Former North Sydney captain Tony Rea has been appointed the new chief executive of NRL expansion club Perth Bears.
Ahead of the Bears entry into the competition next year, Rea has replaced former Perth boss Anthony De Ceglie, who resigned last month.
Queenslander Rea, 60, has previously been in a similar role with the London Broncos, a club he also coached, and has more than 30 years of experience in professional sport – including in rugby union with the ACT Brumbies – and international business.
“I’ve sat in almost every seat in a club – player, captain, development officer, head coach, director of rugby and board member,” Rea said.
“My job as CEO is not to do any one of those jobs, but rather to use that experience to lead our professional team together as one, committed to success.
“The Perth Bears have assembled an exceptional and professional team. They have achieved so much in such a short amount of time and I look forward to leading them as CEO into this next chapter.
“Our hungry and determined squad has been curated under the wise leadership of (head coach) Mal Meninga.
“Our task is to ensure they have every support needed to be the formidable team we know they can be.
“My professional work over the last decade has exposed me, albeit from a distance, to the determination, resilience and grit of West Australians.
“I’m delighted I’ll be calling WA home and even more delighted to be part of developing more rugby league talent out of WA.”
Bears chairman Ben Morton said Rea’s “experience” was what the club needed.
“There are three distinct phases in our club’s journey – start-up, build and develop, “ Morton said.
“We have successfully navigated the start-up phase and Tony brings the leadership needed for our build phase,” he said.
“This is a known concept in WA, aligned with our resources sector where companies move from exploration to construction and then production.
“Getting the leadership right at each phase is critical for success. As a board, we are delighted with Tony’s appointment.
“Tony, as CEO, will bring our high-performing teams together as one. Tony has the leadership attributes and experience needed.
“Critically, Tony is a proven mentor who is dedicated to ensuring Perth Bears’ success on and off the field. Tony shares our commitment to growing rugby league across WA.”
Originally published as Tony Rea named Perth Bears chief executive ahead of club’s NRL debut season