Our Board
Our Board
Our Executive Team at the Australian Sports Foundation is supported by a highly reputable and experienced Board of Directors chaired by Grant O'Brien who is an esteemed Australian businessman and administrator.
The board is responsible for the overall governance, management and strategic direction of the organisation and for delivering accountable corporate performance in accordance with the organisation’s goals and objectives.
Grant O'Brien
Chairman of the board - Appointed 1 October 2020
Grant spent more than 25 years with Woolworths Ltd and was appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer in 2011 before retiring in 2016.
Grant was Chairman of Australian Leisure and Hospitality and Hydrox Holdings from 2011 to 2016. He was also a Director of The Consumer Goods Forum, the peak global body for food and grocery retailers and manufacturers, Chairman and Director of the Australian National Retailers Association Ltd and a member of the Business Council of Australia.
A member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors since 2011, he has been a Director of the Avner Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund since 2008, Deputy Chair of the Stars Foundation since 2015 and Chair of the Port Arthur Historic Sites Management Authority since January 2020.
Samantha Pearce, BCI
Appointed 13 December 2016
Sam is a digital leader and innovator. For nearly 20 years, she has guided and transformed organisations by developing marketing and behaviour change strategies that bridge the digital divide.
As Head of Marketing at Liquid Interactive, a strategic design consultancy, she leads a world-class team committed to creating social change in government, health and education. Her industry achievements include Australian and international awards for digital strategy, purchase behaviour and customer experience.
Sam has extensive knowledge in building sustainable businesses and understands the value of giving to sport. Steeped in a family history of business success and philanthropy, she brings a wealth of experience to the ASF Board.
Kim Brennan, AM, OLY, GAICD
Appointed 23 October 2018
Kim is an Olympic gold, silver and bronze medallist in rowing, and World Youth silver medallist in track and field. She is a qualified legal practitioner in Advisory with Ernst & Young, specialising in ethical organisations and culture change in a technology-disrupted world. Kim also sits on a number of key sporting bodies, including the Australian Institute of Sport Ethics Committee, and is Deputy Chair of the Rowing Australia Athletes’ Commission, as well as being appointed Deputy Chef de Mission for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
She is a Member of the Order of Australia for her contribution to sport and the community and was named in the Australian Financial Review’s Top 100 Women of Influence in 2018.
Andrew Baildon, OLY
Appointed 23 October 2018
Andrew is a dual Olympian and 5-time Commonwealth Games Gold medallist, ranked in the top 20 swimmers in the world for over a decade, and was the Australian team Captain in 1993 and 1994. He is a respected swim industry expert, television and event presenter, MC, keynote speaker and international consultant, and is founder and Managing Director of Baildon Group (encompassing Superfish Swim Schools, Goldfish Cafes and Jetts Fitness centres).
Andrew is also an Australian Swimming board member and was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his service to sport. He was instrumental in bringing the 2018 Commonwealth Games to the Gold Coast and was Chairman of the Athletes Advisory Board and Member of the Queensland Government’s Legacy Committee.
Lisa Cotton
Appointed 24 November 2023
Lisa’s career as CEO, Chair, NED, and at management level in trade and commerce, sport, tourism, and social enterprise spans more than 30 years including 17 years governance board practice. For the past 20 years, she’s worked at the forefront of philanthropy and social innovation.
From 2004 to 2011, she was Director Social Investment with Social Ventures Australia, and after that established The Funding Network. She was acknowledged for her contribution to the social sector when she was named ‘Third Sector CEO of the Year’ by industry peers.
Prior to that, Lisa held executive positions in the private and public sectors including Director DDB advertising, Co-Manager for Gold Corporation’s Sydney Olympic Games licensing program, and as Deputy Commissioner for the WA Pavilion at World Expo for the WA Government.
Drawing on insights from her cross-sector career, Lisa now works across the areas of impact investment, social enterprise, documentary films, and organisational strategy in an advisory role as CEO of Ideology Group. She is Chairperson for the Kennards Hire Foundation, Non-Executive Director of Campbell Page, and a member of the Social Impact Hub Professional Impact Network and Sydney Mentor Walks.
David Lemphers
Appointed 24 November 2023
Dave Lemphers is a distinguished technologist and entrepreneur with a global career that has spanned Australia and the United States. Co-founding and successfully exiting four startups, he has held executive engineering roles at Microsoft and Amazon Web Services.
An author of four U.S. patents in machine learning and AI, Dave currently serves as CTO in Residence with Techstars. As an experienced board advisor, he has contributed to both public and private boards, focusing on technology strategy and digital transformation.
With degrees in Computer Science, Software Engineering, and Law, his expertise offers a comprehensive perspective.
Jason Titman
Appointed 24 November 2023
Jason has over 25 years experience in executive and board roles across several Countries. These roles include CEO, COO and CFO in several eCommerce and fintech companies, that have scaled from startup, taken on significant investment from Tier One US, Australian and Indian VC’s, listed Companies and a range of Family Offices, each of which has subsequently had successful exits.
His Board commitments include, Chair of Reshop, a New York based eCommerce company and Non-Executive Director of Findi Limited, an ASX Company, which owns an Indian financial services and eCommerce company. In addition to this, he is currently the Chief Operating Officer of Swyftx, one of Australia’s largest digital asset exchanges.
Previously, Jason was on the Mater Hospital Foundation Board from 2011 to 2021, Chaired the Maters’ Endowment Fund, Cycling Queensland Board from 2006 to 2008, the Moreton Bay Colleges Board of Governors, Chair of The Moreton Bay Colleges’ Foundation from 2015 to 2024.