USA Rugby Needs an Outsider to be its Next CEO

A couple weeks ago I received a link for the USA Rugby CEO job on my Roosters Rugby group chat. I was excited to hear about the opening thinking to myself, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. With over 30-years as a player, coach, and sponsor, and life-long fan of the sport, I immediately replied to the post stating, "I'm submitting my application today!" This, of course was met with support, criticism, and some colorful comments that I can't share on LinkedIn.

Over the next couple weeks, I started researching USA rugby. I spoke with representatives within the organization and members of the broader rugby community, which included sponsors, vendors, and friends to further my understanding beyond paying dues and going to coaching clinics. My conversations revealed a consistent theme. I was told by multiple people that I didn't have a chance because the position would go to an individual within the organization.

This only strengthened my resolve to be the next CEO, so I commissioned ENODO Global to perform a Social Media investigation, conducted and audit of the organization's financials, familiarized myself with its Bylaws, and created an org chart to understand the different stakeholders. I also reached out to members of the Board of Directors and staff to introduce myself and the work I had done previously to support Major League Rugby (MLR).

I quickly learned that my dream job; traveling around the world being the face of the organization was not exactly what I was signing up for. The next CEO would have to manage a lack of trust and confidence among its members, high levels of negative public sentiment, structural impediments that inhibit operations, and poor financial conditions, not to mention planning the Rugby World Cup on the horizon.

My due diligence made me realize that the next CEO must be an outsider if the organization intends to tackle its current issues and overcome the challenges it faces in the future; the growing demands of members, partners and stakeholders. The next CEO must have a vision for the organization and its future. He or she must have a passion for the game, business acumen to lead and grow the organization, and the courage to question existing organizational constructs and norms. An insider would only perpetuate the problems.

So I doubled down on my efforts to be the next CEO. I drafted a CONOP to deliver a vision for the organization and framework for the execution of a sustainable long-term strategy. The CONOP is based on three lines of effort (e.g., Rebranding, Revenue Generation, and Organization Composition), which are designed to improve the organization’s standing within the rugby ecosystem, streamline and optimize its operations, and grow the organization to meet the increasing needs of current and future members, partners, and stakeholders.

I shared the CONOP with my personal network to get their feedback and measure their responses. I modified the CONOP based on the feedback I received and submitted it to the hiring team to demonstrate my commitment to become the next CEO and genuine desire to see the organization succeed.

However, my efforts didn't end there. I decided to improve my chances by sharing the CONOP with a greater audience. USA Rugby needs a bold leader that is willing to make difficult decision and accept risk, which is why I decided to use my social media platforms to create awareness of my intent to be the next CEO.

That said, I ask everyone to share my vision to be the next CEO of USA Rugby and the CONOP among your personal and professional networks. Hopefully, your efforts will create a tsunami of support to ensure the hiring team picks the right candidate and guarantees the future success of rugby in the US.

Click on the link below to read the CONOP.

https://enodoglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/USA-Rugby-Concept-of-Operations-CONOP.pdf