Collingwood Chief Executive Gary Pert will be leaving the Holden Centre after a stellar 10 years at the helm of the biggest sports club in Australia.

Pert, who has been involved in football at the highest level for more than three decades as a player and administrator, informed Collingwood President Eddie McGuire of his decision late last week.

As a co-architect of the top-to-bottom blueprint project currently underway, Pert said the process of shaping Collingwood’s long term future had led him to consider his own long term professional plans.

“To implement the outcomes that will come from the blueprint review, Collingwood needs someone prepared to be committed all the way,” Pert said.

“The future of this football club is being reimagined. Collingwood is preparing for significant change and I needed to decide whether I was prepared to commit long term.

“Collingwood has been wonderful to me and my family. It is an incredible place to work and I am thankful for every second of my time in the black and white family.”

Pert’s 10 years as Chief Executive of Collingwood were distinguished by enormous growth and success for the club.

Collingwood’s achievements in Pert’s time as Chief Executive include:

- Delivery of the $25 million state-of-the-art Glasshouse facilities.
- The club’s first premiership in 20 years in 2010.
- Finals football in seven consecutive years from 2007-2013.
- Total revenue growth of over 30% over the past decade.
- Membership growth from 38,000 in 2007 to over 74,000 in 2016.
- The creation of a peerless suite of commercial partners, generating more than $10 million each year.
- A doubling of the size of Collingwood’s employee base, from 135 in 2007 to 296 today.
- A commitment to gender equity, such that women now make up 50% of the club’s staff. Pert has been a key driver in Collingwood‘s involvement in the Male Champions of Change coalition.
- The introduction of three elite female sporting teams – including AFLW and Magpies Netball - to the Holden Centre.
- A development of Collingwood as a sporting club with a social purpose, through the Collingwood Football Club Foundation, which supports initiatives such as Magpie Nest  homelessness project and the Barrawarn indigenous employment and training program.

Collingwood President Eddie McGuire lauded Pert’s career at Collingwood.

“Firstly, on behalf of the board, I want to thank Gary for a contribution that has simply been outstanding,” McGuire said.

“We, as a club, have been so lucky to have someone like Gary driving Collingwood forward for a decade. He has been one of the best administrators in Australian sport for a long time and his constant quest for innovation and success has created a culture that will live on at the Holden Centre for many years to come.

“’Perty’ was at the heart of so much of what Collingwood achieved in his time and he leaves with the club poised and prepared to embrace an exciting new phase.

“I want to congratulate and thank Gary, his wife Andi, and family for all that they have given to Collingwood.”

Pert first joined Collingwood as a player in 1992 and wore the famous black and white stripes on 70 occasions, until 1995. This stint came after a decorated career as a defender with Fitzroy.

Prior to joining Collingwood, Pert held roles as the Managing Director at GTV9 Melbourne and as General Manager of Austereo Melbourne. He was also a director of Collingwood in 2006-2007

Businessman Peter Murphy, who is overseeing the blueprint review project, has been appointed interim CEO while the board searches for Pert’s successor.

Pert will remain at the club until the end of the season to assist Murphy with the transition.