New Leadership at Australian Sailing

Australian Sailing has appointed John Lee as Chief Executive Officer, taking over for outgoing CEO Matt Carroll, who after almost three years with Australian Sailing, has joined the Australian Olympic Committee.

John is an experienced and well-regarded sports administrator and has held senior roles in transport, tourism and Government. A former Board member of the Australian Sports Commission and CEO of NRL clubs Sydney Roosters and South Sydney, John has also held a number of senior leadership roles and Directorships including the North Queensland Cowboys, Events NSW and the Advertising Standards Board.

“In the past couple of years, we have seen major reform in sailing through One Sailing,” noted Australian Sailing President Matt Allen. “Now is a time of consolidation and application to gain the benefits of a national administration and Johns’ extensive knowledge and leadership, particularly in sport, will serve us well for the challenges ahead.

“Our Clubs lie at the heart of sailing, and John understands the importance of working together to ensure our sport is well positioned for the future. This is also a time to focus on the commercial aspects of sailing and John’s understanding of Government and his senior leadership roles across other sectors, will be instrumental in securing opportunities for us.

“We will also draw on John’s experience in elite sport, particularly his experience in developing and mentoring athletes to assist them to achieve their potential, which will benefit us greatly. He will work closely with Peter Conde and our Performance Team to ensure the best possible preparation for Tokyo 2020 and beyond and the ongoing development of our youth and pathways for the future.”

On accepting the role, John said it was an honour to reconnect with a sport he enjoyed as a child with his father and brothers on Gunnamatta Bay in Sydney.

“This is a great opportunity and I’m looking forward to working with the Clubs, Classes and State Associations,” said Lee. “There has been great work done by Matt Allen and all involved on delivering the One Sailing reforms, a new national structure in place and strong working relationships with the State Associations and Clubs, which together we’ll build on.

“I’m excited to be working with the management and athletes of the Australian Sailing Team as they prepare for Tokyo 2020, as well as delivering strong pathway programs for the future.”

Lee commences with Australian Sailing on May 9 2017.

Source: Australian Sailing