Media man Mike Tancred to leave AOC

Thursday, 14 September 2017:

Mike Tancred says he's collateral damage from an unseemly spat after losing his job as Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) media director.

But Tancred has ruled out legal action after being dismissed from his 18-year job despite being cleared of five separate bullying allegations.

Tancred says he's the victim of a bitter campaign for the AOC presidency, retained by incumbent John Coates from challenger Danni Roche.

"I was caught in the crossfire of that dispute," Tancred told AAP on Thursday.

"I did what any loyal employee would do, and that is support the head of the organisation. I have no regrets about doing that.

"I supported John Coates in a bitter dispute and I'm collateral damage in that dispute. But so be it."

Tancred stood down in April in the midst of the AOC presidential campaign when former AOC chief Fiona de Jong went public with her bullying complaint against him.

Tancred was exonerated by an independent committee established by the AOC but was severely reprimanded for abusing de Jong in a phone call late last year.

Separately, the committee of former judges also heard four other bullying claims against Tancred - three from former AOC staffers and another from a person outside the peak Olympic organisation.

A fortnight ago, Tancred was cleared of those four claims and said he wanted to return to work.

But the AOC's new chief executive Matt Carroll said on Thursday that Tancred would be leaving the AOC.

Tancred dismissed speculation he would take legal action for unfair dismissal.

Tancred said he had signed a confidentiality agreement, and was selling his Sydney property to move to Lennox Head on the NSW north coast.

With Tancred gone, the AOC has created two new roles - a head of public affairs and communications; and a head of people and culture.

Carroll said the latter position would help implement recommendations from a separate review into the AOC's workplace culture.

An Ethics Centre report into the organisation after the presidential campaign found the AOC had a dysfunctional culture, including senior leaders undermining each other.






AAP






Check out our FREE full form, ratings for meetings in nine countries each and every day.