MELBOURNE has promoted rising administrators Ryan Larkin and Ryan Earles to key general manager roles after the resignation of long-serving and highly-regarded general manager of marketing and communications Jennifer Watt.
Chief executive Peter Jackson said with Watt’s departure to the Melbourne Cricket Club – where she has been appointed general manager of commercial operations and partnerships – the club had taken the opportunity to further align its structure to key strategic objectives.
In the process, Jackson, a committed developer of people, has promoted Larkin to general manager of stakeholder relationships and communications, and Earles to general manager marketing and growth.
“Jen’s departure created the opportunity for us to review the club structure and ensure strong alignment to our current and future objectives,” he told melbournefc.com.au.
“An imperative for this club is to grow our fan base and to do that we must attract new audiences to the club. This important strategic objective of the club is now reflected with this new structure and the appointment of Ryan Earles to the role of general manager marketing and growth.
“In Ryan’s five years at the club, he has demonstrated very strong leadership in this area, as well as an excellent grasp of current and future trends in the digital landscape.
“Ryan Larkin has built outstanding relationships in the media and across the club’s key stakeholders in his time at the club. I know this elevation will help to further grow the club’s ability to provide the very best coverage and communications for our club and supporters, along with nurturing the key relationships that are critical for our club’s success.”
Watt has given Melbourne outstanding service across several roles since 2003.
In 2016, she received the Graeme Samuel Scholarship award and was seconded to the AFL and Etihad Stadium as part of her achievement.
She also won the Jim Stynes Award during her time at the club.
Larkin joined Melbourne as an 18-year-old in 2005 and has since become one of the longest-serving administrators at the club. He has continually progressed, with his most recent position as Melbourne’s media manager, which also included overseeing the club’s digital content strategy and department. He forged a reputation as one of the best and most experienced in the AFL. Few, if any, currently in the game have accomplished what he has achieved at just 30 years old.
During some of the club’s most difficult times, Larkin was awarded the Jim Cardwell CEO’s award and the Jim Stynes Award (twice) – a outstanding achievement given his relative youth at the time and the testing nature of where the club was positioned.
Earles joined the club in 2012 from News Limited and has been a consistent achiever at Melbourne.
He has been the club’s digital marketing manager, and recently gained a promotion with the addition of overseeing fan growth strategy. He played a leading role in the development of the club’s new brand strategy and visual identity.
Earles initiated the development of the club’s inaugural Reconciliation Action Plan and was a project lead on The Welcome Game, which was one of several initiatives designed to grow and diversify the Melbourne supporter base. For the record, almost 7,000 people who registered for free tickets came to the game to experience for the first time what is great about Melbourne and our game.
Jackson is known for developing his people, and several of his former charges now hold significant roles across the AFL and broader sports industry.
He said: “The club is committed to the development of the people that work here and play for us and I’m delighted that these two candidates have been appointed from within. I know they will make an even more significant contribution to the future success of the Melbourne Football Club in these new roles.”
