Is Fischer overqualified?

PBA officers are tight-lipped as to who were interviewed by Global Executive Solutions, a Manila headhunter, before coming up with six final candidates for the newly-created position of league commissioner but bits and pieces from different sources identified the 18 initially considered for the job.

Global was tapped to spot candidates in consultation with PBA chairman Patrick Gregorio and governors Rene Pardo of Purefoods and Atty. Mamerto Mondragon of Rain Or Shine. Global is represented in the Search Committee by its CEO Ray Canilao. It is expected that the six finalists will be trimmed to three or even two during the PBA Board of Governors meeting on Thursday. The remaining candidates will then be interviewed extensively by the Board. The league commissioner will be named before May 15.

There were several candidates who backed out. A top choice withdrew because of the compensation package. He used to be a commissioner of a basketball league. Another nominee agreed to be interviewed but never showed up. He was a former PBA governor. Still, another candidate, a former PBA coach, begged off because it was not in good timing with the progress of his own career.

The final list should’ve been down to seven candidates. But one backed out at the last minute, citing time constraints. This candidate was the only female considered by the Search Committee and is a relative of PBA founding commissioner Leo Prieto. She withdrew from contention because of pressure of her business commitments here and abroad.

Another candidate, an official of a government agency, had expressed interest but later backed out when the job description changed. The creation of the position of president and CEO has reduced the responsibilities of the league commissioner to be strictly game-related. Canilao said the final choice must be ready to commit to the job on a full-time, almost 24/7 basis.

Aside from the commitment of time, the new league commissioner must be competent or technically qualified to do the job, must have stature and integrity, must be able to relate with the PBA Board, players, coaches and media and must love the game with a passion. There is also an age requirement that was not specified.

One candidate was a former player and coach. Another was a lawyer whose brother was also a candidate. One nominee was interviewed and later withdrew because of his work commitments in the province.

The six finalists are current PBA operations director Rickie Santos, PBA TV anchor and lawyer Charlie Cuna, former NBA Asia managing director and former UFC Asia executive vice president Mark Fischer, former PBA player and now Filsports Basketball Association ( FBA) commissioner Vince Hizon, PBA player Danny Seigle of Talk ‘N’ Text and National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (NAASCU) president Dr. Jay Adalem of St. Clare College of Caloocan.

No question, each of the candidates has a passion for the game, enjoys a reputation of integrity and is qualified for the job. The choice of the new commissioner will depend on the man who is able to commit his time entirely to the PBA and his level of technical capability in terms of management skills and knowledge of the game.

A surprise candidate is Fischer who is based in Singapore and was discovered by Global. Fischer, 54, has worked 12 years with the NBA, starting in 1997 in Taiwan. In 1999, he was named senior director of marketing partnerships and events of NBA Asia and moved to Hong Kong. Fischer later led the NBA expansion into China, marking breakthroughs in business development initiatives with over 20 marketing partnerships. He worked out of Beijing and Shanghai. In 2008, Fischer was designated senior vice president and managing director of NBA Asia with coverage of Asia Pacific, excluding China. Two years later, he left the NBA and became the UFC Asia executive vice president and managing director. Fischer was credited for UFC’s inroads in Japan, Macau and Singapore. Last year, he was replaced by Ken Berger.

Fischer appears to be overqualified for the job of league commissioner. It’s a tribute to the PBA that a high quality professional like Fischer would be interested in the position with his rich background in the NBA and UFC. But the requirements of a league commissioner do not call for someone like Fischer. Clearly, if Fischer is interested, he won’t jump in because of the compensation. It’ll be because he appreciates the Filipinos’ passion for the game and wants to contribute to take the PBA to the next level. After all, former President Estrada agreed to take a step down and is now Mayor of Manila and former President Arroyo is now a Congresswoman.

Adalem is SBP treasurer and has long been associated with the sport. Seigle has enjoyed a lengthy PBA career with both the San Miguel and PLDT groups. His availability for the job is a signal that he plans to retire at the end of this season. Hizon has been involved in both the PBA and MBA and his experience with the FBA is an advantage even if it was just recently launched. He has also participated in organizing basketball events with overseas Filipino organizations. Cuna is a lawyer like Salud and his legal background is surely an asset. He has a good feel for the game and is articulate. Finally, there is Santos who has been a PBA fixture for years. He knows the ins and outs of the league’s basketball operations like nobody else.

Each of the six finalists has his good points. It won’t be easy selecting the best of the best.