'Key figure' behind big sport's $1.5 billion deal

1 year ago 100

We're down to the concern extremity of our 50 astir influential women successful athletics bid to people International Women's Day with 50-41 40-31 and 30-21 having been unveiled.

It's clip to determination to the adjacent signifier of our countdown, unveiling 20-11.

This database isn't astir the top athletes, though determination are plentifulness of superstars among the apical 50. To marque this list, it wasn't capable to beryllium a champion sportswoman, though galore are. From athletes to administrators, journalists to sports agents and sponsors, these women person made a difference.

Some person taken a basal connected issues that transcend sport, immoderate made the decisions that find wherever the wealth goes oregon what sports we spot connected TV, and others enactment successful the inheritance to support the large codes rolling along.

Here's who made the database from 20-11:

Hook, an American who moved to Australia successful 2009, is the CEO of the Brisbane 2032 organising committee.

She was the archetypal pistillate CEO of 1 of the Big Four firms erstwhile she took the relation of main enforcement of Deloitte Australia successful 2015 and much precocious was the caput of Deloitte Asia Pacific.

Hook is lone the 2nd pistillate to beryllium named CEO of an Olympic organising committee.

She volition pb each aspects of preparations for the Games. When Hook was announced arsenic CEO, Brisbane 2032 president Andrew Liveris described himself arsenic "gobsmacked that we person managed to pull idiosyncratic similar Cindy". Claire Siracusa

When you deliberation of large Australian sportswomen, Cathy Freeman has to marque the list.

She was conscionable 16 years aged successful Auckland successful 1990 erstwhile she archetypal struck gold, making her the archetypal Indigenous pistillate to basal atop the dais astatine the Commonwealth Games.

But it was her triumph astatine the Sydney Olympics that was her top achievement. Watching the video backmost inactive results successful shivers.

In 49.11 seconds of magic, Freeman provided 1 of this nation's top sporting moments. Billie Eder

Waterhouse began her vocation arsenic a solo equine trainer successful 1992 and hasn't looked back.

Known arsenic the First Lady of racing, Waterhouse is 1 of the sport's astir recognisable faces.

She has much than 150 radical 1 winners, including the Melbourne Cup (she was the archetypal Australian pistillate to bid the victor successful the 3200m classic) and a grounds 7 Golden Slippers.

She was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame conscionable 15 years aft receiving her grooming licence and is besides a subordinate of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

She comes from a legendary racing family, but has blazed her ain incredibly palmy trail. Claire Siracusa

The Queensland premier wielded much powerfulness than the King (Wally Lewis) successful the Sunshine State during COVID, arsenic she threw Australia's sporting codes a lifeline.

Palaszczuk became the saviour of the NRL, AFL, Netball and Supercars which turned Queensland into the centre of our sporting universe.

And she's not giving up that mantle easy - besides starring the complaint to bring the Olympics backmost Down Under successful 2032.

Not acrophobic of making pugnacious decisions, Palaszczuk is the pistillate sports administrators privation connected their side.

She would beryllium an plus successful the boardroom of immoderate of Australia's large sporting organisations. Roz Kelly

There's a fierce vigor astir Gilmore, who made surfing past past twelvemonth erstwhile she became the archetypal pistillate to triumph 8 satellite titles, eclipsing Layne Beachley's seven.

She fought for adjacent wage for antheral and pistillate surfers earlier the WSL announced adjacent prize wealth successful 2018.

"It's ingrained successful america to beryllium like: 'Oh, that's okay, we're doing truthful bully already, alternatively of warring for more,'' Gilmore said successful an interrogation with Vogue astatine the time.

She besides welcomed the determination to a docket that mirrors the men's locations, which meant a instrumentality to the celebrated Teahupo'o lawsuit that was removed from the women's circuit connected information grounds successful 2006.

With much than 700,000 Instagram followers, Gilmore has a immense level to power a procreation of young women. Chloe Saltau

The AFLW contention has lone been increasing since its commencement successful 2017 and astatine its caput since that clip has been Livingstone, the AFL's wide manager of women's football.

A three-time Olympian, Livingstone won 3 Olympic medals successful her swimming career, and has acquisition successful commentary and the media - she is inactive progressive successful swimming commentary roles.

Her acquisition successful sports medication extends beyond football: Livingstone had antecedently held committee positions with aggregate sporting organisations, including Swimming Australia and the Australian Olympic Committee. Claire Siracusa

Foxtel's main contented and commercialized officer, Laing is well-known successful media circles.

She is besides known among sports executives for her erstwhile presumption connected the committee of the NRL and existent relation arsenic commissioner of Sport Australia.

But it is Laing's presumption arsenic main commercialized and contented serviceman astatine the Foxtel Group that arguably carries the astir influence.

Laing is successful complaint of securing contented deals that volition thrust subscription maturation crossed its services, including Kayo Sports and Binge.

Signing semipermanent deals with sporting bodies is captious to her company's success, but arsenic the currency generated from the deals - astir precocious with the AFL and Cricket Australia - gives sporting bodies the accidental to put successful players, pistillate talent, and the grassroots. Zoe Samios

As Cricket Australia's enforcement wide manager broadcasting and commercial, Beltrame was a cardinal fig successful the caller $1.5 cardinal woody for the athletics to stay connected Seven and Foxtel for 7 years, and the 2 deals earlier that.

She leads negotiations with the large media companies to find however we ticker cricket, however overmuch of it goes down a paywall and however overmuch the networks pay.

She has overseen a play of monolithic change, including the maturation of the BBL and WBBL arsenic TV products and moving Tests and limited-overs matches to caller broadcasters aft much than 30 years connected Channel Nine.

Beltrame worked her mode up from being an adjunct to then-chief enforcement Malcolm Speed successful the precocious 1990s, and is regarded arsenic a aboriginal CEO herself. Chloe Saltau

Wells is the national Minister for Sport, with oversight from the grassroots level to the planetary signifier successful presumption of argumentation and funding.

The national authorities is contributing $3.44 cardinal towards infrastructure for the Brisbane Olympics, and Tasmania's anticipation for an AFL licence hinge connected backing for a caller stadium.

Wells' section has confirmed that Australia had joined 34 nations calling for the International Olympic Committee to prohibition Russian and Belarusian athletes from its competitions, putting it astatine likelihood with the Australian Olympic Committee. Melissa Coulter Ryan

Virgin Australia main enforcement Jayne Hrdlicka has worn galore hats.

She's led Jetstar, the a2 Milk Company and sat connected the committee of Woolworths Limited for much than 5 years.

But her relation arsenic president and president of Tennis Australia gets her connected this list.

Since she took connected the presumption successful 2017, the organisation has evolved rapidly.

It launched a caller international tournament, The United Cup, navigated the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions with planetary tennis stars including satellite fig 1 Novak Djokovic, and successful precocious 2022 secured a humanities $500 cardinal broadcast woody with Nine Entertainment. Zoe Samios

- Graphics by Tara Blancato

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