Lee has led both private sector companies and major government departments such as the NSW Department of Commerce and Transport, Australian Sailing and NRL clubs the Sydney Roosters and South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Lee is currently a partner at Newgate Australia, a strategic communications and stakeholder engagement organisation, and is a member of several boards within NSW and Queensland including Melanoma Patients Australia, the North Queensland Cowboys and the Australian Catholic University Elite Athlete Performance Program.
Netball Australia Chair Paolina Hunt is delighted to have someone of Lee’s calibre joining the board.
“We welcome John and his years of management expertise onto the board and look forward to what he will bring to the sport through his strong networks across Australian government and other professional sporting leagues, as netball progresses its ambitious strategic agenda,” Hunt said.
Lee is excited to be joining netball at a time where participation levels are at a record high and Suncorp Super Netball is continuing to grow.
“Now is a time where other women’s sports are challenging netball in relation to media coverage and corporate sponsorship opportunities, so I look forward to bringing some of the lessons I have learnt from other professional sports, and my time on the Australian Sport Commission (now Sport Australia), to maximise and grow netball in Australia,” he said.
“At a local level, I have enjoyed watching my daughters play over many years and enjoyed playing social indoor netball myself. I look forward to working closely with key stakeholders to ensure netball is the best women’s team sport in Australia and the world."
Hunt also took the opportunity to thank outgoing director Glenn Russell for his five years of service to Netball Australia.
“We also thank Glenn for all that he has done in helping move our sport forward. Glenn was instrumental in netball’s commercial transformation through the introduction of Suncorp Super Netball, and oversaw significant change to Netball Australia’s financial reporting capability. We wish him well for his next venture.”
The Netball Australia board will have its first regular meeting of 2020 next week.
