Craig Vozzo will be Essendon chief executive.Credit:Getty Images
Vozzo had been groomed as a potential successor for Trevor Nisbett as chief executive of the Eagles.
Originally practising as a lawyer in Adelaide before moving into player management,Vozzo moved to the Eagles to head up list management and became their head of football for eight years until last November when moved across to become senior corporate counsel,a position that exposed him to the commercial side of the business.
He presents as having an ideal blend of skills for the Bombers after they parted ways with Xavier Campbell,citing a desire to improve the focus on football as a key concern for the club.
Essendon acknowledged that while they had enjoyed significant improvements in the commercial side of the business,the football department needed more attention.
Essendon’s then-chief executive Xavier Campbell and club president David Barham in August.Credit:Paul Jeffers,The Age
Former North Melbourne chief executive Carl Dilena,now working at St Kilda,had also been on the shortlist for the job.
The appointment is important for president David Barham after the drama surrounding the short-lived appointment of Thorburn,which is now the subject of legal action.