Current role: Chief Financial Officer
Current Organisation: Queensland Rugby Union & Queensland Reds
Last role at PwC: Senior Accountant
Time at PwC: 2003 - 2007
What’s the one career achievement you’re most proud of?
Navigating COVID as CFO of a state sporting organisation, with 100 staff and not losing any of the team to involuntary measures. This demonstrated the value of having a strong, aligned leader who places people and culture at the heart of their decision-making process.
What’s been your biggest career challenge and how have you overcome it?
My biggest career challenge is juggling work and family life – and I wouldn’t say we’ve overcome it just yet with two primary school aged children!
What advice would you give to those eager to work in the sport industry?
Don’t be afraid to reach out and connect to people in the sports industry. You’ll find that most people in sport are giving of their time and are happy to share their experiences with others, particularly those trying to break into the industry.
You’ve worked across a diverse range of sectors in your career. How has this broad experience helped shape you personally and / or professionally?
Working across various sizes and sectors of businesses has allowed me to develop great relationship building skills – it’s amazing what you can learn about a business when you place yourself in other’s’ shoes or engage with people across various levels of an organisation, be it the “shop floor” or Board.
As CFO for the Queensland Reds, can you share insight into how the club is investing in diversity and inclusion?
Two major focus areas for Queensland Rugby Union (QRU) and the Reds are female and indigenous participation and pathways. The QRU, along with our partners, is focused on investing into and providing pathways for young girls and women to play rugby, with an increasing focus on year-round female athlete development. For almost 15 years, the club and its partners have invested into indigenous programs to identify, support, and grow future indigenous leaders, providing continuing support from primary school through to secondary school, and beyond into post-school pathways.
You were formerly the CFO for Queensland Rugby League. So which code - League, Union, or other - are you most passionate about and why?
I’ll sit on the fence on this one – I enjoy both codes for varied reasons. I grew up with rugby league in Far North Queensland and only got to know union as a code when I attended the University of Queensland.
I wasn’t a talented league or union player, but I enjoyed the social and community aspects of both sports. Sport, and sporting clubs, have a huge role to play in the social fabric and community building of Australia – the positive impact sport can have on communities is one of the reasons I work in the industry.
As a leader in the sports field, what excites you most about the Olympics, Paris 2024?
It’s amazing to see how every Olympics lives up to the Olympic motto - “Citius, Altius, Fortius – Communiter” - “Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together”.
Just when you think an athlete has gone faster or higher than anyone before them, along comes another athlete who produces something amazing to better the record. It really is amazing what humans are physically capable of!
What’s your karaoke go to?
The Gambler – Kenny Rogers.
