AusLeisure

Growing community aquatic and recreation facility management company BlueFit has announced a key new appointment, with Brett McEwin to join as General Manager of Leisure in January 2021.

Widely known in the industry, particularly with his achievements at the City of Joondalup, McEwin most recently launched and operating the City of Cockburn’s multi-award winning $109 million Cockburn ARC facility.

Both facilities operate well above the industry benchmarks with regards to community participation, customer experience, social value, programs and financial performance.

Announcing the appointment, BlueFit Group Chief Executive, Todd McHardy stated “with our commitment to preserving a family culture, it’s important that we’re very selective on key appointments and Brett fits perfectly.

“He will arrive with great experience in local government and the establishment of large-scale facilities. What attracted us to Brett was his constant dedication to exceptional customer experience, increasing community participation, and the immaculate presentation of leisure facilities.”

Looking forward to his new role, McEwin stated “it’s been an extensive interview process, made more difficult by border closures.

“I am forever grateful to the City of Cockburn for the opportunity to execute the City's strategic objectives and establish an industry-leading business model at Cockburn ARC.

“I’ve had the opportunity to connect with the BlueFit Site Support team and meet John Gillam, BlueFit's Chairman. Todd, Otua, and team BlueFit have a similar vision and outlook to community leisure, and this gave me comfort to make this significant career move.”

McEwin will be based in Western Australia for up to a year, before spending more time on the east coast from 2022 onwards.

Explaining this transition, McHardy added “we’re proud of the long-term council partners we have in NSW, have made small inroads into a longer-term plan in Victoria and purposely added South Australia and Western Australia to the portfolio with just one facility each.

“The City of Playford and City of Belmont have been outstanding partners. And despite the challenges with COVID, we’re seeing great results.

“Joel Perricone has led the South Australian team really well and the addition of Brett in Perth means we can now actively grow these footprints and continue our plan in other states with an increased capacity."

Images: Brett McEwin (top) and the multi-award winning Cockburn ARC facility (below).

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