I am pretty sure this extra info on Chrysiliou hasn't been posted:
Brent Read | June 22, 2009
The Australian
MANLY surged into the top eight yesterday, but the club is poised to make even greater strides today off the field when it becomes the latest NRL club to appoint a woman to its board.
Less than a week after the NRL called on its clubs to place more women in positions of power, Manly co-owner Rick Penn will officially stand down from the Sea Eagles' seven-man board to create room for Kerry Chrysiliou, a lawyer based on Sydney's northern beaches.
Chrysiliou, a long-time Manly fan, has an impeccable sporting background. She is the Australian-based legal representative for two of America's sporting giants -- Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association -- and hopes to bring a different dynamic to a board which has been fractured for months.
The Sea Eagles owners have been at loggerheads since late last year, culminating in the resignation of chief executive Grant Mayer last week. Mayer's decision to walk away was in part due to his close association with chairman Scott Penn, which angered fellow owner Max Delmege.
Chrysiliou will join as one of the two representatives of the Penn family. While Rick will stand down, Scott remains chairman.
"Me being there is going to diffuse some of the situations which have arisen because it's a different dynamic," Chrysiliou said. "Any time you have a group of people and a mix of sexes it changes the dynamic. I expect that will happen pretty much automatically. I hope I can bring something positive.
"There has been some division but I would like to take some heat out of it and make sure what happens is according to the rules."
Asked about the club's well-documented internal problems, Chrysiliou said: "It's the way they have been expressed, that's the problem.
"You can have people with differences but you don't have to be confrontational about it. You should always be working towards one goal.
"That's the reason for being."
The Penns described the appointment as a significant moment in the club's history.
"It's not a token appointment," Scott Penn said.
After a series of off-field dramas, the NRL actively called on its clubs last week to work towards bringing more women into the game. Although the code has a history of being a glorified men's club, it has made some headway in recent years.
Rugby league was the first mainstream professional sport in Australia to appoint a female director to a governing body -- Katie Page four years ago.
Three women have subsequently been appointed to the board of football clubs -- Dawn Fraser at Wests Tigers, Lyn Wallace at Parramatta Leagues Club and Petra Fawcett at Melbourne. Chrysiliou will take that figure to four when she officially takes her position today.
NRL chief executive David Gallop last night embraced Chrysiliou's appointment. "Kerry is qualified to bring a range of experience and skills to the board and we welcome her to Manly and the game," Gallop said.