BRIS2032 — Independent Coverage · Updated 5 November 2026
Brisbane 2032's organising committee will lose its chief executive in December. Cindy Hook announced in October that she will step down at the end of her four-year contract, and no replacement has been named.
John Coates, the former Australian Olympic Committee president and a member of the organising committee's 15-person board, has ruled himself out. Speaking to AAP, he said he is 76, did not want the CEO role at Sydney 2000 either, and that his background is planning, not running a 65-event program. He said the board needs to find a replacement urgently.
What the CEO actually does
The chief executive runs the organising committee day to day: budgets, staff, sponsors and working with the IOC on venues and the sports list. The new CEO arrives as two big decisions are still open: the final sports programme (due April 2027) and the builder for the new Gabba arena.
Rowing at Rockhampton
Coates also said the flood risk for rowing on the Fitzroy River is estimated at about 15%, and that the state government, not the organising committee, would pay for any upgrades. Read our guide to the Rockhampton rowing venue.
What happens next
The board has not said when it will name Hook's successor. We'll update this page when it does.
SOURCE: AAP via The Canberra Times, 1 Nov 2026; The Star / Reuters, 13 Oct 2026
