Athletics Australia announce Phil Jones as Chief Executive Officer

The Board of Directors are very pleased to confirm the appointment of as the new Chief Executive Officer of Athletics Australia.

Jones has more than effectively served as the Interim CEO since December 2014 and his appointment to the ongoing position follows an extensive recruitment process led by President  David Grace QC, his fellow directors Nicholas Moore and Jan Swinhoe, as well as Michael Thomson and James Ceely from the Australian Sports Commission.

Prior to joining Athletics Australia, Jones served as the CEO of Yachting Australia, the national sporting organisation for sailing and boating. During his 17-year tenure, he oversaw the development of a strong and well-respected organisation on the Australian sporting landscape, most recently highlighted by their strong performance at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

He served as a key member of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Events Committee for more than a decade and chaired the ISAF Olympic Commission in 2010. Prior to his departure, Yachting Australia and its Member Associations made the key decision to adopt a national management model designed to ensure more consistent national delivery of their products and services whilst maintaining a strong local presence.

As the Interim CEO of Athletics Australia, Jones has capably overseen the sport’s initial response to both ‘The Glasgow Review’ and ‘The Independent Review of Athletics in Australia’ and was closely involved in the development of the Athletics Review Monitoring Committee. He led the recruitment of Craig Hilliard to the position of Athletics Australia Head Coach.

“Phil is a very capable sports administrator, who has extensive knowledge of the Australian sporting landscape and we are very pleased to have been able to appoint him to the position of CEO of Athletics Australia ahead of a field of many very capable applicants,” Grace said on behalf of his Board of Directors.

“His ability to foster vital relationships and work collaboratively is evidenced by his longstanding tenure as the CEO of Yachting Australia. In recent months as our Interim CEO he has established the trust and confidence of our many stakeholders, including our member associations across the country. We are confident that he will be a great asset to the sport as we work to prepare our athletes for key events including the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the 2018 Commonwealth Games to be held at home on the Gold Coast and biennial instalments of the IAAF World Championships and IPC Athletics World Championships.

“I congratulate Phil on his appointment, and look forward to continuing to work alongside him in the best interests of the sport of athletics in Australia.”

Jones sees great opportunities for the sport in the years to come and looks forward to further engaging with the athletics community across Australia to establish a strategic vision through to Tokyo 2020 and beyond.

“Athletics in Australia has a very proud history and it is a great privilege for me to be involved as CEO. I am looking forward to working with our many important stakeholders to ensure our continued success and prosperity,” Jones said.

“As recently as last week I had the opportunity to meet with the Executive Directors and Chief Executives of our member associations, together with senior managers from Athletics Australia. The experience and skills of this group give me great confidence for the future.

“At our meeting we discussed what success might look like for athletics in this country in the next ten years. We will shortly be inviting the athletics community to join the conversation. This will go a long way to determining the strategic plan for athletics in Australia long term and I am enthusiastically looking forward to being involved.

“Engagement of the athletics community in determining the direction of the sport as a whole is something I see as vital. I am confident that we can work together for the betterment of athletics. I think this process will go a long way to improving confidence in the ability of Athletics Australia to lead the sport nationally.”

Jones will officially commence in the position of Chief Executive Officer immediately. He will be based predominantly at the Athletics Australia offices in Melbourne.