Athletics Australia announces first female President

Athletics Australia (AA) has elected Jan Swinhoe as its new President, the first woman to take the role since the governing body was formed.

Swinhoe will take over the Chair from outgoing President Mark Arbib, effective this evening. The changeover is part of a leadership succession plan approved by the AA Board after Arbib revealed his intention to step down from the position in March, having served as President for six years.

Swinhoe first joined the Athletics Australia Board of Directors in 2014 and became Senior Vice President the following year. Her contributions to the organisation have included being co-author of The Glasgow Review following the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and she is also currently on the Audit, Risk and Finance, People and Culture, and Board Nomination committees. She also sits on the Boards of several institutions including Mercer Superannuation Australia Limited (Chair), Swiss Re Australia and New Zealand, IMB Bank and Australian Philanthropic Services.

Most recently, Swinhoe was announced as the prospective Chair of the inaugural Board of Australian Athletics should the OneAthletics merger take place in December this year.

“I am incredibly proud and appreciative to the Board of Athletics Australia for their faith in my ability to lead our sport forward,” Swinhoe said.

“It has been remarkable to be involved in the growth of Australian athletics since I joined the board in 2014 and it is a great honour to be given the responsibility of President as we embark on a new chapter in our sport.

“I am a firm believer in athletics for life and it’s something that I am deeply passionate about. Growing up in country NSW, I saw the impact of sport in creating inclusive communities. My three children have all been involved in Little Athletics, with two of them still involved in the sport in their early 20s. Athletics continues to be an important part of my family’s life and I look forward to it playing an even bigger role in the coming years.”

Swinhoe also took the time to congratulate Mark Arbib, who will remain on the Board until AA’s Annual General Meeting in October, and as an AA representative on the OneAthletics Governance Committee until the unification vote takes place. 

“I’d also like to extend my congratulations to Mark Arbib for his outstanding leadership of Athletics Australia over the past six years,” she said.

“Mark leaves a great legacy behind and big shoes for me to fill. Among the many achievements during his Presidency were; revolutionising track and field in Australia and globally with the launch of Nitro Athletics, and bringing the then-Olympic 100m Champion and world’s fastest man Usain Bolt to Australia to race in the series.

“Mark also secured the Bathurst World Cross Country Championships, led the success of the Australian athletics teams at the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, and helped realise OneAthletics, just to name a few of these achievements.”

Outgoing President Arbib was quick to applaud the appointment and thanked Swinhoe for her contribution as Senior Vice President.

“Jan Swinhoe has been my Senior Vice President for six years and there could not be a more talented or qualified person to step into the Chair’s role. Jan lives and breathes athletics and becomes the first woman to ever serve as President of Athletics Australia, which is an incredible and long over due achievement. Massive and deserved Congratulations to Jan, she will do an outstanding job.” Arbib said.

Arbib also thanked the Athletics Australia Board and its Member Associations for the work achieved over his time in the role.

“It has been my honour and privilege to serve Athletics Australia over the past six years and we have achieved a great deal as a sport," Arbib said.

“Our sport is in an extremely strong position going forward and as the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics showed, we are poised for a golden period of results ahead. 

“I will continue to work actively to support Jan and her team on the national unification vote as we can’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to unite all branches of athletics. Special thanks to Little Athletics Australia President Andrew Pryor for his leadership, courage and determination to create a unified sport. He along with OneAthletics CEO Kate Palmer, are two of the finest sporting administrators I have worked with and deserve our praise.”

“I’d like to thank the Athletics Australia board, in particular my VPs Jan Swinhoe and Geoff Nicholson, our Member Association boards, our athletes at all levels, our officials, coaches and volunteers for the effort and sacrifice they give to athletics. I have seen first hand time and time again the work that they all do, and they are without doubt, the heart and soul of our sport and communities across this country, its been an honour to serve them.”

By Sascha Ryner, Athletics Australia
Posted: 7/9/2021