The Netball Australia Board has appointed Mark Falvo as permanent Chief Executive Officer to lead the organisation through its next phase of growth.
Mr Falvo was appointed to the role after serving as Interim Chief Executive Officer of Netball Australia since April 2026.
He has also served as Chief Executive Officer of Netball World Cup Sydney 2027 since June 2025, leading preparations for what is expected to be the biggest Netball World Cup ever staged.
Prior to joining Netball Australia, Mr Falvo spent more than 15 years at Football Australia, including as Deputy General Secretary and Chief Operating Officer. He played a leading role in the successful FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 bid and its legacy, negotiated equal pay and conditions for the Socceroos and Matildas and helped drive the growth of football across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.
Mr Falvo has also held senior leadership roles delivering some of the largest sporting events in the region, including serving as Chief Operating Officer of the AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015. Throughout his career, he has built a reputation as a highly respected sports administrator with deep expertise in governance, commercial growth, stakeholder engagement, government relations and operational excellence.
Netball Australia Chair Liz Ellis AO congratulated Mr Falvo.
"The Netball Australia Board undertook an extensive and considered search for our new Chief Executive, and we were delighted by the calibre of the candidates. The interest in and momentum for netball continues to build and we are in a pivotal moment for our game," Ms Ellis said.
"Ultimately, we appointed Mark because of his proven ability to create long-term value for national sporting organisations, his very strong financial and commercial capabilities, and his depth of experience in corporate strategy, major event legacy planning and collective bargaining.
"Mark provides significant experience in supercharging women's sport, as he helped to do with the Matildas and the FIFA Women's World Cup. He has actively demonstrated his care and respect for netball over the past year, and he provides us with extensive industry knowledge, relationships and market credibility.”
Mr Falvo said it was a privilege to lead netball into its next phase of opportunity and to bring the system together to maximise the opportunities ahead for all elements of the game.
"Netball is already a superpower in Australian sport, as the largest sport for women and girls and one that is rapidly growing for men and boys," Falvo said.
"The ingredients for continued growth in our professional Super Netball league, backed by our new five-year broadcast deal with Nine Entertainment, the opportunity presented by a home World Cup in Sydney next year, and the prospect of Olympic inclusion creates a once in a generation opportunity to set the game up for the long-term.
"My role will be to capitalise on this rare moment and create long-term value for the entire game, as well as improve the operational, financial and governance performance of Netball Australia.
"Working together across our vast netball ecosystem, we have the opportunity to create a legacy that will ensure the strength and endurance of our game into the next centenary and it's an honour and privilege to lead this work. I take on the role of custodian of the game with significant respect for the people within this sport who continue to contribute and lead at every level of the game."
With Mr Falvo confirmed as Netball Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, Jane Fernandez will assume the permanent role of Chief Executive Officer of Netball World Cup Sydney 2027. Mr Falvo will also assume a director role at Netball Events Pty Ltd, the company which delivers Netball World Cup Sydney 2027.
