People In Brief (cont) The Women in Fitness Association (WIFA) has announced the appointment of Gold Coast-based Meghan Jarvis as its latest Global Ambassador. Data technology company ActiveXchange has appointed Ricki Jones as their new Head of Commercial Partnerships for Australia and New Zealand. Triathlon New Zealand have recently appointed Peter Kadar as their new Performance Operations Manager following on from their appointment in March of Pete de Wet as new Chief Executive. The former Chief Executive of Ngai Tahu Property, David Kennedy, has been appointed Chief Executive of Te Kaha Project Delivery Limited - the company overseeing the delivery of Te Kaha - Canterbury Multi-Use Arena. The Wairau Maori Art Gallery in Whangarei has appointed Larissa McMillan as its inaugural Director. The NFL announced that Charlotte Offord has been named as General Manager for Australia, the league’s first full-time employee in Australia. Matthew Olson has been appointed General Manager at The Lakes Golf Club in Sydney. LAI Games has promoted Shannon Perell to Chief Product Officer from his previously held position of Vice President of Product Development for the company. Community Leisure Management (CLM) has appointed Darren Pott as the Facility Manager of Whangarei Aquatic Centre in the Northland region. The Adelaide Convention Centre has named Martin Radcliffe as its new General Manager, replacing the outgoing Simon Burgess, who is moving to the National Wine Centre of Australia. The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) has named Peter van der Schans as its Executive Director and Vice President for the EMEA region (Europe, the Middle East and Africa). Laura Shack has taken on the role of Senior Manager, Media and Communications for Royal Life Saving Society WA Inc. Les Mills New Zealand has appointed Brett Sutton as its new Chief Executive. Aiming to create better opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to be involved with the sport at all levels, Basketball Australia has announced that it has engaged Paul Vandenbergh as its Indigenous Lead. The South Australian Motorsport Board responsible for reviving the Adelaide 500 Supercars race has named its new Chief Executive, experienced motorsport administrator Mark Warren. Jeroen Weimar, who has been appointed 2026 Commonwealth organisation charged delivery of the event.
led the state’s COVID-19 Response, as Chief Executive of the Victoria Games Organising Committee - the with overseeing the build-up to and
Jenelle Williamson has joined AFL Victoria as Country Football Manager.
Send your people news to leisure@ausleisure.com.au 60 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 150
MCEC’s Peter King to depart Chief Executive role Peter King, Chief Executive of Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), has announced that he will leave his role after 11 successful years. During his time at MCEC, King was focused on maximising the venue’s impact for Melbourne and Victoria, and in 2019 MCEC had a record economic impact to the state, exceeding $1.1 billion. When the pandemic hit in 2020, King embraced the challenges this presented by managing the transformation and diversification of the business. This included supporting the Victorian Government’s vaccination rollout and adapting the space to attract partners such as The LUME Melbourne, Australia’s first permanent digital art gallery. King also oversaw a comprehensive business transformation to an agile operating model, to better position MCEC to serve customers in the wake of the pandemic. King will remain with MCEC as it manages this business transition and is committed to ensuring its success as it emerges from the acute stage of the pandemic. This time will allow for the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust (MCET) to recruit his replacement.
AFL Chief Executive Gillon McLachlan to step down at end of season AFL Chief Executive Gillon McLachlan has announced that he is to stand down from his role at the end of the current Premiership season, saying that it is the “right time” to move on with the sport in robust health. The South Australian, who has been in the AFL’s top job for eight full seasons, intended to step away before COVID-19 hit, but vowed to stay on and help guide the code through the pandemic. During the remainder of the season, McLachlan will try to resolve four major issues: a new broadcast deal, collective bargaining agreements for both the men’s and women’s competitions, a new club funding model and plans for a Tasmanian team.
Chair and new Independent Non-Executive Director appointed to lead Viva Leisure ASX-listed Viva Leisure Limited has announced the appointment of two Board roles encompassing a new Chair and a new independent Non-Executive Director. Rhys Holleran, an independent Non-Executive Director of the company since September 2020, has been appointed the new Chair of Viva Leisure. Holleran’s appointment as Chair fills the vacant position following the sad passing of previous Chair, Bruce Glanville announced on 7th April 2022. Andrew Burns, Chair of the company’s Audit and Risk Committee, has been appointed an independent NonExecutive Director. The group has also announced the appointment of industry veteran Kevin Mott as National Franchise Operations Manager and Kate Allott as National Operations Manager for its Rebalance brand.
