2032 Olympics chief to step down amid rising cost concerns

Cindy Hook, chief executive of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games organising committee, will step down in December as scrutiny of the Games’ hosting costs intensifies.

Hook, a former chief executive of Deloitte Asia Pacific, will leave at the end of her four-year contract rather than remain in the role until the 2032 Olympics. Appointed in 2022, she led the establishment of the organising committee and the early planning phase for the Games.

The committee said a global search for her replacement would begin immediately as Brisbane 2032 moves towards the next phase of operations, procurement and event delivery.

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Her departure comes amid concerns over the accuracy of the original Games budget. In February, Andrew Liveris, president of the organising committee, told an International Olympic Committee session in Milan that organisers were working with the IOC on a revised budget.

Liveris said the original bid budget of A$4.9 billion (about US$3.41 billion) bore “no resemblance to reality”, highlighting the scale of the financial reassessment required as plans for the Games evolve.

The original estimate covered the organising committee’s costs, including temporary venue
infrastructure, rather than the full cost of delivering all Games-related infrastructure. Queensland’s auditor has previously warned that the absence of a consolidated budget covering all entities involved in the Games increases the risk of unforeseen cost increases.

Liveris praised Hook’s contribution, saying she had laid the foundations for the Games’ successful delivery.

“Her focus on values, organisational excellence and strict financial and governance processes are embedded throughout a high-calibre team that she recruited, and I thank her for her great contributions,” he said.

Hook said she was proud of building the organisation and establishing its vision, strategy, and brand. She added that she had achieved what she hoped to accomplish during her four years in the role and considered the transition to new leadership appropriate for the next phase.

Brisbane was awarded the 2032 Games in 2021, making it the third Australian city to host the Summer Olympics after Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney in 2000. Its organisers now face the challenge of refining the budget and managing delivery as preparations move beyond the initial planning stage.