Sport NSW Board
Chris Hall - Chairperson
Chief Executive Officer, Primary Communication
Chris commenced his sporting journey at North Rocks Carlingford Little Athletics and North Rocks Soccer Club. Despite giving it his all he quickly realised he would never make it as an elite athlete. The pinnacle of his sporting career came making the fourths basketball in year 12.
Chris went on to contribute to the sector off the playing field. He was a Sports Minister’s Chief of Staff in the State Government for almost six years. His passion for the sector led him to volunteer his time to Sport NSW where he brings a unique perspective across all strategic and operational communication needs as well as government relations.
Over the past two decades he has worked in communication related roles and nowadays is the CEO at Primary Comms Group where he works to position clients in the best possible light.
Chris has participated in a wide variety of sports from Basketball to Rowing and Football to AFL 9’s. Nowadays, he spends Saturday morning’s taking his kids to their sporting activities. He is a keen fan of sport and when he isn’t at a live sporting match its on his TV.
Chris has been a member of the Sport NSW Board since May 2017 and was appointed Deputy Chairperson in February 2019.
Ellie Laing-Southwood - Deputy Chairperson
Director - Media & Communications, Property Council of Australia
Ellie Laing-Southwood is a corporate affairs executive and board member with leadership experience across property, government, sport and the media.
Ellie currently serves at the Head of Communications and Media at FDC Construction & Fitout (ASX:FDC), and has served on the Executive Leadership Team at the Australian Olympic Committee, where she worked as Chief of Communications and Media, and prior to that was also on the executive at the Property Council of Australia as Head of Communications, Media & Marketing.
In 2025 she elected to serve a third term on the Board of Sport NSW.
Ellie previously worked as the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Speaker of NSW Parliament, Director of Communications for the Deputy Premier of NSW, and in the Ministerial Communications team within the state’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
Prior to her time across government, Ellie worked as a journalist and presenter for the best part of a decade across commercial, public and multicultural broadcasters, lectured in journalism at Macleay College and was invited to deliver a Tedx Talk in 2015.
Ellie is also the co-author of a series of children’s books with former Australian of the Year Adam Goodes. The award-winning and best-selling series celebrate and educate families about First Nations culture and history.
Ellie lives on Sydney’s Northern Beaches with her husband and two sons.
Elisa Holmes
Barrister
Elisa is a barrister, practicing primarily in commercial law. She is Senior Counsel and practises from Eleven Wentworth Chambers. She has practised as a barrister for almost 25 years in London and Sydney.
Elisa is also a leading sports lawyer, and is an arbitrator on the National Sports Tribunal, of which she was an inaugural member. She has advised and represented many sporting associations, clubs and athletes in a wide range of sports. She was the Australian Olympic Committee’s Team Advocate for the London Olympics, was an Arbitrator of the UK Sports Resolution Panel, and was the Chair of the North Eastern Australian Football League Tribunal. She has chaired and otherwise sat on many sporting tribunals and judiciaries, and is an honourary member of Surf Lifesaving Sydney. She is a member of the Port Adelaide Football Club Eastern Advisory Board, and travels far and wide to support the Power!
Her own sporting background is in netball and rowing in particular, although she has participated in many other sports at a social and / or junior level. She has two young sons who are very keen sports people, participating on a daily basis in very many sports including in Australian Rules, cricket, tennis, soccer, basketball, swimming and running.
Elisa has been described in a professional context as “enthusiastic and clever” and as having “an approachable and charming manner with the steel of a gritty and determined advocate”, as well as having been “instructed in several significant cases” and instilling “confidence as she provides acute legal thinking and … an elegant style in court”. These are attributes she hopes to bring to Sport NSW.
Elisa has been a member of the Sport NSW Board since May 2017.
Peter Murphy
CEO - NSW Rugby Union
Peter is a former elite Australian rower who represented the country at two Olympic Games and six World Rowing Championships. His international rowing career began as a junior representative in 1985 and continued through to the senior ranks, culminating in a near miss for selection at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Following his retirement from competitive sport, Peter transitioned into a successful career in banking and finance before moving into sports administration.
Peter has held several senior leadership roles in sport, including High Performance Manager for Fiji Rugby, Executive Director of the Australian Rugby Foundation, and Head of the NSW Positive Rugby Foundation. He is now the CEO of NSW Rugby Union.
In his role as CEO, Peter continues to champion the work of the Positive Rugby Foundation—NSWRU’s philanthropic and community arm—where he focuses on expanding "Rugby for Good" initiatives, driving grassroots participation, strengthening community and stakeholder engagement, and building sustainable commercial and community models to support the growth of rugby in New South Wales.
Maria Nordstrom
Chief Executive Officer - Basketball NSW
Maria Nordstrom has more than 30 years’ experience in sports management, B2B sales and marketing, spanning multiple markets including 25 years’ experience as CEO, Managing Director, General Manager, Director, and Sales Leader.
In her role as CEO of Basketball NSW Maria has led the organisation through a change journey spanning 5+ years with focus on improving stakeholder relationships, organisational restructure, growth focus and mindset, improving advocacy and infrastructure investment in NSW.
Maria has a proven track record of success in improving results and productivity, negotiating complex contracts across diverse markets, leading the development of highly effective commercial models, leading transformational change, and developing talent while delivering strong financial outcomes in a fast-moving environment.
Maria is the current Chair on the board of SEDA College and is a FIBA Women’s world Cup Board Non-Executive Director and Director for Legacy. She also has board experience from serving previous terms as the Chair of the Swedish Council and the Swedish School in Sydney.
She is a member of the International Coaching Federation, Women on Boards and CEO institute Syndicate 7.
Maria holds a Bachelor of Science (Psychology& Business) from St Peter’s University and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Rebecca Walter
Chief Executive Officer - Volleyball NSW
Rebecca Walter is a dynamic leader with over 20 years of experience spanning elite sport, strategic program delivery, and community impact. A former Australian national volleyball athlete for 14 years, she brings a rare blend of lived experience, sector-wide insight, and executive capability.
Her journey from grassroots sport to international competition has fostered a profound understanding of how community sport drives performance, inclusion, and long-term success. Passionate about elevating smaller sports, Rebecca advocates for their recognition, resourcing, and celebration within Australia’s sporting identity.
Over the past five years, she has strategically focused on professional development and leadership, cultivating effective relationships across industries and geographies. With tertiary qualifications in Psychology and an MBA in Change Management, she is equipped to lead complex organisational environments and drive transformation across people, culture, and performance. Her expertise includes strategic planning, legacy development, governance best practices, and stakeholder engagement.
Rebecca’s values of integrity, excellence, and respect are reflected in her lifelong commitment to high performance and inclusive environments. She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) course and completed the CEW Executive Leadership Program, further enhancing her ability to foster collaboration, expand networks, and lead cross-functional teams with agility and purpose.
Michele Windsor
Mentor - Minerva Network
Michele brings decades of leadership experience across a broad range of financial services businesses in Asia Pacific alongside her passionate commitment to sport.
Michele has an incredible amount of professional experience in the financial services industry and life-long experience as a sports person with a disability.
A congenital amputee, Michele was part of the Paralympic movement in its formative years and held national records in both long jump and breast stroke.
Michele’s professional background is in banking and finance. After completing a B.Ec. (Hons) at the University of Sydney, with majors in Accounting, Law and Economics, she has been employed by Macquarie and Goldman Sachs in senior roles in both Australia and Asia.
Since 2020 Michele has been a mentor with the Minerva Network, an organisation which enables elite sportswomen to maximise their opportunities on and off the field, supported by a network of leading professionals.