Search on for new “visionary” CEO of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras

Search on for new “visionary” CEO of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras

REPLENISHING the diminishing coffers of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras will be a key priority for the organisation’s new chief executive with the search for a new one beginning in earnest late last week.

The recruitment drive was sparked by current chief executive Michael Rolik’s announcement in August that he intended to step down following the 2015 season after five years in the top job.

Australia’s two largest LGBTI festivals are now both looking for new leaders, after Melbourne’s Midsumma festival director Monique Thorpe unexpectedly resigned from her role last month.

The change of leadership comes at a difficult time for Mardi Gras with the organisation flagging a downsizing of the iconic Party after a $46,000 profit in 2013 turned into a $178,000 loss last season.

Meanwhile, in August, the discovery of a number of membership applications labelled as “dubious” led to many new members being prevented from voting in board elections.

However, in the last few months, members resolved a long-running debate within Mardi Gras about the most effective way to protect the festival’s intellectual property.

The Mardi Gras job advertisement calls for a “visionary senior executive or CEO” to “revolutionise” Mardi Gras and “build a robust sustainable business model”.

Applicants will be expected to spend almost half of their role managing the day-to-day activities of Mardi Gras and preparing business strategies with the rest of their time devoted to financial management, staff engagement and building the organisation’s reputation.

Mardi Gras marketing and communications manager Paul Stuart said top priorities for the new chief executive will include “reconnecting with our base and ensuring Mardi Gras remains relevant for all our communities, growing membership and ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of the organisation”.

The role’s job description heralds changes to Mardi Gras with applicants having to demonstrate how they would lead “the organisation and its people through a period of renewal”.

Steph Sands, Co-chair of Mardi Gras from 2010-2011, praised Rolik’s stewardship particularly during the 2010 season when, shortly after his arrival, he had to manage the infamous “scheduling error” which led to the Parade and Party being held on separate weekends.

In all his years in the role Michael has been the ultimate gentleman, working tirelessly to improve the organisation from his crippling starting point and has always acted in the best interests of the company in everything he has done,” Sands said.

It is a different organisation now to what it was then, mainly due to Michael’s leadership, professionalism and vision.”

Talking the Star Observer, Rolik said it had been a privilege to lead one of the world’s most iconic festivals and work alongside a team of talented and diverse people.

“I feel this season is now right for me to move on,” he said.

“I am most proud of initiating a long term strategy of building a sustainable Mardi Gras, lifting the artistic and production standards of the Parade and Party, securing national free to air broadcast and the work done to create a fairer, more inclusive culture of achievement for our most valuable assets, our volunteers, community and staff.”

Rolik has once before announced he would leave the role of Mardi Gras chief. In 2012 he said he would not be renewing his contract — a decision later overturned.

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34 responses to “Search on for new “visionary” CEO of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras”

  1. Where is the information about the role, the search firm and how to express interest? The role should be properly advertised.

  2. Remove the over the top like sexual behaviour from the parade it makes the straight community think that we’re all sex crazy.. But yet again some of its nice

  3. Fuck paying for road closure for a parade…. Let’s meet at Taylor square at noon in our thousands and sing, dance and pash whoever we want to the early hours of morning p.s. bring a sponge cake!

  4. Provide our community wiv the love n support our community needs support our younger people show the world that we are equal n of course put on the biggest Madri Gras festival

    • Troy: It was NEVER meant to be a gay festival put on by gays for gays. It was a protest to demonstrate solidarity with other gay people throughout the world and to show the heterosexual majority that there was no justification for the discrimination shown toward people on the basis of their sexuality.

    • Keith, actually the first Mardi Gras was intended and advertised as a street festival (which was the words used on the poster). The protest proper happened earlier in the day, in between was a public forum.

      It was advertised as a Day of International Gay Solidarity, but was explicitly intended to show solidarity for the Briggs initiative in SF, show support for law reform and promote the forthcoming 4th national homosexual conference. The Mardi Gras concept came later, and wasn’t part of the initial plans, and was intended as an American style street party.

    • I’d invite Baz Luhrmann to throw something Internet based together. A Rainbowrific Free to View Spectacular ( DVD sold for $? )

      No geo blocking, no moderation or censorship, a free speech protest (GLBT focused) like no other on Earth. If you don’t like looking, turn it off – that’s Internet freedom!

      Love is the Glue in CommUnity.
      Community TV is the future of entertainment, education and social inclusion.

    • I agree live broadcast…But the parade itself needs to be more stringent on entries & perhaps an entire audio system with a DJ spinning the decks @ Taylor Sq! so you don’t hear the same song every second float ie On a night like this KM…It needs to have some real Panache! (ie Rio Carnival) So its worthy of a global broadcast…

    • Is that freedom tho?
      Dictating music, selling music rights, buying music rights etc etc the protest should be a protest – just a gay & peaceful possibly very funny one.

      Half the surprise is, what music the floats play. I’d like more live music on the floats on the parade.

  5. To show that GLBTI people are normal and their behaviour is natural. I would want to show the world that GLBTI people must be given total equality as per the Charter of Human Rights which Australia is a signatory to. The parade would be a balance of issues affecting GLBTI people and a celebration of the colour, vibrancy and success which GLBTI people have contributed to Australian culture.