Shivaree Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 If you ever wondered why our industry is in trouble you only have to listen to this guy to understand why. The biggest joke ever. Give up Glen you have no idea. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonkatime! Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 Does anyone have questions/interview that they can up load? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 One question should be "what was his previous experience in wagering?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shivaree Posted February 9, 2019 Author Share Posted February 9, 2019 He is an outright liar. He is so far out of his depth its crazy. Internally he is the laughing stock of the organisation. "An arrogant twat" is how he is considered by his peers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark D Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 Seems to be a key factor over the years for that position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimbu Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 Can anyone enlighten us further as to questions asked/answers received as my imagination isn't great enough to conjure up the extent of the trainwreck. P.S. - I admit to being a masochist for wanting to know all of the details Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxie Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 Well from what I've been told he wasn't much of anything before he got the job at NZRB. Certainly not a wagering expert. Also he has been the key advisor to the CEO on the new platform and all things betting. As we know Allen doesn't know much about the wagering industry. Plus behind the scenes I understand there may have been some cover ups with regard to bookies (now "ex") taking advantage of certain situations for their own gain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newmarket Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 Nothing Has Changed. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newmarket Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 Oh Dear, Dianna Taylor- General Manager Of Technology??? Now i can say i would be amazed if she knew fuck all about a gambling app, shes comes from Kiwibank, so she knows a bit about sending a parcel and somebody opening kiwibank account, but where is the gambling experience?? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimbu Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 18 minutes ago, Newmarket said: Oh Dear, Dianna Taylor- General Manager Of Technology??? Now i can say i would be amazed if she knew fuck all about a gambling app, shes comes from Kiwibank, so she knows a bit about sending a parcel and somebody opening kiwibank account, but where is the gambling experience?? Didn't she resign recently? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 No that was the lowly IT Manager. The big cheeses always find scapegoats. The IT Manager got several hospital passes. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shivaree Posted February 10, 2019 Author Share Posted February 10, 2019 Incorrect CS. Dianna has resigned. The word coming out of HQ is Saville is finally getting his comeuppance from Postman Pat. Interesting times ahead. Watch this space! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newmarket Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, Shivaree said: Incorrect CS. Dianna has resigned. The word coming out of HQ is Saville is finally getting his comeuppance from Postman Pat. Interesting times ahead. Watch this space! Sorry, will delete her. Looking at the TAB app, not sure Technology her go! Edited February 10, 2019 by Newmarket Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newmarket Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 Oh well, who is next to go. That guy Andy, he is one scary dude! And as for their titles, what a joke! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newmarket Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 Epic fail for Garry Woodham, so called customer manager? Where was he when app first came out, and customers could not make contact with issues??? Come on, let us know Gazza? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 6 minutes ago, Newmarket said: Epic fail for Garry Woodham, so called customer manager? Where was he when app first came out, and customers could not make contact with issues??? Come on, let us know Gazza? The original app cost well north of $2m! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jess Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 (edited) Goodness me. It must be quite the org chart when you pop all that up on the old whiteboard .... who knew there was so much "stuff" to "generally manage". But I guess it's a good way to justify a swag of huge salaries when all the divisions are divided again and again ... with every imaginable portion requiring a general manager .... (I am thinking of applying for a job my spies have told ne could be imminent however ... general manager of the general managers ... wish me luck peops .. I think it could be good for BOAY to have someone on the inside..... ? ) Edited February 10, 2019 by jess 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomates Posted February 11, 2019 Share Posted February 11, 2019 14 hours ago, jess said: Goodness me. It must be quite the org chart when you pop all that up on the old whiteboard .... who knew there was so much "stuff" to "generally manage". But I guess it's a good way to justify a swag of huge salaries when all the divisions are divided again and again ... with every imaginable portion requiring a general manager .... (I am thinking of applying for a job my spies have told ne could be imminent however ... general manager of the general managers ... wish me luck peops .. I think it could be good for BOAY to have someone on the inside..... ? ) Good luck working with lot , your made of sterner stuff than me . Make sure you take one for the team and set an example by insisting on a reduced salary for the good of racing . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jess Posted February 11, 2019 Share Posted February 11, 2019 17 hours ago, nomates said: Good luck working with lot , your made of sterner stuff than me . Make sure you take one for the team and set an example by insisting on a reduced salary for the good of racing . No worries NM - can take an admirable cut and still exceed my current income. Wish me luck. Might see some of you at Karaka (Book 1) next year. Should be loaded by then .... ? