The Vietnam Swans are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Chris Butler yesterday morning, in Melbourne, after a relatively short illness.

Chris, a principal of EY Vietnam, served on the Committee of the Vietnam Swans for approximately three years.

Chris was able to bring his formidable corporate experience to the Committee, helping to raise the profile and standing of the Club in the business and wider community. The Committee had a number of non-playing senior business people on it who would all feed off each other and provide the Club with guidance and clarity over our strategic direction.

At the then Annual Sponsors’ Appreciation Dinner, fittingly, it would be Chris to take the microphone as MC for the evening (photo, 2013). Some remarked, not coincidentally, that this gathering of sponsors and stakeholders was the preeminent Australian business event on HCMC’s calendar at that time.

Chris served on the Committee of the Swans, not because of EY’s sponsorship status, but because he loved footy and he loved the Swannies. And while his interaction with the players beyond the leadership group was reasonably limited, he certainly knew who we all were. It was with his fellow Committee members where he was larger than life and really held court, and that helped to keep the Committee strong because people wanted to be there with Chris.

The Vietnam Swans salute Chris, a man who gave generously and was taken too early.