Senior Leadership team

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SIMON HOLLINGSWORTH

CEO

A dual Australian Olympian and Rhodes Scholar, Simon became the first Olympic track and field athlete to occupy the Athletics Australia CEO role when commencing in July 2024.

Simon's distinguished career includes ten years at CEO with the Australian Sports Commission and more recently, the Magistrate's Court of Victoria. Additionally, his background features more than 12 years in government central agencies including as Deputy Secretary at the Victorian Treasury, where he was responsible for overseeing delivery of the Victorian Budget and broader public sector financial management.

ADAM BISHOP

General Manager – Growth & Development

Adam is a senior sports executive responsible for leading the Growth and Development Department at Australian Athletics. This includes responsibility for coach education, accreditation and professional development; development and delivery of school products and programs (including the delivery of Kids’ Athletics in Sporting Schools); diversity and inclusion initiatives; participation product strategy and product development; formulation and implementation of various policies and compliance; officials and officiating; relationship management and collaboration with other athletics bodies/partners; and providing support to key organisational initiatives and events from time to time.

Adam is formerly the Chief Executive Officer of Athletics South Australia and holds a Masters degree in Sports Administration and a Bachelor of Education. Adam is also a graduate of the Governor's Leadership Foundation program.

ANDREW FAICHNEY

General Manager - High Performance

Andrew Faichney is the General Manager of High Performance and is responsible for leading the Australian Athletics High Performance program. Andrew has previously managed the very successful Australian Athletics Paralympic Program to two Paralympic Games - London 2012 and Rio 2016. Andrew was also the Head of Delegation for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games Athletics team.

Prior to this stint at Australian Athletics, Andrew has worked at the International Cricket Council overseeing the East-Asia/Pacific Regional office and as Event Manager for the qualification process for the ICC World Cup competitions. Andrew was also the Athletics Competition Manager for the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games. Before Melbourne 2006, Andrew started his working career at Australian Athletics, in roles that included Development Officer and Assistant Competitions Manager.

Chris Brophy

General Manager - Finance

Chris Brophy is the General Manager, Finance and is responsible, for managing the Australian Athletics Finance function, this includes financial reporting, statutory compliance, Australian Sports Commission reporting and compliance and financial strategy.

Chris brings extensive experience in finance and strategy across the sporting, government, and commercial sectors. Chris holds a Bachelor of Economics and is a Fellow Certified Practicing Accountant (FCPA).

Briar Sefo

General Manager - Integrity

With more than a decade of experience in sports administration, Briar comes to Australian Athletics as the General Manager – Integrity. Most recently, she has worked at the Australian Institute of Sport and Australian Sports Commission as a leadership and professionalism consultant, facilitating workshops and delivering advice and guidance on culture, ethics, leadership and governance.

Briar is a qualified lawyer in Australia and New Zealand, has previous experience working in NSOs, however her enthusiasm for running and her involvement as an athletics club president and administrator at the community level has brought her back to athletics in a professional capacity.

Karen Murphy

General Manager - People & Culture

Karen Murphy is the General Manager - People & Culture, and responsible for leading the development of the People & Culture strategy, driving cultural transformation, establishing frameworks, processes and resources to help drive a high-performance-based culture. Also providing support and advice to our leaders in areas including employee relations, industrial relations and policies.

Karen brings with her extensive experience in human resource management having spent the last decade in senior People & Culture positions in the banking sector, formerly the Head of People & Culture of Bank First – a customer-owned bank. Karen also worked at The University of Melbourne and Swinburne University of Technology and holds a Master of Business (HRM) and a Graduate Diploma, Human Resource Management.

Louise Thiele

General Manager, Strategy, Delivery & Engagement

With more than 25 years of experience in strategy, marketing, communications, event management, and partnerships, Louise Thiele is a highly accomplished professional known for her expertise in driving growth and engagement. She has successfully delivered impactful results across FMCG, sports, and entertainment sectors. 

Known for her collaborative leadership style, Louise is passionate about fostering inclusive, high-performing teams and aligning strategic vision with operational excellence. Dedicated to creating meaningful connections, Louise is excited to bring her skills to Australian Athletics to drive sustainable growth and elevate the sport’s impact across the country.

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