New boss plans to make club a temple for local businesses

Alex de Vos
A leading Geelong restauranteur has taken the reins at the city’s business club.
Geelong Business Club members elected Le Parisien Restaurant and Wharf Shed Café owner Jean-Paul Temple president on Monday night.
Mr Temple took over the club’s top job from Committee for Geelong executive director Peter Dorling in front of 310 members at the club’s monthly meeting. Mr Temple, a member of the club for about 10 years, said he was “very honoured” to become president and thanked members for their support.
“It’s a great role and a great club and I’m very excited to be involved,” Mr Temple said.
He hoped to use his presidency to continue the club’s growth rate of recent years while promoting it as a “strong network” for local businesspeople.
The 40-year-old organisation was initially titled Geelong Businessmen’s Club but dropped ‘men’ from the middle word of its name several years ago to encourage female membership.
Mr Temple said the club was open to business owners from around the Geelong region.
“We meet once a month for dinner to network and listen to a guest speaker,” he said.
“We have speakers from various industries or from the army or a politician, for example.”