Artistic Swimming Australia (ASA) is pleased to announce the election of a new Chairperson, Mark Sinderberry, and the appointment of two new Directors, Marieke D’Cruz and Julie Orr, following its recent Annual General Meeting (AGM) and most recent Board Meeting. Board member Emma Gerovich was re-elected to the board for a further three years.

It is the culmination of nearly three years of work by the Board, to ensure it has a modern fit-for-purpose governance structure, to drive the sport forward and capitalise on a once in a lifetime opportunity on the back of a home Olympic Games in 2032.

Mark Sinderberry, was unanimously elected as the new Chairperson, following the recent Board Meeting of ASA. Mark is currently the Chief Executive Officer of UniSport Australia and brings a wealth of experience in developing and delivering bold and ambitious strategies, building high performance teams and governance.

Outgoing Chairperson of ASA, Ben Howard commented “Over the past three years, the Board has worked tirelessly on governance reform with a long-term strategic plan, that started with the modernisation of the organisation with a change of company structure from Incorporated to Limited. We’ve also improved the business operations, updating of and/or implementing over 30 new policies and procedures across the entire organisation. The last piece was putting in place a strong skills-based Board, with an Independent Chairperson, for the future and sustained success of the organisation.”

“We were thrilled to have someone of the calibre of Mark join the Board earlier this year and he is the perfect choice to lead our sport, as the next Chairperson of ASA. On the back of record investment in the sport through both corporate and government support and the establishment of a full-time centralised program for our athletes through the generous support of our Patron Mrs Rinehart and Hancock Prospecting, the building blocks for success are in place. Under Mark’s leadership, the new Board in collaboration with our stakeholders will look to capitalise on the building blocks that are in place, with a new strategy through to Brisbane 2032 and beyond.”

Joining the ASA Board are experienced Directors Marieke D'Cruz OLY and Julie Orr.

Marieke D'Cruz OLY is the Principal of Fortius Consulting, supporting leaders to create purpose-driven strategies and operating models and cultures within which their people can thrive. Marieke has previously worked at McKinsey & Company, Rio Tinto and The McKell Institute. Marieke is also an Olympian, former world champion and world record holder in swimming. She was the President of the Australian Swimmers Association from 2015-2019. Marieke began her swimming career in artistic swimming at age 7.

Julie Orr CA, GAICD, FGIA is an accomplished company director currently serving as a Non-Executive Director of Australian Ethical Investments Limited and Australian Ethical Foundation. She has also excelled as a Non-Executive Director at AvSuper. Additionally, Julie serves on the Audit and Risk Committee for NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust, and SAAFE Limited a Cooperative Research Centre. Her past directorships include Masters Swimming NSW, Ord Minnett and Perennial Value Management and she held senior executive positions at Insignia and Standard & Poor's.

Incoming Chairperson, Mark Sinderberry, commented: "I am looking forward to leading the ASA board and working together with our partners, as we start to prepare for the next cycle. My focus will be to work with the board to ensure our Olympic team is fully supported to deliver their best performance yet in Paris next year, developing the whole of sport strategy, develop the HP strategy for LA28, with an emphasis on investment in our coaches and club development. I would like to congratulate Ben Howard on his achievements during his tenure as Chairperson, ASA has strengthened its governance and Ben played a pivotal role in the establishment of the National Centre of Excellence in Perth. On behalf of the Board, we acknowledge and thank Ben for his tireless commitment to Artistic Swimming!"

Please contact info@artisticswimming.org.au for any questions or comments.