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted February 14, 2019 Share Posted February 14, 2019 WAGERING EXPERIENCE A KEY REQUIREMENT FOR TAB Posted by Brian de Lore | Feb 14, 2019 | Gallops When the NZRB talks about the final capital cost of the Fixed Odds Betting platform coming out at $40.8 million, in this writer’s view the figure they have settled on is only the one that emerges after the mirrors have been removed and the smoke has dissipated. The smoke and mirrors reference is because NZRB have assigned the FOB a capital cost of $40.8 million. But this weekly column has been saying the all-up cost, in reality, is $50 million plus. And the FOB running costs of $17 million annually payable to Paddy Power-Betfair and Openbet are committed. “Commissions to both are payable. Openbet is a 10-year contract and Paddy Power is five years,” explained NZRB CEO John Allen. “Openbet is a licensing agreement so we pay a licence fee to access the technology and with Paddy Power it’s a base fee but mostly is a profit share based on the performance of the platform.” In my Waitangi Day interview with NZRB CEO John Allen, the question was posed as to why the total NZRB expenses shown in the 2018 Annual Report had risen from $204.6 million in 2017 to $213.3 million. Allen responded, “You’re right, costs have increased overall but most of the increases relate to the strategic initiatives, particularly the work on the FOB platform and our customer acquisition programme – to take those two out is appropriate because they’re really investments for the future.” That answer was drawn from my comment that in simple terms, costs have blown out considerably in one year while this industry’s contraction has been well chronicled at last week’s Karaka yearling sale. All this on a turnover that’s down a couple of million dollars a month and a platform that’s about $1.5 million a month more expensive to run. Will the final result be any different to about seven years ago with the Typhoon betting platform debacle? That was written off without ever being turned on but the true cost was never actually known because some of it had been assigned as operating expenses and estimates by some observers of a final debit were in range of $25 million to $30 million. ‘Déjà vu’ some will be screaming, and not without justification, except inflation has kept pace, and then some. It may also have also been ‘déjà vu’ for NZRB General Manager of Technology Dianna Taylor, who resigned from her position soon after the FOB was launched on January 7 and after only two years in the job. Taylor had been previously employed at Kiwibank, which had an association with NZ Post, and on the NZRB’s website her brief biography read, in part, “…at Kiwibank Dianna led the consolidation and streamlining of Kiwibank’s operational banking functions, headed the development of the strategic technology roadmap that underpins Kiwibank’s strategy, and as CIO was accountable for enabling Kiwibank to continue to deliver its strategic business objectives, which are heavily predicated on technology deliverables.” ‘Technology deliverables’ is an interesting term. Taylor had left Kiwibank in 2017 but in that same year the new computer system she helped establish had to be mothballed and written off after being deemed unfit for purpose after just six months’ use, at a cost of between $90 million and $100 million. “Dianna Taylor hasn’t left but she has announced she is going to leave,” John Allen said. “Nothing to do with the website; she’s terrific and has been one of the key drivers in getting this done and it’s been a hugely complex task and people really don’t understand how significant a change this has been. “It would be the largest technology project this board has ever done and Dianna has just been a tower of strength in terms of doing all that. “Glen Saville was the project leader for the FOB,” continued Allen, “as he’s our head of betting and leads a small executive team that included Dianna and Stephen Henry plus a lot of people working on this from both our team and our partners involved.” Glen Saville (top) and Dianna Taylor headed the team developing on the TAB’s fixed odds betting platform. According to his NZRB website profile, Glen Saville has worked for NZRB since 2014 and although his title is General Manager of Betting, very little has been heard publicly from Saville until last Sunday when he participated in a 20-minute interview with Des Coppins on Trackside Radio. Saville’s NZRB bio states, “…was Head of Product with a corporate bookmaker in Australia, responsible for product development including betting products and channels – mobile and website. “Glen also has 15 years’ experience in the financial services industry, working in product and project management roles, mainly in superannuation.” To suggest that Saville’s biography fills one with confidence as the General Manager of Betting is a stretch, while to consider he is the person next in line to Allen on wagering decision-making is of major concern. John Allen openly admitted in a previous interview that he had never stepped inside a TAB prior to his appointment as CEO of the NZRB in 2015, almost four years ago. It can therefore be assumed that Allen knows basically nothing about wagering and therefore relies on Saville – and the biography of Saville suggests he has had more experience in superannuation than he has in betting. “The original budget was $37.5 million and in the end we came in at $40.8 million, only eight per cent over budget.” So why was Saville sent off to Ireland to do a deal with Paddy Power to initiate the whole FOB scheme, on behalf of an ailing New Zealand racing industry which at that juncture needed someone highly experienced to perform a remedial miracle? NZRB Chair Glenda Hughes appointed John Allen, who in turn appointed Saville and Taylor. Last Sunday on the Coppins show, Saville was less than convincing in responding to the plethora of problems punters were encountering with the new TAB website. At one point Saville said, “the original budget was $37.5 million and in the end we came in at $40.8 million, only eight per cent over budget.” He appeared to believe he deserved a pat on the back following that statement, which didn’t correlate with a recording made by yours truly early in 2017 at an NZRB industry conversation meeting at Riccarton when Allen clearly stated that the cost of the FOB would be $25 million, and people who believed otherwise were out of order. Allen was a political