RE-BUILDING trust with the rugby public, stakeholders and fans is the biggest work on for the newly-appointed Fiji Rugby Union chief executive officer Koli Sewabu.
Sewabu was officially announced the new CEO of the Fiji Rugby yesterday, after serving in the acting position for six months.
He carries on a legacy left by past CEOs and will now hold the responsibility of steering Rugby House through new waters and higher standards expected of a Tier One nation.
With various changes expected to be made in the coming months, the essence of gaining trust remains a defining pillar for Sewabu and his team.
“I’m really grateful to be in this position now. I know it is a massive task; there’s a lot to do as rugby matters to everyone.
“We know that we have a lot of gaps, a lot of trust to build especially with the rugby public and our stakeholders and fans. That’s probably the biggest thing that we are going to work towards- is to make sure we earn their trust and service our people. That’s what we are focusing on doing in the next couple of years,” Sewabu said in an interview with his newspaper.
The 27-cap former Flying Fijian had his work cut out while serving in the acting CEO position for the past six months however, his dedication and drive spoke testament of his calibre as a leader.
“Mr Sewabu’s performance in the last six months as acting CEO demonstrated strong leadership, sound judgement and a clear understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing Fiji Rugby. His appointment reflects the Board’s confidence in his ability to lead the organisation forward. As CEO, Mr Sewabu will focus on strengthening governance, ensuring financial sustainability, supporting our national teams and driving the development of rugby at all levels throughout our country,” FRU Board chairman John Sanday said.
Sewabu was shortlisted along with four other candidates, one of whom was Hong Kong’s Director of Rugby Operations Andrew Durutalo.
