Former Melbourne Football Club chief Paul Guerra named chair of Melbourne Market Authority
The Victorian government has chosen Paul Guerra, who was removed as chief executive of the Melbourne Football Club in April 2026, to chair the Melbourne Market Authority. The three-year term starts on October 30, 2026, according to ABC News. Guerra has also begun Federal Court proceedings against the club for breach of contract.
The authority is the state body that oversees the Melbourne Market at Epping. The market is Victoria's only wholesale fruit, vegetable and cut flower trading centre. Wholesale means stock is sold in bulk to other businesses, such as greengrocers and florists, rather than to households. About 3,000 tenant businesses operate there.
The government said Guerra brings significant commercial, governance and stakeholder engagement experience. He has previously been chief executive of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and of the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria, and executive chair of the Queen Victoria Market. A government spokesperson said the appointment followed a competitive recruitment process. The chair role pays between $21,941 and $61,750, the spokesperson said.
The timing is awkward. The first case management hearing in Guerra's Federal Court case is on October 30, the same day he starts the market job. A case management hearing is where a judge sets the timetable for how a case will run.
The appointment was not welcomed by everyone on the board. Angie Bradbury had been acting chair since May 2026 and has sat on the board since 2022. She applied for the permanent chair role and resigned from the board after being overlooked. Two board members then wrote to Agriculture Minister Michaela Settle asking her to reconsider, and said they would resign unless Bradbury was appointed chair instead.
More changes are coming. Board members Margaret Burdeu and former Victorian Farmers Federation president Emma Germano resign effective October 29, 2026. Keith Louie, acting chief executive and executive director, has given one month's notice. Matt Elliott takes over as chief executive in January.
The authority has had a rough run at the top. Rob Clayton was appointed chief executive in March 2026 and quit after three months. Mark Maskiell stepped down after almost 14 years leading the authority.
The market is also a state election issue. The Victorian Coalition has pledged to sell the Melbourne Market if it wins government. Labor has said the market would stay in government hands under a Labor government.
