29 May 2009

Hi everyone, particularly those Ausport readers I have not yet had the opportunity to communicate with. I hope you find this and future messages of interest and value. It is a privilege to be the ASC’s new CEO, and I am committed to regular communication with you so we can appreciate and understand some of the real issues we face as we strive together to deliver an even better Australian sports system.

We are in challenging and somewhat uncertain times. Clearly our industry is facing financial challenges made more acute by the world economic downturn. Like other sectors, many sport organisations also have to find ways of getting through the tough times by making decisions based on priorities and at the same time ensuring opportunities are realised.

Given the ASC’s leadership role in Australian sport and the challenges facing the sector, I believe we need to focus some of our effort on building a greater understanding of the challenges we are all encountering as well as support and connect our stakeholders.

After only two weeks it is clear to me that the ASC can build on its great work to date and play a strong role in helping sustain Australian sport through this challenging period — there is so much positive feeling and goodwill to work in the interest of Australian sport.

My early focus in the job will be dominated by listening, learning and sometimes testing some of my thinking with you. The Independent Review of Sport, led by David Crawford, will undoubtedly offer some significant recommendations to the Government and will impact our future direction, but now is not the time to stand still. 

In concert with my ASC colleagues and the ASC Board, we will review the ASC’s future positioning and direction over the next two to three months through a comprehensive strategic planning process. Some of you will be asked to help us with this thinking — all of you will be informed of the outcomes.

Within the ASC we will be also focusing on ensuring we have the capability and congruent culture to deliver our commitments to you. I feel significant responsibility to ensure the ASC delivers real outcomes at this critical time. Over my professional career I have developed the capability to lead system performance improvement focused around relationships, people and a shared vision of what we are collectively seeking to achieve.

I am excited at the prospect of being able to make a valuable contribution to Australian sport by working with the passionate and dedicated people characterised by those I have already had the pleasure of meeting. I look forward to meeting many more of you over the coming months, and more importantly, engaging with you in taking Australian sport to the next level.

Matt Miller