Chiefs begin their search for new CEO

The Chiefs are set to advertise for their new chief executive next week, with an appointment then expected sometime around the end of the year.

Andrew Flexman resigned from the post last month, after four years in the job, in order to pursue ‘‘other opportunities’’.

In the meantime, the Super Rugby franchise has been operating with an interim chief executive - Blair Astwood - who was already across certain aspects of the business as part of the Chiefs’ accountancy firm.

‘‘He’s basically been brought in by the board so that all the senior managers, given it’s such a critical time of planning, can continue running their departments and keep the business going,’’ a Chiefs spokesperson said.

The franchise is finalising details of their advertisement with a new leader potentially coming on board less than two months before the 2018 season starts on February 17.

‘‘Realistically, any recruitment process is going to be probably two or three months,’’ the Chiefs spokesperson said.

It’s to be a season full of change for the Chiefs, whose squad, along with the rest of the Kiwi ones, will be announced in early November, and will feature plenty of new faces, with several high-profile names having headed offshore.

New coach Colin Cooper takes over from the departed Dave Rennie too, once he’s done with Taranaki’s Mitre 10 Cup campaign, though his assistant coaches are still to be announced.