executive Director of Suncorp-Metway Ltd, and Chief Executive Officer of Caledonia Investments Pty Ltd.

Stuart joined Caledonia in 2009 to assist in the growth and development of the Group through a challenging external environment. Caledonia currently manages approximately A$2 billion for more than 400 investors.

Prior to joining Caledonia, Stuart spent seven years leading a variety of functions at Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA).  Initially joining the Bank as Chief Financial Officer in 2001, Stuart was appointed Group Executive, Investment and Insurance Services in 2002.  Over the next four years, he led the integration of Colonial First State in to CBA and the consolidation of the IIS division which was renamed Wealth Management.  His next move was to Premium Business Services in 2006 where he drove a change in the capability and culture of this division as well as re-energising the focus on, and growth of, CBA’s business banking segment.

Prior to joining CBA, Stuart spent a decade with National Australia Bank Limited (NAB), during which time he worked across a range of business areas including Credit, Corporate Banking, Corporate Financial Services and Global Business Financial Services.  His final appointment at NAB was as Chief Executive Officer – Great Britain.  In this role, Stuart was responsible for managing the performance of the Yorkshire and Clydesdale Banks which involved dealing with regulators, the Board of Directors and a staff of 7,500 people.

Stuart commenced his career at Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) in 1983.

Born in New Zealand, Stuart was a talented hockey player and represented New Zealand in the Olympic Games.  As President of Hockey Australia, he remains passionate about this sport.

Karen Hayes

Karen has extensive general management, human resources and strategic consulting experience in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Canada, the United States and many European countries.

Prior to joining Guide Dogs Victoria, as CEO, in November 2011, Karen was the Director, Corporate Engagement and Human Capital with UXC Limited, an ASX300 company and the largest Australian owned ICT Company in the country.

Karen was previously CEO for Planpower, a dominant player in the project management and business consulting arena and one of 10 Business Units of the UXC Group.

She is a past finalist in the Telstra Business Woman of the Year Awards, has been on the Board for the Breast Cancer Network Australia since its inception in 1998 and was appointed to the Board of the Melbourne Football Club in 2006.

Greg Healy

Hailing from Edithvale-Aspendale, and winner of the Morrish Medal in 1983 as Best and Fairest in the Reserves competition, Greg Healy made his senior debut with Melbourne in 1984, five years after older brother Gerard, who departed for the Sydney Swans at the end of 1985.

Best and Fairest in 1986, Healy was renowned for his ball winning and tenacity.  Made vice captain in 1987, in 1988 - aged just 22 - he succeeded Robert Flower as captain of the Melbourne Football Club.  It was by no means an easy role for ‘Sugar’ Healy, but the strength of character that was so much part of his makeup helped him to persevere.

Playing a vital role through Melbourne’s late 1980s resurgence, Healy was an integral part of the team’s finals makeup, including a memorable encounter with brother Gerard in the first semi-final of 1987, when Melbourne downed the Swans by 76 points, following up on a 118 point demolition of the Kangaroos in the elimination final.

After leading Melbourne to the Grand Final in 1988, Healy then took charge for the 1989 night premiership win over Geelong.  With his consistency serving the team well into the new decade, it was deflating for all when Healy suffered an Achilles injury, which curtailed his pre-season heading into 1990.  Relinquishing the captaincy to Garry Lyon for the 1991 season, Healy suffered a serious knee injury after just three games in 1991.  He played eleven games in 1992, and eight in 1993, and was a member of the Club’s Reserves premiership in the same year, before bowing out as a Life Member in the same year.  

With 141 games and 167 goals to his credit, Healy went on to continue his connection with the Club, serving as a Board member in 1997 and 1998, and being named as a ‘Hero’ of the Club for its 150th birthday in 2008, as well as being inducted into the MFC Hall of Fame in the same year.  He now returns to continue the link first forged so long ago, taking on the role of director in a ‘casual vacancy’ capacity.

Russel Howcroft

Russel Howcroft is Executive GM of Network Ten.

Previously Russel was the Regional CEO of the Y&R Group ANZ and CEO of The Furnace, the Havas-owned agency he co-founded as Brandhouse in 1995, Russel has also worked for McCann Erickson and Lowe Howard-Spink in London and did a previous stint at George Patterson.

Russel is a permanent panel member of Andrew Denton’s new ABC TV show “The Gruen Plant" and a regular media contributor.

As the former Chairman of the Advertising Federation of Australia, Russel has addressed a number of major industry issues, from self-regulation to agency remuneration; helped build a strong relationship with the AANA (Australian Association of National Advertisers), and launched the world’s first agency accreditation programme. He is married to Kate and has three children Claudia, Charlie and Louis (demons all).

David Thurin

David Thurin is Managing Director and Owner of Tigcorp, a privately owned company that owns, develops and manages retirement communities. Tigcorp also has a general investment arm, focusing on both listed investments and private equity.

David also worked for property developer and manager; The Gandel Group of Companies.  He was a Director for fourteen years and Joint Managing Director of both the Gandel Group and Gandel Retail Management for six years during a period of accelerated growth.

David has a medical background, and was in private practice for over a decade, holding post-graduate qualifications in obstetrics and gynaecology as well as general practice.  He also holds a Masters Degree in Management from Stanford University, California.

He is currently a Director of Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute and the former President of the International Diabetes Institute.  He is also a member of the World Presidents’ Organisation and the MCC.

David sits on the MFC HR Compliance and Remuneration Subcommittee.

David is married to Lisa and they have three children and all the family members are passionate Demons and Foundations Heroes.

John Trotter

John joined the Board in October 2010. A life long supporter, he has a direct association with the MFC as a member of Coterie, a Committee member of the Melbourne Business Community, a former Redlegs member, a member of the touring group to China and is also a Foundation Hero.

John is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a graduate of Melbourne University.

John recently retired as Managing Partner of Deloitte in Victoria after 37years in the Accounting profession. At Deloitte he was a member of the firm’s National Executive for 14 years and played lead roles in a number of business activities including Global Managing Partner of Risk Services and Asia Pacific Managing Partner of Risk services.

He has consulted to some of the worlds and Australia’s leading businesses focussing on Corporate Governance, risk management and strategic revenue growth.

His football background extends more than 40 years both as a player and an administrator. He played school football for Brighton Grammar, won a premiership in interfaculty football at Melbourne University and has had a continued association at Old Brighton Grammarians Football Club since 1971 where he has filled a number of positions from player to President.

John also played a key role in the formation of the “Peace Team” from the Middle East, which has participated in the last two AFL International Cup competitions.

John is currently consulting to a small number of organisations and has a number of Directorships.