appointment. Former Prime Minister John Key didn’t care for racing, especially after a brief bloodstock investment that turned to custard, and his successor Bill English was well known for his disdain towards racing, albeit having a farming background. Minister of Racing Peters hinted to this writer some time ago that Allen was a political appointment following his previous terms with NZPost and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. This is not talking behind Allen’s back, because in a previous discussion with him which subsequently was quoted in the pages of The Informant, the open debate questioned his suitability to perform adequately in the role of NZRB CEO based on his previous experience. Allen, to his credit, has always fronted to my sometimes belligerent and less than complimentary questioning and has remained defiant and bullish about his ability to get the job done, but in this writer’s view nothing has happened to persuade the racing and breeding industry that he is about to fire the silver bullet that will save this industry. Racing NSW CEO Peter Vlandys summed up the New Zealand situation best when interviewed in Sydney last August when he said, “It seems to be a fragmented system in New Zealand where you have the Racing Board overseeing the three codes and from what I can see the management aren’t really racing people, so they don’t understand the business. “I think you need to have that wagering experience, not just a little bit but whoever is the CEO of the TAB must have a substantial amount of wagering experience– it’s different to any other part of the commercial world. John Messara understands wagering so he will know what I am talking about. He’ll know what to do. “I think New Zealand has to fix the revenue first. After that, fix the costing. It shouldn’t be that difficult because they will eventually get racefields legislation through. Bookmakers in Australia are betting on Kiwi racing and are getting a free ride – they will get millions out of that, and if you run your TAB properly they will make millions out of that, too. “New Zealand could be going a lot better with the current revenues. Run your codes separately – everywhere they have tried to combine the three codes it’s a failure and it costs double – run the three codes separately.” A punter probably summed it up best this week when he stated, “The root cause of the issues with the FOB platform is it doesn’t deliver the key requirements which the previous system did. Unfortunately, this should have been a show stopper. “This leaves the only option to customise the system. This is very risky and expensive and you shouldn’t do it. The short answer is there might be some ‘tweaks’ that can be done but these will only be minor. “Sorry to be pessimistic but I believe this to be the truth and the NZRB will know this. The die was cast when they purchased the system which wasn’t able to deliver the key requirements.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark D Posted February 14, 2019 Share Posted February 14, 2019 Good opinion but hiring people from the financial services industry to the TAB - truckloads came on with Bayliss and look how that turned out. When the Paddy Power contract was 1st announced I tweeted to John Allen that his claim that the system would be delivered on time and on budget (and implicitly one that isn't a dog like the one we got) was actually a prayer and why should we trust him given the TABs tragic history on such projects (eg Typhoon) he stated that he was confident that they had joined up with the best people with a history of delivering etc etc. So effectively he searched for people who knew more than him and his staff. (This was at least in part due to the historical knowledge being gutted by previous administrations). Trouble is the TAB got pantsed on that contract and when they could not deliver on time were losing $1m on penalty payments per week to the Poms which I suspect was why the system was launched when it clearly was in no fit state to do so. i.e. they sent a boy (Saville) on a boys errand and the Poms made hay. Diana Taylor's story is also something that we've seen time and time again in positions (especially in IT but not exclusively) in NZ government and private sector organisations. Projects fail and the people involved move on (with a nice payout for a job well done) to another cushy number where they will fail again - record unblemished. Which is where bullshiting or Public Relations come in. You ignore the negative and focus on the positive however small and spurious they may be (JA saying we did so many transctions on a day or Saville claiming that we were only 3 million OVER budget). That's where Hughes comes into her own - a BSing supremo. But take comfort as a wise man once said - "Don't worry it will only last forever". For attribution purposes that man was Spike Milligan's father. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete Posted February 14, 2019 Share Posted February 14, 2019 Interesting. Had this drummed into me in my Software Development career. 'Never release anything that results in a loss of existing functionality' Seems like they never heard that rule. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete Posted February 14, 2019 Share Posted February 14, 2019 The one thing that always rankles with Brian de Lore is that sees the Drunken Gnome as some sort of saviour. Deluded. The man is toxic and well past his use by. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kihikihi Kid Posted February 14, 2019 Share Posted February 14, 2019 And there it is , Plain for all to see. The Industry is f**ked and going broke and what do the participants do NOTHING !!!!! Brian De Lore has put the facts and figures in plain English in front of us and still the silence is deafening A blind man can see we can't sustain these costs and losses. I fear for the Industry but the Trainers & Owners should have stood up to the money grubbing leeches a long long long time ago. Queensland did it , why can't we. 3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theshu Posted February 14, 2019 Share Posted February 14, 2019 I found it a good read ,brian de lores thats is.Wow you really have got some winners working in your NZRB and tab. 45 million dollar fup.How do they manage to keep their jobs and talk on air as if everything is all hunky dory and keep a straight face as they doing it. What a bunch of no hopers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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