The Board of the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles and CEO, Lyall Gorman, have agreed that Lyall will transition from his current role as CEO to lead the Centre of Excellence project on the Club’s behalf.

This follows on from the Club’s recent announcements regarding the securing of $32.5M of NSW State and Commonwealth Government Grant to construct a Centre of Excellence at Lottoland.

Gorman has held the position of Sea Eagles CEO since November 2017. Prior to this role, he held numerous senior positions across several professional sporting organisations including Group CEO at the Cronulla Sharks and the founding CEO of the Western Sydney Wanderers and the Central Coast Mariners.

During his previous roles, Gorman worked with each organisation to bring to life various property assets and is well placed to ensure the Sea Eagles maximise the Centre of Excellence.

Sea Eagles Chairman Scott Penn said it is vital for the Sea Eagles that the Centre of Excellence has a dedicated focus without the demands of the day to day operations of a Football Club.

“We’re excited to have someone with Lyall’s experience lead what is one of the most important projects and financial commitments in our Club’s history,” Penn said.

“The Centre of Excellence will deliver state-of-the-art training, administration, community and multi-purpose facilities that will ensure the Sea Eagles can compete at the highest level and it is vital that the project is delivered on time and on budget. Lyall is perfectly positioned to deliver our goals.”

The Sea Eagles will start the process to recruit a new CEO in the near future, however, in the meantime, Gary Wolman, a Sea Eagles Director and Part Owner will assume the role of Interim CEO until a full-time replacement is found.

“On behalf of myself, my fellow board members, our members and fans, I would like to thank Lyall for his contribution, guidance and leadership as CEO over the past 18 months,” Penn said.

“We look forward to this next exciting chapter as we continue on our journey to become a benchmark Club across sport in Australia.”

Gorman said he was looking forward to continuing to work on the Centre of Excellence project.

“It has been a privilege and a pleasure to be the CEO of this great Club and I will continue to do everything I can to work with both Board and Management to deliver this vital piece of infrastructure,’’ Gorman said.

“The achievement of our property and stadia related goals will be a major driver of our future sustainability as a Club. I am incredibly excited and committed to bringing this next chapter of our Club’s rich history to life.”