The Geelong Cats and Higher Mark hosted a packed After 5 event as the Geelong Chamber of Commerce farewelled outgoing chief officer Ben Flynn.
A 350-strong crowd packed into the Geelong Social Club rooms to hear Geelong Cats chief officer Simon Kelleher speak about the club’s 2022 premiership season and its preparations for the 2023 AFL season.
Chamber members were also introduced to incoming CEO Jeremy Crawford, who spoke about his enthusiasm for working with members of the local business community.
Mr Flynn welcomed Mr Crawford to the role.
“It was great to hear from Jeremy, and I think one of the greatest things is having that smooth transition from one CEO to another,” Mr Flynn said.
“I’m really pleased, the board’s really pleased and they know Jeremy’s going to do a great job.”
Having stepped into the role of chief officer in April 2019, Mr Flynn said he had enjoyed his time as Chamber CEO.
“It’s been a real privilege, watching all our members come together during difficult times, supporting each other and supporting the Chamber to be able to reach out and make sure we took as many businesses with us throughout the pandemic,” he said.
“It was a moment in time that, let’s hope, we never see again. But I’m thankful for the opportunity.
“I’ve learnt so much about myself and about the Geelong ecosystem and feel even more confident these days that Geelong’s in a really good space and looking to continue to grow and thrive.
“I want to say a big thank you to everyone for supporting me, and thank you to the board and the team. I leave feeling really buoyant and really proud of what we’ve been able to achieve and really confident in the future.”
