Chris Lander, interim CD Cricket CEO. Photo / Duncan Brown
He is interim CEO for six months but Chris Lander is hoping to retain a permanent position at the behest of the new Central Districts Cricket board when it convenes at its annual meeting this year.
"It's an exciting role for me. I feel I'm ready for a CEO role within cricket," says Lander, who has more than 15 years of experience with Auckland cricket in two roles, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) and the Cricket World Cup (CWC) staged earlier this year.
"I have good understanding of what works and what doesn't and how tough it can be out there for those who are in the district area rather than at the top end looking at first-class or even higher teams," says the 53-year-old Wellington-born man who is at the helm after Neil "Pods" Hood resigned in less than a year on April 24, having succeeded Hugh Henderson.
Lander, who was educated at Rathkeale College in Masterton, was club cricket manager (1997-2003) and cricket operations manager (2003-10) in his 13-year tenure with Auckland cricket.
He had a six-month stint with NZC in preparing an "alternative plan" for the 2011 CWC in India amid concerns of acts of terrorism but bringing the tourney to New Zealand and Australia didn't eventuate.
In January 2011, Lander arrived in Hawke's Bay from Auckland for a change of scenery and accepted the role of general manager of Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports Club who won the Maddison Trophy and celebrated their 125th jubilee during his reign.
His 11-month term with NZC as CWC project manager, based in Wellington, entailed seeing through the 10-team qualifying segment that saw Scotland and UAE prevail.
It pleased the ICC so Lander secured a 12-month contract working with cup national operations manager Gavin Larsen, resulting in becoming match manager of all cup matches in Wellington, Napier and Hamilton, including a quarterfinal.
"We went up to the cup final [in Melbourne] with some colleagues and returned home with the reality of not having a job," he says with a laugh but relishing the time out from world cup demands.
However, CD board chairman Blair Robinson contacted Lander on April 28 to ask him to take up the six-month contract as interim CEO and he gleefully did with the intention of making a career out of it.
"There's an awful lot of people who are working very, very hard for the game for not a lot of financial reward but love the game and are passionate about it.
"That's where I am. I love it, I'm passionate about it and I'm lucky to be able to be in a role where I'm actually paid for that passion so I want to reward those who are with me on that to make sure they can enjoy being involved as well," he says.
"I'd love to stay involved with CD. I feel that after the two years I've had in Napier, my wife and I felt it was a new home for us but only the lure of Cricket World Cup pulled us away from it.
"The opportunity to be involved in a world event in a sport that I loved in my own country was too good to pass up because it wasn't going to come along again in my lifetime ... at 80 years of age when the next time it comes around, I expect I might be handing out a towel in the changing rooms or something like that."
After coming to Napier, it was a case of putting his money where his mouth was and to see if he was right.
"I'm pleased to say in most areas I think I was. We made some good changes at Pirate, which they have been able to adopt and retain."
He hailed the input of the nuclear staff working at CD Cricket to ensure the code grows, especially after the warm fuzzies of the CWC.
"That's true, partly, but we've still got an awful lot of work to do. It's not a silver bullet. It's not going to change the way the game is delivered around the country," says Lander, mindful the region still needs its volunteers and workaholics to keep things moving.
"It's up to me and others like me at other first-class associations and New Zealand Cricket to make sure we keep the interest up among the coaches and administrators to deliver the game."
Lander feels he has a bit to learn and considers the interim six months vital in ensuring "the winter is dealt with properly" in regards to player contracts and financial budgeting, on top of match scheduling.
CD better off but taking care with purse strings
CD Cricket is not in the financial doldrums to the extent it was last year and expects to turn over a "very small profit or small loss" this year, according to interim CEO Chris Lander.
Lander says CD is still working around the finer details but adds beyond that "money is always tight".
"New Zealand Cricket have always got ideas, so we'd like to share those in the development of the game but everything costs money so we're going to make assessments in prioritising how the dollar is spent."
That entails gauging the sponsorship climate although in his brief tenure at the helm, he has not had the opportunity to work out what predecessor Neil Hood did to turn around the major association's financial fortunes.
"It's a question best answered by the board, not me."
Lander's pressing engagement has been to visit CD's scattered districts to meet protagonists "to understand who they are, meet them face to face so they know who I am".
CD has not made any radical changes to its staffing model.
Asked what he thinks of Wellington pushing for a redefining of boundaries to boost its numbers, Lander says his "old sparring partner from Wellington", Peter Clinton, and he worked together in Auckland cricket.
"I've not discussed that with Pete but he made some noise about it before the arrival of the World Cup but I think any changes made to boundaries are very much in the future and will form a very big part of any planning NZ Cricket do over the next few years.
"I certainly don't see that eventuating quickly or without a great deal of thought."
Lander puts his strengths down to "relationship building" as well as a good grasp of grassroots and community cricket.
The 53-year-old recognises and appreciates the need to acknowledge diligent volunteers.
He has empathy with the districts in terms of personnel involved and believes he can add value there.
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