SportsHub Pte Ltd (SHPL), the consortium of firms which runs the $1.33 billion Singapore Sports Hub, confirmed yesterday that two members of its senior management have been asked to step down.
An SHPL statement sent yesterday confirmed that managing director of Global Spectrum Pico (GSP), Mr Mark Collins, and GSP director of contracts and compliance, Ms Daphne Letournel, have "stepped aside".
The statement added: "The team remains focused on ensuring a seamless and integrated delivery of world-class sports, entertainment and lifestyle events at Sports Hub."
GSP is one of four equity partners that make up the consortium. The others are InfraRed Capital Partners, Dragages Singapore and DTZ Facilities and Engineering.
SHPL also confirmed that Mr Jason Hrick will replace Mr Collins as acting managing director and will report to SHPL chief executive officer Manu Sawhney, who took over from former CEO Philippe Collin-Delavaud in October.
Ms Letournel's replacement will be announced at a later date.
No details were given regarding the redeployment of Ms Letournel or Mr Collins.
Sources told The Straits Times that several senior staff members at the Sports Hub did not agree with recent decisions made by the new management. When queried on this, SHPL said: "We will not be commenting any further on this internal matter."
The Sports Hub has come under the spotlight in recent weeks over the high cost of holding events at the 55,000-seat National Stadium.
At least two organisers have turned their backs on the stadium over cost issues, with both MP & Silva, which was handling the Merlion Cup football tournament, and the local track and field body Singapore Athletics, the backer of the Asia Masters Athletics Championships, pulling out of negotiations this year.
The high rental was also a sticking point in discussions between Sports Hub and the organisers of next year's National Day Parade (NDP), although Mr Sawhney confirmed in a Facebook post yesterday that the NDP would return to the National Stadium next year after a decade's absence.
The 35ha Sports Hub was built under a public-private partnership scheme between SHPL and the Singapore Government.
Under the contract, the consortium was to design, build, finance and operate the facility, in return for a monthly unitary payment from the Government throughout the project's 25-year term. The first payment was made in August 2010, when construction started.
